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Launch detail

Space Shuttle Columbia / OV-102 | STS-52

Name: Space Shuttle Columbia / OV-102 | STS-52
Start: 1992-10-22T17:09:40.000Z
End: 1992-10-22T17:09:40.000Z
Location: Launch Complex 39B

Lockheed Space Operations Company • Space Shuttle • Launch Complex 39B (FL)

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STS-52

Lockheed Space Operations Company • Space Shuttle • LC-39B

T- countdown

STS-52 was a Space Transportation System (NASA Space Shuttle) mission using orbiter Columbia, and was launched on 22 October 1992.

Rocket profile

Space Shuttle

License: Unknown•Single-use

Length: 56.1 m

Diameter: 8 m

Reusable: Yes

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Vehicle details

Stages & recovery

Launch-stage and landing context surfaced from LL2 when it exists.

Presence based

Spacecraft stage

Space Shuttle Columbia

Spaceplane

Low Earth Orbit

Space Shuttle Columbia (Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-102) was the first space-rated orbiter in NASA's Space Shuttle fleet. It launched for the first time on mission STS-1 on April 12, 1981, the first flight of the Space Shuttle program. Over 22 years of service, it completed 27 missions before disintegrating during re-entry near the end of its 28th mission, STS-107 on February 1, 2003, resulting in the deaths of all seven crew members.

Successful landing • @ Shuttle Landing Facility

LL2 spacecraft flight

Recovery

Spacecraft recovery

Horizontal Landing • Shuttle Landing Facility

Successful landing • LL2

LL2

Type: Horizontal Landing

Location: Shuttle Landing Facility • Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

Coords: 28.615, -80.695

Space Shuttle Columbia successfully landed at the Shuttle Landing Facility after this mission.

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Launch info

Provider

Lockheed Space Operations Company

Vehicle

Space Shuttle

Pad

Launch Complex 39B (LC-39B)

State

NET

1992-10-22T17:09:40+00:00

Window start

1992-10-22T17:09:40+00:00

Window end

1992-10-22T17:09:40+00:00

Orbit

Low Earth Orbit

Mission type

Earth Science

Launch site

Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA

Reusable

Yes

LEO capacity (kg)

27500

Pad satellite view

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Launch Complex 39B

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Kennedy Space Center, FL, USA • FL28.62711, -80.62102Provider map

STS-52

STS-52 was a Space Transportation System (NASA Space Shuttle) mission using orbiter Columbia, and was launched on 22 October 1992.

Rocket

Space Shuttle

Manufacturer: National Aeronautics and Space Administration

The Space Shuttle is a retired, partially reusable low Earth orbital spacecraft system operated from 1981 to 2011 by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as part of the Space Shuttle program. Its official program name was Space Transportation System (STS). Five complete Space Shuttle orbiter vehicles were built and flown on a total of 135 missions from 1981 to 2011.

Maiden flight

1981-04-12

Launch mass (t)

2030

Launch cost

450000000

Vehicle wiki

Links & sources

Watch coverageLive/Replay Pad satellite mapSatellite Rocket wikiReference STS-52 launch & landing (10-22-92)Recap

Service provider

Lockheed Space Operations Company

Provider news

Commercial • USA

Programs

Space Shuttle
Human Spaceflight
The Space Shuttle program was the fourth human spaceflight program carried out by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which accomplished routine transportation for Earth-to-orbit crew and cargo from 1981 to 2011.
Program info Program wiki

Crew

Jim Wetherbee
Commander
Michael A. Baker
Pilot
Charles L. Veach
Mission Specialist
Steve MacLean
Payload Specialist
William Shepherd
Mission Specialist
Tamara E. Jernigan
Mission Specialist

Payload manifest

1 item

Space Shuttle Columbia

Spaceplane→ Low Earth OrbitSpacecraft

Deployment: Unknown

Successful landing (Shuttle Landing Facility)

Deployment notes: No explicit SATCAT deployment evidence is currently available.

LL2 spacecraft flight

Image credit: NASA (NASA Image and Media Guidelines) License

Objects from this launch

6 objects

SATCAT inventory for 1992-070

Last checked: 2026-03-15T12:11:01.431+00:00

Last success: 2026-03-15T12:11:01.431+00:00

Last non-empty: 2026-03-15T12:11:01.431+00:00

Latest snapshot: 2026-03-15T12:11:01.431+00:00

Snapshot hash: dbf78aeab4ea0681e680c304149c3f01c7108802b07386c7f9f92a5ff112d16c

LL2 payloads: 0SATCAT payloads: 3Delta: +3RB: 2DEB: 1UNK: 0

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SATCAT payload objects

STS 52
1992-070ANORAD 22194PAYUnited States (US)Ops: D
Technical details
Orbit type: LANOrbit center: EALaunch site: AFETRPeriod: 88.70 minRCS: 12.500 m²
Inc: 28.5°
206 km → 215 km
LAGEOS 2
1992-070BNORAD 22195PAYItaly (IT)Ops: +
Technical details
Orbit type: ORBOrbit center: EALaunch site: AFETRPeriod: 222.46 minRCS: 0.398 m²
Inc: 52.7°
5616 km → 5951 km
CTA
1992-070CNORAD 22214PAYCanada (CA)Ops: D
Technical details
Orbit type: IMPOrbit center: EALaunch site: AFETRPeriod: 88.56 minRCS: 1.250 m²
Inc: 28.5°
198 km → 209 km

SATCAT non-payload objects

IRIS DEB
1992-070FNORAD 22535DEBItaly (IT)Ops: D
Technical details
Orbit type: IMPOrbit center: EALaunch site: AFETRPeriod: 88.87 minRCS: 0.071 m²
Inc: 41.1°
177 km → 260 km
IRIS R/B
1992-070DNORAD 22196RBItaly (IT)Ops: D
Technical details
Orbit type: IMPOrbit center: EALaunch site: AFETRPeriod: 88.14 minRCS: 2.503 m²
Inc: 41.1°
155 km → 210 km
LAGEOS 2 AKM (MAGE 1S)
1992-070ENORAD 22197RBItaly (IT)
Technical details
Orbit type: ORBOrbit center: EALaunch site: AFETRPeriod: 222.43 minRCS: 3.824 m²
Inc: 52.7°
5616 km → 5949 km

Change log

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Summary

Details

Update 1

NET updated

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Update 2

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Update 3

Window refined

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Launch story

Mission stats

Provider, rocket, pad, and booster history tied to this launch.

2026 snapshot

Provider legacy

Lockheed Space Operations Company

Lifetime launches

7 in 2026

Lockheed Space Operations Company has 42 launches on record, with 7 in 2026.

Rocket track record

Space Shuttle

133

Successful missions

0 in 2026

Space Shuttle has 133 successful missions on record, with 0 in 2026.

Pad history

Launch Complex 39B

Pad launches

3 in 2026

Launch Complex 39B has 21 launches from this pad on record, with 3 in 2026.

Rocket reliability

99% all time

2026: no completed missions yet

Pad turnaround

40d 2h

Reported pad reuse cadence.

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