Nigel G Wilcox

In 1972, NASA's planners had projected for 570 shuttle missions between 1980 and 1991. Later, this estimate was lowered to 487 launches between 1980 and 1992. The details of the first 23 projected missions, listed in the third edition of Manned Spaceflight (Reginald Turnill, 1978) are presented below.

Originally scheduled as the first orbital test (OFT-1) for launch in June 1979. The crew was to consist of a commander and pilot, and the test flight was to last 2 days and 5 hours.
Originally intended to be a sub-orbital test of the Space Shuttle system, using the RTLS flight profile devised for emergency abort scenarios. The mission was cancelled when astronauts refused to fly it, having deemed the plan to be too dangerous. STS-1 commander John W. Young recalled that "I said no. I said let's not practice Russian roulette, because you may have a loaded gun there. So we didn't."

(Columbia)

Originally scheduled as the second orbital flight test (OFT-2) for launch in July 1979. The 5-day mission was to see the crew of Fred Haise and Jack Lousma take the Teleoperator Retrieval System to the Skylab space station in order to boost it into a higher orbit. Vance D. Brand and C. Gordon Fullerton were their backups.

(Columbia)

Originally scheduled as the third orbital flight test (OFT-3) for launch in September 1979. The 7-day mission was to see the 2-man crew (commander and pilot) test shuttle maneuvering and remote manipulator systems.

(Columbia)

Originally scheduled as the fourth orbital flight test (OFT-4) for launch in December 1979. The crew was to consist of a commander and pilot, and the mission was to last 7 days.

(Columbia)

Originally scheduled as the fifth orbital flight test (OFT-5) for launch in February 1980. The crew was to consist of 3 or 4 members and the mission was to last 7 days. First landing at Kennedy Space Center.

(Columbia)

Originally scheduled as the sixth orbital flight test (OFT-6) for launch in March 1980. The crew of 4 were to conduct first test of operational payloads and conduct the first EVA from the shuttle. The mission was to last 7 days.

(Columbia)

Originally scheduled for launch in May 1980. First operational flight. The crew of three were to place the LDEF satellite into orbit and the mission was to last 5 days.

(Columbia)

Originally scheduled for launch on 1 July 1980. The crew of 3 were to place the satellites TDRS-1 and SBS-A into orbit during the 2-day mission.

(Columbia)

Originally scheduled for launch on 1 August 1980. The crew of 3 were to place the satellites GOES-4 and SSUS-D into orbit during the 3-day mission.

(Columbia)

Originally scheduled for launch on 14 November 1980. The crew of 3 were to place the satellites TDRS-B and SBS-B into orbit during the 3-day mission.

(Columbia)

Originally scheduled for launch on 18 December 1980, carrying the European Spacelab-1 science module. The crew of 5 were to consist of 3 NASA astronauts and 2 European payload specialists. The mission was to last 7 days.

(Columbia)

Originally scheduled for launch on 30 January 1981. The crew of 3 were to place the satellites Intelsat-5 and Anik-C1 into orbit during the 2-day mission.

(Columbia)

Originally scheduled for launch on 3 March 1981. The crew of 3 were to place the satellites TDRS-3 and Insat-1A into orbit during the 5-day mission.

(Columbia)

Originally scheduled for launch on 7 April 1981, carrying the Spacelab-2 science module. The crew of 5 was to consist of 2 payload specialists. The mission was to last 12 days.

(Challenger)

Originally to be the first flight of the shuttle Challenger, scheduled for launch on 13 May 1981. It was to place the satellites RCA-C, SSUS-D and a GOES into orbit. Challenger first flew on STS-6, launched on 4 April 1983.

(Columbia)

Originally scheduled for launch on 16 June 1981. Was to place the satellites TDRS-4 and Anik-C2 into orbit.

(Challenger)

Originally scheduled for launch on 16 July 1981, carrying the Spacelab-3 science module. The crew of 5 was to consist of 2 payload specialists.

(Columbia)

Originally scheduled for launch on 29 July 1981. Was to place Intelsat-6 and an SBS satellite into orbit and recover LDEF from orbit.

(Columbia)

Originally scheduled for launch on 2 September 1981. Was to place a USAF (Teal Ruby) satellite into orbit, was also to carry a metallurgy pallet.

(Challenger)

Originally scheduled for launch on 30 September 1981, carrying the Spacelab-4 life-science module.

(Columbia)

Originally scheduled for launch on 14 October 1981, carrying the European Spacelab-5 module.

Challenger)

Originally scheduled for launch on 25 November 1981. Was to place the Iranian Zohreh-1 satellite into orbit.

(Columbia)

Originally scheduled for launch in January 1982. Was to launch the Galileo probe to Jupiter using an IUS booster. Galileo was eventually delivered to orbit by Atlantis during STS-34, launched 18 October 1989, after lengthy delays.

Cancelled between the first flight of the shuttle (1981) and the Challenger disaster (1986)

Planned Launch Date: November 1983

Cancelled due to delays with the payload, which was a DOD satellite. The entire crew flew on STS-51-C in 1985.

Crew:
Thomas K. Mattingly II (Commander)
Loren J. Shriver (Pilot)
Ellison S. Onizuka (Mission Specialist)
James F. Buchli (Mission Specialist)
Gary E. Payton (Payload Specialist)

Planned Launch Date: March 1984

A mission to deploy a TDRS satellite, was cancelled due to problems with the Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) that was to be used in the mission. The crew (along with payload specialist Charles D. Walker) eventually flew on STS-41-D in August 1984.

Crew:
Henry W. Hartsfield, Jr. (Commander)
Michael L. Coats (Pilot)
Richard M. Mullane (Mission Specialist)
Steven A. Hawley (Mission Specialist)
Judith A. Resnik (Mission Specialist)

(Challenger)

Planned Launch Date: July 1984

A mission to deploy a DOD satellite, was cancelled due to problems with the IUS upper stage that was to be used in the mission.

Crew:
Thomas K. Mattingly II (Commander)
Loren J. Shriver (Pilot)
Ellison S. Onizuka (Mission Specialist)
James F. Buchli (Mission Specialist)
Jeffrey E. Detroye (Payload Specialist)

(Discovery)

Planned Lauch Date: August 1984

Mission cancelled due to launchpad RSLS abort of STS-41-D in June, 41-F's payload contents were transferred for 41-D's eventual launch in August.

Crew:
Karol J. Bobko (Commander)
Donald E. Williams (Pilot)
M. Rhea Seddon (Mission Specialist)
S. David Griggs (Mission Specialist)
Jeffrey A. Hoffman (Mission Specialist)

(Challenger)

Planned Launch Date: March 1985

Mission objective was to deploy the TDRS-B communication satellite, cancelled due to IUS failure. Most of the crew would be reassigned to STS-51-D which flew in April 1985 (except for Patrick Baudry, who was re-assigned to STS-51-G which flew in June 1985).

Crew:
Karol J. Bobko (Commander)
Donald E. Williams (Pilot)
M. Rhea Seddon (Mission Specialist)
S. David Griggs (Mission Specialist)
Jeffrey A. Hoffman (Mission Specialist)
Patrick Baudry (Payload Specialist)
Edwin J. Garn (Payload Specialist)

(Discovery)

Planned Launch Date: March 1985

Mission objectives were to deploy a Syncom communication satellite and retrieval of the Long Duration Exposure Facility. Most of the crew would fly on STS-51-G in June, with Walker remaining on the remanifested STS-51-D flight and Jarvis eventually bumped to STS-51-L, in which he was killed during the Challenger disaster.

Crew:
Daniel C. Brandenstein (Commander)
John O. Creighton (Pilot)
Steven R. Nagel (Mission Specialist)
John M. Fabian (Mission Specialist)
Shannon W. Lucid (Mission Specialist)
Gregory B. Jarvis (Payload Specialist)
Charles D. Walker (Payload Specialist)

(Atlantis)

Planned Launch Date: November 1985

Originally EOM-1 Spacelab mission, cancelled in December 1984 due to planned combining with EOM-2 mission. Later re-manifested as STS-61-K which was then cancelled due to the Challenger disaster.

Crew:
Vance D. Brand (Commander)
Michael J. Smith (Pilot)
Robert C. Springer (Mission Specialist)
Owen K. Garriott (Mission Specialist)
Claude Nicollier (Mission Specialist)
Michael L. Lampton (Payload Specialist)
Byron K. Lichtenberg (Payload Specialist)

Cancelled due to the Challenger disaster

(Columbia)

STS-61-E mission insignia
Planned Launch Date: 6 March 1986

Astro-1 mission, would have been used to examine Halley's Comet in conjunction with the unmanned probes of the Halley Armada. The Astro-1 mission, and most of the assigned crew, would eventually fly on STS-35 in 1990.

Crew:
Jon A. McBride (Commander)
Richard N. Richards (Pilot)
David C. Leestma (Mission Specialist)
Jeffrey A. Hoffman (Mission Specialist)
Robert A. Parker (Mission Specialist)
Samuel T. Durrance (Payload Specialist)
Ronald A. Parise (Payload Specialist)

(Challenger)

Planned Launch Date: 15 May 1986

Primary mission intended to deploy the Ulysses solar polar orbiter with a Centaur-G upper stage. Most of the crew would fly on the first post-Challenger shuttle mission, STS-26. Ulysses itself would eventually be launched by Discovery on STS-41 with an IUS.

Crew:
Frederick H. Hauck (Commander)
Roy D. Bridges (Pilot)
David C. Hilmers (Mission Specialist)
John M. Lounge (Mission Specialist)

(Atlantis)

Planned Launch Date: 20 May 1986

Primary mission would have been the deployment of the Galileo probe with a Centaur-G upper stage. Most of the crew would later fly on STS-30 in 1989. Galileo would eventually be launched by Atlantis on STS-34 with an IUS.If not for the Challenger disaster, this would have marked the first time two Space Shuttles were in space at the same time, and the first time two American missions were going on at the same time since Gemini 7 and Gemini 6A in 1965.

Crew:
David M. Walker (Commander)
Ronald J. Grabe (Pilot)
Norman E. Thagard (Mission Specialist)
James D. A. van Hoften (Mission Specialist)

Planned Launch Date: 24 June 1986

Mission objective was to deploy three satellites. The crew would have included the first British and the first Indonesian astronaut. Most of this crew would fly, sans payload specialists, as STS-29; James Bagian replaced Fisher, who was on leave.

Crew:
Michael L. Coats (Commander)
John E. Blaha (Pilot)
Anna L. Fisher (Mission Specialist)
James F. Buchli (Mission Specialist)
Robert C. Springer (Mission Specialist)
Nigel Wood (Payload Specialist)
Pratiwi Sudarmono (Payload Specialist)STS-62-A (

(Discovery)

Planned Launch Date: 1 July 1986

DOD mission, was to have been the first shuttle mission flown from Space Launch Complex 6 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, and would have been the first mission to enter polar orbit. Astronauts Guy Gardner, Mullane, and Ross would fly together on STS-27, commanded by Robert L. Gibson, and with William Shepherd rounding out the crew, with no payload specialists.

Crew:
Robert L. Crippen (Commander)
Guy S. Gardner (Pilot)
Richard M. Mullane (Mission Specialist)
Jerry L. Ross (Mission Specialist)
Dale A. Gardner (Mission Specialist)
Edward C. Aldridge, Jr. (Payload Specialist)
Brett Watterson (Payload Specialist)

(Challenger)

Planned Launch Date: 22 July 1986.

Payload was to have been the TDRS-4 satellite.

Crew:
Loren J. Shriver (Commander)
Bryan D. O'Connor (Pilot)
Mark C. Lee (Mission Specialist)
Sally K. Ride (Mission Specialist)
William F. Fisher (Mission Specialist)
Robert Wood[disambiguation needed] (Payload Specialist)

(Atlantis)

Planned Launch Date: 18 August 1986

Mission was intended to deploy the Hubble Space Telescope into orbit. The Hubble Space Telescope, and most of the previously assigned crew (except Young, who was replaced by Loren Shriver), would eventually fly on STS-31 in 1990.

Crew:
John W. Young (Commander)
Charles F. Bolden, Jr. (Pilot)
Steven A. Hawley (Mission Specialist)
Bruce McCandless II (Mission Specialist)
Kathryn D. Sullivan (Mission Specialist)

(Discovery)

Planned Launch Date: 4 September 1986

DOD mission, which would be flown in 1989 as STS-28 with most of the named crew except McCulley (who was replaced by Richard N. Richards) and Casserino.

Crew:
Brewster H. Shaw, Jr. (Commander)
Michael J. McCulley (Pilot)
David C. Leestma (Mission Specialist)
Mark N. Brown (Mission Specialist)
James C. Adamson (Mission Specialist)
Frank J. Casserino (Payload Specialist)

(Challenger)

Planned Launch Date: 27 September 1986

Primary mission objective would have been deployment of the Intelsat-4 satellite and the retrieval of the Long Duration Exposure Facility. Smith perished in the Challenger disaster shortly after being named to this crew. Dunbar would later be assigned to STS-32, which retrieved the LDEF in 1990.

Crew:
Donald E. Williams (Commander)
Michael J. Smith (Pilot)
James P. Bagian (Mission Specialist)
Bonnie J. Dunbar (Mission Specialist)
Manley L. Carter, Jr. (Mission Specialist)
Nagapathi C. Bhat (Payload Specialist)

(Discovery)

DOD mission, planned for 29 September 1986. The only crewmember assigned to the mission before it was cancelled was Payload Specialist Katherine Eileen Sparks Roberts.

(Columbia)

Planned for 1 October 1986. The crew were to have been commander Vance D. Brand, pilot S. David Griggs, mission specialists Robert L. Stewart, Owen K. Garriott, and Claude Nicollier, and payload specialists Byron K. Lichtenberg, Michael L. Lampton, and Robert E. Stevenson.

(Atlantis)

Planned for 1 November 1986. Would have launched the first American journalist in space. The only crewmember assigned to the mission before it was cancelled was Payload Specialist John Konrad.

(Challenger)

DOD mission, planned for December 1986. Would have carried Military Spaceflight Engineer Charles Edward Jones, who later died on Flight 11 when it was crashed into the World Trade Center during the September 11, 2001 attacks.

(Columbia)

Astro-2 mission, planned for 1 January 1987. The only crewmember assigned to the mission before it was cancelled was Payload Specialist Kenneth Hugh Nordsieck.

(Atlantis)

Planned for 1 January 1987. Was to launch a British Skynet satellite. The only crewmember assigned to the mission before it was cancelled was British Payload Specialist Peter Longhurst.

(Columbia)

Planned for 1 February 1987. The only crewmember assigned to the mission before it was cancelled was Payload Specialist Robert Jackson Wood.

First Spacelab Life Science mission (SLS-1), planned for March 1987. The only crewmembers assigned to the mission before it was cancelled were Payload Specialists Drew Gaffney and Robert Ward Phillips.

(Atlantis)

Planned for 1 March 1987. The only crewmember assigned to the mission before it was cancelled was Canadian Payload Specialist Steven MacLean.

(Columbia)

Astro-3 mission, planned for 1 August 1987. The only crewmember assigned to the mission before it was cancelled was Payload Specialist Kenneth Hugh Nordsieck.

Spacelab-J science mission, planned for February 1988. The only crewmembers assigned to the mission before it was cancelled were the Japanese Payload Specialists Mamoru Mohri and Chiaki Mukai.

(Atlantis)

Second Spacelab Life Science mission (SLS-2), planned for 1 July 1988. The only crewmember assigned to the mission before it was cancelled was Payload Specialist Millie Hughes-Fulford, who would fly on STS-40.

(Discovery)

(Columbia)

A mission to retrieve the Hubble Space Telescope and return it to Earth, for possible display in the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C..[citation needed] NASA later flew the STS-125 mission to the telescope, carrying a target assembly to allow for a safe de-orbit and atmospheric breakup over the Pacific Ocean.

Cancelled due to the Columbia disaster

(Atlantis)

Originally to be launched on 1 March 2003 to the International Space Station. It would have carried the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module Raffaello and carried out a station crew rotation. Crew: Collins, Kelly, Noguchi, Robinson, Malenchenko, Kaleri, Lu.

Originally to be launched on 23 May 2003 to the International Space Station to conduct the 10-day assembly mission ISS-12A. Crew: Jett, Ferguson, Tanner, Burbank, MacLean, Stefanyshyn-Piper.

(Atlantis)

Originally to be launched on 24 July 2003 to the International Space Station to conduct assembly mission ISS-12A.1, delivering the third port truss segment (ITS P5), logistics and supplies. It would also have carried out a station crew rotation. Crew: Wilcutt, Oefelein, Curbeam, Fuglesang, Foale, McArthur, Tokarev.

(Endeavour)

Originally to be launched on 2 October 2003 to the International Space Station to conduct assembly mission ISS-13A, delivering the second starboard truss segment (ITS S3/S4), a solar array set, and batteries. Crew: Sturckow, Polansky, Reilly, Mastracchio, Higginbotham, Forrester.

(Columbia)

Originally to be launched on 15 January 2004 to the International Space Station to conduct assembly mission ISS-15A and carry-out a station crew rotation. Crew were to be commander Steven Lindsey, pilot Mark Kelly, mission specialist Michael Gernhardt, Carlos Noriega, Gennadi Padalka, Mike Fincke, Oleg Kononenko.

Originally to be launched on 19 February 2004 to the International Space Station to conduct assembly mission ISS-10A, delivering the second of three station connecting modules, Harmony. With this mission the redefined ISS US Core would have been completed. Crew: Halsell, Poindexter, Lawrence, Sellers, Wilson, Foreman.

Originally to be launched on 1 July 2004 to the International Space Station to conduct assembly mission ISS-9A.1, delivering the Science Power Platform with four solar arrays to the station, and to have carried out a station crew rotation. No crew had been named at the time of cancellation.

Originally to be launched on 15 April 2004 to conduct the fourth Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission. No crew had been named at the time of cancellation.

Originally to be launched on 1 October 2004 to the International Space Station to conduct resupply mission ISS-UF4. No crew had been named at the time of cancellation.

Originally to be launched on 1 December 2004 to the International Space Station to conduct assembly mission ISS-1J/A, delivering the Japanese JEM ELM PS module and SPP to the station. No crew had been named at the time of cancellation.

Originally to be launched on 1 February 2005 to the International Space Station to conduct assembly mission ISS-1J, delivering the Japanese Kibo Experiment Module and JEM RMS to the station. No crew had been named at the time of cancellation.

Originally to be launched on 1 April 2005 to the International Space Station to conduct resupply mission ISS-UF3. No crew had been named at the time of cancellation.

Originally to be launched on 1 June 2005 to the International Space Station to conduct assembly mission ISS-1E, delivering the European Columbus module. No crew had been named at the time of cancellation.

(Columbia)

Originally to be launched on 1 August 2005 to conduct the fifth Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission. No crew had been named at the time of cancellation.

(Discovery)

Originally to be launched on 1 October 2005 to the International Space Station to conduct assembly mission ISS-2J/A, delivering the Japanese hardware JEM EF and the Cupola. No crew had been named at the time of cancellation.

(Endeavour)

Originally to be launched on 1 February 2006 to the International Space Station to conduct resupply mission ISS-UF5. No crew had been named at the time of cancellation.

(Atlantis)

Originally to be launched on 1 April 2006 to the International Space Station to conduct assembly mission ISS-14A, delivering 4 SPP arrays and the MMOD. No crew had been named at the time of cancellation.

(Discovery)

Originally to be launched on 1 June 2006 to the International Space Station to conduct resupply mission ISS-UF6. No crew had been named at the time of cancellation.

(Endeavour)

Originally to be launched on 1 August 2006 to the International Space Station to conduct assembly mission ISS-20A, delivering Tranquility. No crew had been named at the time of cancellation.

(Atlantis)

Originally to be launched on 1 February 2007 to the International Space Station to conduct assembly mission ISS-17A, delivering the Multipurpose Laboratory Module (Nauka), Destiny lab racks, and a CBA to the station. No crew had been named at the time of cancellation.]

(Discovery)

Originally to be launched on 1 April 2007 to the International Space Station to conduct assembly mission ISS-18A, delivering the first US Crew Return Vehicle (CRV). No crew had been named at the time of cancellation.

(Atlantis)

Originally to be launched on 1 July 2007 to the International Space Station to conduct assembly mission ISS-19A, delivering an MPLM and other station hardware. No crew had been named at the time of cancellation.

(Discovery)

Originally to be launched on 1 October 2007 to the International Space Station to conduct resupply mission ISS-UF7. The Centrifuge Accommodations Module would also have been delivered to the station. No crew had been named at the time of cancellation.]

Other cancelled missions

STS-2A

STS-3

STS-4

STS-5

STS-6

STS-7

STS-8

STS-9

STS-10

STS-11

STS-12

STS-13

STS-14

STS-15

STS-16

STS-17

STS-18

STS-19

STS-20

STS-21

STS-22

STS-23

STS-10

STS-12

STS-41-E

STS-41-F

STS-51-E

STS-51-D

STS-51-H

STS-61-E

STS-61-F

STS-61-G

STS-61-H
(Columbia)

STS-61-M

STS-61-J

STS-61-N

STS-61-I (

STS-62-B

STS-61-K

STS-61-L

STS-71-B

STS-71-A

STS-71-C

STS-71-D

STS-71-E

STS-71-F

STS-71-M

STS-81-M

STS-81-G

STS-82-B

STS-144

STS-115 (Endeavour)

STS-116

STS-117

STS-118

STS-120

STS-121

STS-122

STS-123

STS-124

STS-125

STS-126

STS-127

STS-128

STS-129

STS-130

STS-131

STS-132

STS-133

(Atlantis)

(Endeavour)

(Discovery)

(Columbia)

(Atlantis)

(Endeavour)

(Discovery)

(Endeavour)

(Discovery)

Originally to be launched on 1 October 2006 to the International Space Station to conduct assembly mission ISS-16A, delivering the Habitation Module. No crew had been named at the time of cancellation.

STS-134

STS-135

STS-138

STS-137

STS-136

STS-119

Originally to be launched on 13 November 2003 to the International Space Station to conduct assembly mission ISS-13A.1, delivering the third starboard truss segment (ITS S5) and station supplies. Crew were to be commander Scott Kelly, pilot Charles O. Hobaugh, mission specialists Scott E. Parazynski, Dafydd Williams, Barbara Morgan and Lisa Nowak.

STS-144

Planned for 1988. Among other tasks, the mission included the deployment of the Cosmic Background Explorer observatory, later launched on a Delta rocket in 1989.

Cancelled between 1988 and the Columbia disaster (2003)

(Atlantis)

STS-62-A

Ideal Screen Composition 1024 x 768