Capture of the INTELSAT VI-F3 communications satellite by three crew members of Space Shuttle Endeavour on Mission STS-49. The astronauts are (left to

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Capture of the INTELSAT VI-F3 communications satellite by three crew members of Space Shuttle Endeavour on Mission STS-49. The astronauts are (left to right): Richard J. Hieb, Thomas D. Akers and Pierre J. Thuot. INTELSAT VI-F3 was launched on 14 March 1990 by a Titan rocket, but due to a booster malfunction it was not raised to its geosynchronous orbit. The main goal of the mission was to capture the satellite and bring it into the cargo bay where a new perigee kick motor was to be fitted. For the first time in the Shuttle's history three crew members participated in a joint Extravehicular Activity (EVA). Mission STS-49 (7- 16 May 1992) was Endeavour's maiden flight.

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Size: 3799px × 2516px
Photo credit: © NASA/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: ., akers, capture, endeavour, flight, hieb, intelsat, manned, mission, ops., payload, pierre, richard, satellite, shuttle, space, spaceflight, sts-49, sts49, thomas, thuot, vi