Space Shuttle Projects

The crew assigned to the STS-61A mission included (front row left to right) Reinhard Furrer, German payload specialist; Bonnie J. Dunbar, mission specialist; and Henry W. Hartsfield, Jr. commander. On the back row, left to right, are Steven R. Nagel, pilot; Guion S. Bluford, mission specialist; Ernst Messerscmid, German payload specialist; and Wubbo J. Ockels, Dutch payload specialist. Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger on October 30, 1985 at 12:00:00 noon (EST), the STS-61A mission’s primary payload was the Spacelab D-1 (German Spacelab mission).