Twenty years ago today — March 13, 1989 — Space Shuttle Discovery launched from KSC on mission STS-29. Astronauts Michael L. Coats, John E. Blaha, James P. Bagian, James F. Buchli, and Robert C. Springer launched the TDRS-4 satellite to complete the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite constellation. The crew landed at Edwards Air Force Base, California on March 18th.
Unfortunately, I can’t remember if that was one of the landings I watched. I know it wasn’t one of the landings I worked as part of the AFFTC recovery crew; somewhere I have the mission emblems from those four landings, framed together, and the STS-29 mission emblem isn’t among them.*
And finally, if you’re interested, here’s a little bit about TDRS.
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*I should take that memento to my office and hang it up, but that would require finding it first.
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