STS-9

STS-9 (Spacelab 1) was a United States Space Shuttle mission, the 6th mission of the Columbia orbiter.

Crew

• Commander: John W. Young
• Pilot: Brewster H. Shaw[?]
• Mission Specialist 1: Owen K. Garriott[?]
• Mission Specialist 2: Robert A. Parker[?]
• Payload Specialist 1: Ulf Merbold
• Payload Specialist 2: Byron K. Lichtenberg[?]
• Alternate Payload Specialist: Wubbo Ockels[?] (not flown)
• Alternate Payload Specialist: Michael Lampton[?] (not flown)

Mission objective The payload for this mission was the first flight of the Spacelab module. It contained 73 separate investigations carried out in astronomy and physics, atmospheric physics, Earth observations, life sciences, materials sciences, space plasma physics and technology.

It was the first space shuttle flight with 6 astronauts, and it also was the first flight of an international astronaut on an american spaceflight. Ulf Merbold was the first west-german astronaut.

Mission insignia

The major Spacelab 1 is depicted in the cargo bay of the Columbia. The nine stars and the path of the orbiter tell the flight's numerical designation in the Space Transportation System's mission sequence.

• NASA PAO page about STS-9 (http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/chron/sts-9.htm)