STS-61-E
{{Short description|Canceled NASA Space Shuttle mission}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Infobox spaceflight
| name = STS-61-E
| names_list = Space Transportation System
| image =
| image_caption =
| image_size = 300px
| mission_type = Observations of the Comet of Halley
| operator = NASA
| COSPAR_ID =
| SATCAT =
| mission_duration = 8 days, 22 hours, 2 minutes (planned)
| distance_travelled =
| orbits_completed =
| spacecraft = {{OV|102}} (planned)
| launch_mass = {{cvt|1217990|kg}}
| landing_mass = {{cvt|90584|kg}}
| payload_mass = {{cvt|21937|kg}}
| crew_size = 7
| crew_members = Jon A. McBride
Richard N. Richards
Jeffrey A. Hoffman
David C. Leestma
Robert A. Parker
Samuel T. Durrance
Ronald A. Parise
| launch_date = 6 March 1986, 10:45 UTC (planned)
| launch_rocket = Space Shuttle Columbia
| launch_site = Kennedy Space Center, LC-39B
| launch_contractor = Rockwell International
| landing_date = 15 March 1986, 08:47 UTC (planned)
| landing_site = Kennedy Space Center
| orbit_reference = Geocentric orbit (planned)
| orbit_regime = Low Earth orbit
| orbit_periapsis = {{cvt|285|km}}
| orbit_apoapsis = {{cvt|295|km}}
| orbit_inclination = 28.45°
| orbit_period = 90.40 minutes
| apsis = gee
| instruments =
| insignia = STS-61-E patch.png
| insignia_caption = STS-61-E mission patch
| insignia_size = 200px
| crew_photo = STS-61-E crew.jpg
| crew_photo_caption = Back row: Samuel T. Durrance, Robert A. Parker, Jeffrey A. Hoffman, Ronald A. Parise
Front row: Richard N. Richards, Jon A. McBride, David C. Leestma
| crew_photo_size = 300px
| programme = Space Shuttle program
| previous_mission = STS-51-L (25)
| next_mission = STS-26
| programme2 = Cancelled Shuttle missions
| next_mission2 = STS-61-F
}}
STS-61-E was a NASA Space Shuttle mission planned to launch on 6 March 1986 using Columbia. It was canceled after the Challenger disaster.
Crew
{{Spaceflight crew
| terminology = Astronaut
| position1 = Commander
| crew1_up = Jon A. McBride
| flights1_up = Would have been second
| position2 = Pilot
| crew2_up = Richard N. Richards
| flights2_up = Would have been first
| position3 = Mission Specialist 1
| crew3_up = Jeffrey A. Hoffman
| flights3_up = Would have been second
| position4 = Mission Specialist 2
| crew4_up = David C. Leestma
| flights4_up = Would have been second
| position5 = Mission Specialist 3
| crew5_up = Robert A. Parker
| flights5_up = Would have been second
| position6 = Payload Specialist 1
| crew6_up = Samuel T. Durrance
| flights6_up = Would have been first
| position7 = Payload Specialist 2
| crew7_up = Ronald A. Parise
| flights7_up = Would have been first
}}
= Backup crew =
{{Spaceflight crew
| terminology = Astronaut{{cite web|title=STS-61E|url=https://www.spacefacts.de/cancelled/english/sts-61e.htm|publisher=Spacefacts|access-date=July 8, 2025}}
| position6 = Payload Specialist
| crew6_up = Kenneth H. Nordsieck
| flights6_up = Would have been first
}}
Mission objectives
Columbia was to carry the ASTRO-1 observatory, which would be used to make astronomical observations including observations of Halley's Comet. ASTRO-1 consisted of three ultraviolet telescopes mounted on two Spacelab pallets, controlled by the Instrument Pointing System (IPS) which was first tested on STS-51-F.{{cite book |last=Evans|first=Ben|title=Space Shuttle Columbia: Her Missions and Crews|year=2005|publisher=Springer Science + Business Media|isbn=0-387-21517-4|page=99|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n24k0B9BOf4C&pg=PA99}}
After the Challenger disaster, the flight was remanifested as STS-35 and several crew members were replaced. Both Richards and Leestma were reassigned to STS-28 while McBride left NASA in 1989. Vance D. Brand replaced McBride as the commander while Guy S. Gardner and John M. Lounge replaced Richards and Leestma, respectively.
See also
{{Portal|Spaceflight}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Space Shuttle Columbia|state=expanded}}
{{All U.S. Space Shuttle Missions}}