When Discovery blasted off on November 8, 1984 it marked the start of arguably the most daring and complex space shuttle mission. The astronauts successfully launched two communications satellites and then recovered two others during extraordinary spacewalks using jet-propelled backpacks and muscle power.

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Meet the crew The five-person astronaut crew of space shuttle Discovery's STS-51A mission are seated in the dining room of the Kennedy Space Center O&C Building for a predawn breakfast in the final hours of the countdown to launch on Nov. 8, 1984. (2min 19sec file)   QuickTime or RealVideo		Heading to pad The Discovery astronauts walk out of the Kennedy Space Center crew quarters and board the "AstroVan" for the ride to launch pad 39A. (1min 33sec file)   QuickTime or RealVideo
Liftoff of Discovery Discovery blasts off, as seen live, on the complex mission to launch two communications satellites and retrieve two others during spacewalks for return to Earth. (2min 42sec QuickTime file)   QuickTime or RealVideo		Crew narration During a post-flight presentation, the five astronauts reflect on their mission and narrate this film of the launch, which shows different slow-motion angles of the liftoff. (2min 01sec file)   QuickTime or RealVideo
Spinning up The protective sun shield is opened to expose the Canadian Anik D2 commercial telecommunications satellite in Discovery's cargo bay. The spacecraft is then spun up in preparation for deployment on the second day of the mission. (1min 17sec file)   QuickTime or RealVideo		Anik deployed The Anik D2 commercial telecommunications satellite is ejected from Discovery's cargo bay. Built by Hughes for Telesat Canada, the spacecraft carried a C-band payload to serve Canada from geostationary orbit. (58sec file)   QuickTime or RealVideo
'Frisbee' launch The U.S. Navy's Leasat Synchronous Communications Satellite (Syncom) IV-1, built by Hughes, is deployed from shuttle Discovery's cargo bay in frisbee fashion on the mission's third day. (1min 28sec file)   QuickTime or RealVideo		Kick motor fired The shuttle astronauts capture on video the Syncom IV-1 spacecraft's Perigee Kick Motor firing to boost the satellite from low-Earth orbit to an elliptical geosynchronous transfer orbit. (1min 31sec file)   QuickTime or RealVideo
Mission experiments Mission specialist Anna Fisher gives a detailed report on the secondary payloads and experiments being conducted onboard the shuttle in this video recorded on the middeck. (3min 18sec file)   QuickTime or RealVideo		Palapa rendezvous Space shuttle Discovery closes in on the stranded Indonesian Palapa B2 commercial communications satellite. Built by Hughes, the spacecraft was left in a worthlessly low orbit in February 1984 when a kick motor on the satellite malfunctioned after deployment from Challenger's STS-41B flight. (56sec file)   QuickTime or RealVideo
Retrieval of Palapa Wearing a jet-propelled Manned Maneuvering Unit backpack, astronaut Joe Allen uses a device called the "Stinger" to capture the spinning nine-foot tall, seven-foot diameter Palapa B2 satellite. The "Stinger" was inserted into the motor nozzle on the bottom of the spacecraft and locked into place. (3min 08sec file)   QuickTime or RealVideo		Shuttle arm moves in After the manual capture by the spacewalking astronaut, the Palapa B2 spacecraft is handed to the shuttle's robotic arm to be moved closer to Discovery's payload bay. The arm grapples the "Stringer" mounted to the satellite. (1min 30sec file)   QuickTime or RealVideo
Controlling the arm Astronaut Anna Fisher describes her work in operating the shuttle's robotic arm during the Palapa retrieval and spacewalker Joe Allen adds his thoughts about working near the arm. (32sec file)   QuickTime or RealVideo		Plan B When a bracket fails to properly affix to the Palapa spacecraft, the astronauts have to move to Plan B for loading the satellite aboard the shuttle. (1min 32sec file)   QuickTime or RealVideo
Flying backpack Spacewalker Joe Allen descibes how well the Manned Maneuvering Unit backpack operates as he moves back into the payload bay in preparation for berthing Palapa. (1min 06sec file)   QuickTime or RealVideo		Loaded in shuttle In the payload bay spacewalker Joe Allen takes Palapa from the robotic arm and manually maneuvers the craft into position so Dale Gardner can attach a platform needed for berthing aboard Discovery for the trip back to Earth. The satellite is then locked down in the bay. (3min 23sec file)   QuickTime or RealVideo
Berthing explained The crew provides commentary over this post-flight video report of Joe Allen man-handling Palapa while Dale Gardner mounts the shuttle adapter and then deposits the satellite into the payload bay. (1min 44sec file)   QuickTime or RealVideo		En route to Westar 6 A camera on the extended shuttle robotic arm gives this bird's-eye view of thrusters firing on the tail of Discovery during the chase to rendezvous with the Westar 6 commercial communications satellite. (14sec file)   QuickTime or RealVideo
Westar 6 retrieval Astronaut Dale Gardner uses his jet-propelled backpack to reach the Westar 6 spacecraft and employs another "Stinger" to capture the spinning nine-foot tall, seven-foot diameter Westar 6 satellite and stabilize it. (2min 45sec file)   QuickTime or RealVideo		What's it like? The Discovery astronauts detail what it is like to capture a spinning satellite during a spacewalk in this post-flight presentation and film. Seen here is Dale Gardner retrieving Westar 6. (2min 03sec file)   QuickTime or RealVideo
Westar 6 berthed The Westar 6 is fitted with its berthing platform above Discovery and then lowered into the payload bay by the spacewalkers for the return to Earth. (1min 55sec file)   QuickTime or RealVideo		Mission fulfilled Discovery's robotic arm gives this view looking down on the payload bay, showing the Westar 6 and Palapa B2 satellites firmly stowed in place for the voyage back to Earth. (27sec file)   QuickTime or RealVideo
Presidential call President Ronald Reagan calls the Discovery astronauts and congratulates them on the successful mission of launching and recovering satellites in space. (3min 54sec file)   QuickTime or RealVideo		Life in orbit The astronauts narrate some home movies from life aboard the shuttle, including fun with floating candies and Joe Allen stuffed into a middeck locker. (2min 56sec file)   QuickTime or RealVideo
Preparing for reentry The twin clam shell-like payload bay doors are swung closed as the astronauts ready their spaceship for the fiery plunge back into Earth's atmosphere to wrap up the STS-51A mission. (49sec file)   QuickTime or RealVideo		Landing Shuttle Discovery touches down, as seen live, on Kennedy Space Center's Runway 15 at 7:00 a.m. EST on November 16, 1984 to bring the STS-51A mission to a successful ending. (2min 31sec file)   QuickTime or RealVideo
Commander's narration Commander Hauck discusses the landing and mission in this post-flight film of Discovery's homecoming. (1min 04sec file)   QuickTime or RealVideo		Leaving the shuttle Following the successful conclusion of their eight-day space mission, the five astronauts exit shuttle Discovery on the Kennedy Space Center runway, walking down the stairs and boarding the "AstroVan" for the trip back to crew quarters. (42sec file)   QuickTime or RealVideo