| Mission Name: | STS-2 |
|---|---|
| Orbiter: | Columbia (OV-102) |
| Launch Date: | November 12, 1981 - LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida |
| Landing Date: | November 14, 1981 - Runway 23, Edwards Air Force Base, California |
| Mission Duration: | 2 days, 6 hours, 13 minutes, 12 seconds |
| Orbits Completed: | 37 |
| Distance Travelled: | 1,070,000 miles |
| Full Name: | Joe Henry Engle |
|---|---|
| Birthdate: | August 26, 1932 - Chapman, Kansas |
| Education: | Bachelor of Science in aeronautical engineering - University of Kansas |
| Military Service: | Major General, United States Air Force |
| Selection: | Group 5 (1966) |
| Joe Engle is one of only two people to have reached space in two different types of winged vehicles. |
| Full Name: | Richard Harrison Truly |
|---|---|
| Birthdate: | November 12, 1937 - Fayette, Mississippi |
| Death: | February 27, 2024 - Genesee, Colorado |
| Education: | Bachelor of Science in aeronautical engineering - Georgia Institute of Technology |
| Military Service: | Vice Admiral, United States Navy |
| Selection: | U.S. Air Force Manned Orbiting Laboratory Group 1 (1965); NASA Group 7 (1969) |
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| Approach and Landing Test | STS-2 | STS-8 |
| Enterprise | Columbia | Challenger |
| February-October 1977 | November 12-14, 1981 | August30-September 5, 1983 |
| Richard Truly was the first person to be launched into space on their birthday (November 12). |
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| The launch of Columbia to begin the STS-2 mission | The landing of Columbia to end the STS-2 mission |
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| Click to Return to Space Shuttle and Space Station Astronauts |