This mission was dedicated to the Department of Defense. Unclassified payload included the Defense Support Program Satellite, a number of mid-deck payloads, including various radiation and contamination monitoring experiments, as well as visual function tests. The crew also participated in continuing medical investigations on the effects of weightlessness on the human body.!
Front row, left to right: Pilot Terence Henricks, DOB: 7/5/52, Background: Col., USAF. Education: B.S. in civil engineering; M.A. in public administration.
Commander Frederick Gregory, DOB: 1/7/41, Background: Col., USAF. Pilot on 51-B. Commander of STS-33. Education: M.S. in information systems.
Mission Specialist F. Story Musgrave, DOB: 8/19/35
Background: Mission specialist on STS-6, 51-F and STS-33. Education: M.A. in literature; M.S. in physiology and biophysics; M.B.A. in operational analysis and computer programming; M.D. degree.
Back row, left to right: Mission Specialist James Voss, DOB: 3/3/49, Background: NASA test engineer. Mission specialist on STS-53. Education: M.S. in aerospace engineering.
Payload Specialist Thomas Hennen, Born: 1952, Background: U.S. Military Intelligence. Education: Military degrees.
Mission Specialist Mario Runco, Jr., DOB: 1/26/52, Background: Lt. Cmdr., USN. Mission specialist on STS-54. Education: M.S. in meteorology.!
24 November 1991 6:44 p.m. EST
Launch originally scheduled for 19 November was postponed due to a faulty propulsive measurement unit. After replacement and retesting launch was rescheduled for 24 November. Liftoff was delayed 13 minutes.!
1 December 1991 5:34 p.m. EST
at Edwards AFB, CA
Mission Duration: 6 days, 22 hours, 52 minutes, 27 seconds. Landing originally scheduled for KSC at 2:21 p.m. EST on 4 December, but mission was shortened due to failure of one of the orbiter's three onboard inertial measurement units.!
