Q568763

STS-27 was the 27th NASA Space Shuttle mission, and the third flight of Space Shuttle Atlantis. Launching on December 2, 1988, on a four-day mission, it was the second shuttle flight after the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster of January 1986. STS-27 carried a classified payload for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), ultimately determined to be a Lacrosse surveillance satellite. The vessel's heat shielding was substantially damaged during lift-off, and crew members thought that they would die during reentry. This was a situation that was similar to the one that would prove fatal 15 years later on STS-107. Compared to the damage that Columbia sustained on STS-107, Atlantis experienced more extensive damage. However, this was over less critical areas and the missing tile was over an antenna which gave extra protection to the spacecraft structure. The mission landed successfully, although intense heat damage needed to be repaired.

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STS027-39-000 - STS-027 - DPLA - 1f253d2fa95f055c0bdd95a3ecffc9ea

S27-36-087 - STS-027 - STS-27 earth observations - DPLA - e342afd044b3fe8f48798c25e6023f89

S27-39-008 - STS-027 - STS-27 earth observations - DPLA - ca86755142674ebf6fe99f3ab3544cbd

Rollout of STS-27 for support checkout (S86-38627)

STS-27-damageplot

STS-27 Rollout - GPN-2000-000659

STS-27 shuttle

STS-27metalmelt

STS-27

Type	Subtype	Date	Description	Notes	Source
incident	incident		[[1]]		Wikidata
commons	image		STS027-39-000 - STS-027 - DPLA - 1f253d2fa95f055c0bdd95a3ecffc9ea		Commons
commons	image		S27-36-087 - STS-027 - STS-27 earth observations - DPLA - e342afd044b3fe8f48798c25e6023f89		Commons
commons	image		S27-39-008 - STS-027 - STS-27 earth observations - DPLA - ca86755142674ebf6fe99f3ab3544cbd		Commons
commons	image		Rollout of STS-27 for support checkout (S86-38627)		Commons
commons	image		STS-27-damageplot		Commons
commons	image		STS-27 Rollout - GPN-2000-000659		Commons
commons	image		STS-27 shuttle		Commons
commons	image		STS-27metalmelt		Commons
commons	image		STS-27		Commons