There’s nearly half a world between India and the U.S., geographically speaking. You knew that, didn’t you? That means that our time-zones are kind of yin-yang, with most Americans sleeping when we go about our daily duties, and vice versa. If you know folks who work along with American counterparts on a daily basis and see them scheduling their calls, or if you’ve ever tried to wish a friend or a relative residing in the U.S. on their birthday, you might have experienced this first hand.
Funnily enough, the first night time launch and landing of a NASA mission was necessitated because of this yin-yang connection between the two nations. This was because the primary payload of the STS-8 mission was a satellite to be deployed for India and tracking requirements led to the unusual choice of timings. The final orbital location chosen for INSAT-1B dictated a night time launch and landing for the Challenger, a first in the Shuttle programme.
Four turns five
When NASA first announced the crew for STS-8 in April 1982, it was to be a four-member crew comprising Commander Richard H. Truly, a veteran who had flown aboard the STS-2 mission and three others – Pilot Daniel C. Brandenstein and Mission Specialists Dale A. Gardner and Guion S. Bluford – who were first time flyers. The four-man crew for a three-day mission in July 1983 eventually turned into a five-man crew for a six-day mission in August-September 1983.
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As one among every three astronauts on early space shuttle missions had experienced space motion sickness, it was decided in December 1982 to assign physician-astronaut Dr. William E. Thornton to conduct in-flight studies and medical investigations to better understand the phenomenon.
Record turnaround time
Following the end of the STS-7 mission and the Challenger’s return to Earth in California on June 24, 1983, it arrived at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida five days later. With time of the essence, the technicians worked doubly fast to ensure what was then a record turnaround time. The orbiter was refurbished, mated with its twin Solid Rocket Boosters and External Tank and the stack was rolled out to Launch Complex 39A, all before August 2. As if all this wasn’t enough, the stack had to ride out Hurricane Barry, which made its landfall just south of KSC, while it was on the pad.
It all proved worth it as the successful launch of STS-8 took place on the night of August 30, making it just the second night launch among American human spaceflights, following Apollo 17 in 1972. The moment the shuttle cleared the launch tower, the flight’s control shifted from KSC to NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston.
Guion Bluford exercising on a treadmill while in orbit. | Photo Credit: NASA
First African-American in space
The successful launch also meant that a number of records had already been set. This was because Bluford was the first-ever African-American to fly in space and 54-year-old Thornton became the oldest person in space up until then.
In his recollection of the mission for a oral history with the JSC History Office, Bluford mentions that he fumbled around in zero-G for some time “like all the other astronauts before me”. “However, it was a great feeling, and I knew right away that I was going to enjoy this experience,“ he added.
“I also felt very privileged to have been a role model for many youngsters, including African-Americans kids, who aspired to be scientists, engineers and astronauts in this country.”Guion S. Bluford
Speaking in 2004 for the oral history project, Bluford, who was also part of a number of other missions, also recalled what he felt was his most significant accomplishment as an astronaut. “I also felt very privileged to have been a role model for many youngsters, including African-Americans kids, who aspired to be scientists, engineers and astronauts in this country.
Once in orbit around Earth, the crew members got on their respective tasks. This meant that Dr. Thornton took the first measurements for the space motion sickness studies, something that continued for the rest of the mission.
Bluford deploys INSAT-1B
It was Bluford who was tasked with deploying the INSAT-1B satellite, and he carried it out successfully on August 31, the astronauts’ first full day in space. In the days that followed, the astronauts ticked off the other items on their mission objective, including holding an in-flight press conference and speaking with the then U.S. President Ronald W. Reagan, who congratulated them on their success.
The first night landing in the shuttle’s history took place on September 5. Following 98 orbits around the Earth, the crew fired the engines of Challenger to return to Earth and landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California. The historic mission had lasted six days, one hour, and nine minutes.
INSAT-1B, before its launch aboard the STS-8 mission. | Photo Credit: NASA
The INSAT-1B, the primary payload of the STS-8 mission, was an Indian communications satellite that was part of the Indian National Satellite System. Launched on August 30 and deployed the very next day, it initially seemed like the INSAT-1B was about to suffer the same fate as INSAT-1A. Launched in April 1982, INSAT-1A had to be abandoned in September the same year following a series of failures.
The Hindu, in its editorial titled “The challenge of space” on September 3, 1983, stated that “INSAT 1-B is at once a concrete demonstration of the practical applications of space technology to everyday life and a test of the nation’s scientific and technological capability on the ground to manage and put to full use the opportunities now opened up.” This might have seemed like premature celebration had things not panned out the way it did.
Fully operational by October
This was because the INSAT-1B, built by Ford Aerospace for the Indian Space Research Organisation, failed to deploy its solar array for starters. It was only in mid-September that Ford and the Indian controllers turned the tide, successfully deploying the solar array and stationing it at 74°E in place of INSAT-1A.
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In the days, months, and years that went by, INSAT-1B did turn out to be the “concrete demonstration” that The Hindu envisioned it to be, as it notched up a number of firsts. The first photographs and TV pictures from the satellite were beamed back in September and full operational capacity was achieved by October.
Photo shows a picture of the Earth transmitted on September 25, 1983 by INSAT-1B, India’s multipurpose satellite. | Photo Credit: The Hindu Archives
Dedicated to the nation
In February 1984, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi dedicated INSAT to the nation. She stated that any investment on space science was essential for the future development of the country. “It is not a costly showpiece,” she said.
The 90-minute ceremony was broadcast live to the entire nation, thanks to INSAT-1B. “The country is proud of you all”, she said, congratulating the space scientists, engineers, and everyone involved for the successful operation of the INSAT system.
Built for a seven-year tenure, INSAT-1B outlasted that duration, performing its tasks with aplomb. Its 4,375 two-way voice or equivalent circuits remained in use as long as it remained operational, and it returned around 36,000 Earth images during that time. It was moved in 1992, before eventually being decommissioned in August 1993, nearly 10 years after its launch.
Not the only link
While INSAT-1B being SMS-8’s primary payload was the major link between the mission and India, it wasn’t the only one. The other one was introduced to highlight this existing Indian link, making it a nested link of sorts. Sounds convoluted? Here’s the clarification.
During each of STS-8’s six days in orbit, Mission Control played a recording to awaken the crew, with each of the selections carrying a certain significance. On September 4, which was Flight Day 6 and the astronauts’s final full day in orbit, Mission Control chose “Tala Sawari”. This instrumental composition performed by Indian sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar was released in 1967 as part of the album “West Meets East, Volume 2” and was chosen as a way to honour the release of the INSAT-1B satellite.
“Thank you for that thoroughly enlightening cultural experience.”Daniel C. Brandenstein
The recording featured Shankar on sitar and Alla Rakha on tabla and the work neatly emphasised improvisation with a structured rhythmic cycle, the Hindustani classical musical style. At the end of it, Brandenstein acknowledged what they’d just heard by saying “Thank you for that thoroughly enlightening cultural experience.”
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