The Explorers' Club, № MXLIV

Operation AXIOM: The Space Age—The 40th Anniversary of S.T.S.-41-D (№ 12), Part I
30 August-1 September 1984: The Space Shuttle Discovery OV-103 lifted off from Florida's K.S.C. with CDR Hank Hartsfield, Pilot Mike Coats, M.S.1 Mike Mullane, M.S.2 Steven Hawley, M.S.3 Judy Resnick, & P.S.1 Charlie Walker; the sextet deployed three communications satellites; "blow-by" damage to a Solid Rocket Booster O-ring was first observed (the doom of the Challenger in 1986).

Commentary: S.T.S.-41-D was the first flight of the Discovery OV-103. Confusingly, the Discovery would also fly S.T.S.-41, in 1990.

Discovery suffered a launch abort at T-minus 00:00:06 seconds on 26 June 1984 & was rolled back to the Vehicle Assembly Building for de-stacking & to an Orbiter Processing Facility for replacement of a Space Shuttle Main Engine. The subsequent delay resulted in the cancellation of S.T.S.-41-F, with part of that mission's payload reassigned to S.T.S.-41-D.

Bonus! Space Age Song o' the Day: S.T.S.-41-D
Cliff Eidelman, "Clear All Moorings" from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (Space Cadet Mike Papa Whiskey)

Semper exploro.