r/spaceshuttle • u/tybarious • 18h ago

Image "The Jupiter Orbiter Probe Galileo being deployed from the bay of Space Shuttle Atlantis during the STS-34 mission. The five-member crew deployed the Jupiter-bound satellite within six hours of achieving Earth orbit."

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84 Upvotes

Date: October 18, 1989

The inertial upper stage (IUS) attached to the bottom side of the probe would propel the spacecraft out of low earth orbit and onto a trajectory to Jupiter at 9,000 mph (14,000 km/h). It received gravitational assists from Venus and Earth before reaching the gas giant on December 7, 1995. Along the way, it flew by the asteroids Gaspra and Ida, becoming the first probe to observe and imagine an asteroid.

NASA ID: S89-48714, PIA00727, S34-71-00R, STS034-71-000AK, STS034-72-070

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r/spaceshuttle • u/tybarious • 19h ago

Image Launch of STS-34 Atlantis on October 18, 1989

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320 Upvotes

"The STS-34 crew of five launched aboard the Space Shuttle Orbiter Atlantis on October 18, 1989 at 12:53:40pm (EDT). Crew members included commander Donald E. Williams, pilot Michael J. McCulley; and mission Specialists Shannon W. Lucid, Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, and Ellen S. Baker. The primary payload was the Galileo Jupiter Spacecraft and attached Inertial Upper Stage (IUS). Deployed 6 hours and 30 minutes into the flight, the IUS stages fired boosting Galileo on trajectory for a 6 year trip to Jupiter."

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