STS-3

STS-3 was the third orbital test flight of NASA's Space Shuttle program and Columbia's third mission. Jack Lousma commanded the flight with C. Gordon Fullerton as pilot, launching from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A on March 22, 1982. The mission extended Columbia's orbital test campaign by exposing the orbiter to demanding thermal attitudes, testing flight systems, and operating the Remote Manipulator System with the Plasma Diagnostics Package payload. The crew also supported science and technology work with the OSS-1 pallet and other development-flight instrumentation. Weather and lakebed conditions at Edwards Air Force Base forced the return to White Sands, making STS-3 the only Space Shuttle mission to land at Northrup Strip in New Mexico. Columbia landed on March 30, 1982 after just over eight days and 130 orbits.