STS-61-H

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Canceled Space Shuttle mission

title: "STS-61-H" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["cancelled-space-shuttle-missions"] description: "Canceled Space Shuttle mission" topic_path: "general/cancelled-space-shuttle-missions" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STS-61-H" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Canceled Space Shuttle mission ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox spaceflight"]

FieldValue
nameSTS-61-H
names_listSpace Transportation System
image_size300px
mission_typeCommunications satellites deployment (planned)
operatorNASA
mission_duration7 days, 7 hours, 51 minutes, 51 seconds (planned)
spacecraft(planned)
launch_mass1217990 kg
landing_mass90584 kg
payload_mass21937 kg
crew_size7 (planned)
crew_membersMichael L. Coats
John E. Blaha
Robert C. Springer
Anna L. Fisher
James F. Buchli
Pratiwi Sudarmono
Nigel R. Wood
launch_date24 June 1986, 13:09:00 UTC (planned)
launch_rocketSpace Shuttle Columbia
launch_siteKennedy Space Center, LC-39B
launch_contractorRockwell International
landing_date1 July 1986, 21:00:51 UTC (planned)
landing_siteKennedy Space Center,
Runway 15
orbit_referenceGeocentric orbit (planned)
orbit_regimeLow Earth orbit
orbit_periapsis285 km
orbit_apoapsis295 km
orbit_inclination28.45°
orbit_period90.40 minutes
apsisgee
insigniaShuttle Patch.png
insignia_captionSpace Shuttle patch
insignia_size200px
crew_photoSTS-61-H crew.jpg
crew_photo_captionBack row: Anna L. Fisher, Robert C. Springer, James F. Buchli
Front row: John E. Blaha and Michael L. Coats
crew_photo_size300px
programmeSpace Shuttle program
previous_missionSTS-51-L (25)
next_missionSTS-26
programme2Cancelled Shuttle missions
previous_mission2STS-61-G
next_mission2STS-62-A
::

| name = STS-61-H | names_list = Space Transportation System | image = | image_caption = | image_size = 300px

| mission_type = Communications satellites deployment (planned) | operator = NASA | COSPAR_ID = | SATCAT = | mission_duration = 7 days, 7 hours, 51 minutes, 51 seconds (planned)

| spacecraft = (planned) | launch_mass = 1217990 kg | landing_mass = 90584 kg | payload_mass = 21937 kg

| crew_size = 7 (planned) | crew_members = Michael L. Coats John E. Blaha Robert C. Springer Anna L. Fisher James F. Buchli Pratiwi Sudarmono Nigel R. Wood

| launch_date = 24 June 1986, 13:09:00 UTC (planned) | launch_rocket = Space Shuttle Columbia | launch_site = Kennedy Space Center, LC-39B | launch_contractor = Rockwell International

| landing_date = 1 July 1986, 21:00:51 UTC (planned) | landing_site = Kennedy Space Center, Runway 15

| orbit_reference = Geocentric orbit (planned) | orbit_regime = Low Earth orbit | orbit_periapsis = 285 km | orbit_apoapsis = 295 km | orbit_inclination = 28.45° | orbit_period = 90.40 minutes | apsis = gee

| instruments =

| insignia = Shuttle Patch.png | insignia_caption = Space Shuttle patch | insignia_size = 200px

| crew_photo = STS-61-H crew.jpg | crew_photo_caption = Back row: Anna L. Fisher, Robert C. Springer, James F. Buchli Front row: John E. Blaha and Michael L. Coats | crew_photo_size = 300px

| programme = Space Shuttle program | previous_mission = STS-51-L (25) | next_mission = STS-26 | programme2 = Cancelled Shuttle missions | previous_mission2 = STS-61-G | next_mission2 = STS-62-A

STS-61-H was a NASA Space Shuttle mission planned to launch on 24 June 1986 using Columbia. However, it was canceled after the Challenger disaster.

Crew

| terminology = Astronaut

| position1 = Commander | crew1_up = USA Michael L. Coats | flights1_up = Would have been second

| position2 = Pilot | crew2_up = USA John E. Blaha | flights2_up = Would have been first

| position3 = Mission Specialist 1 | crew3_up = USA Robert C. Springer | flights3_up = Would have been first

| position4 = Mission Specialist 2 | crew4_up = USA Anna L. Fisher | flights4_up = Would have been second

| position5 = Mission Specialist 3 | crew5_up = USA James F. Buchli | flights5_up = Would have been third

| position6 = Payload Specialist 1 | crew6_up = IDN Pratiwi Sudarmono | flights6_up = Would have been first

| position7 = Payload Specialist 2 | crew7_up = GBR Nigel R. Wood | flights7_up = Would have been first

Backup crew

| terminology = Astronaut

| position6 = Payload Specialist 1 | crew6_up = IDN Taufik Akbar | flights6_up = Would have been first

| position7 = Payload Specialist 2 | crew7_up = GBR Richard A. Farrimond | flights7_up = Would have been first

Crew notes

Before Buchli was assigned to STS-61-H, Norman E. Thagard was the potential Mission Specialist 3 for this flight.

Mission objectives

The main task of the mission was to bring two commercial satellites into orbit – Palapa B3 and Westar-6S, and military communication satellite - Skynet-4A, The British Skynet and the Indonesian Palapa were supposed to be accompanied by an astronaut from the two countries.

After the Challenger disaster, the deployment of commercial satellites by the Space Shuttle was stopped, and for several years no international astronauts were nominated. Thus, neither the British nor the Indonesian payload specialists got a second chance for a spaceflight. The NASA crew however stayed together and participated in a 56-hour-long simulated mission known as STS-61-M(T) in 1987. The crew finally flew on STS-29, with Anna L. Fisher being replaced by James P. Bagian.

Skynet 4A was launched on 1 January 1990 with a Titan III, Westar-6S was renamed Galaxy-6 and launched on 12 October 1992 by an Ariane 44L. Palapa-B3 was renamed to Palapa B2P and was launched on 20 March 1987 with a Delta-3920.

References

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

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