STS-31

STS-31 was the Space Shuttle Discovery mission that deployed the Hubble Space Telescope. Discovery launched from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39B on April 24, 1990, with commander Loren Shriver, pilot Charles Bolden, and mission specialists Bruce McCandless II, Steven Hawley, and Kathryn Sullivan. The crew released Hubble from the payload bay on April 25, beginning one of NASA's most important observatory programs. During the flight, the crew also supported scientific observations, photography, and systems checks while operating at an unusually high Shuttle orbit for the telescope deployment. Discovery landed at Edwards Air Force Base on April 29 after a mission lasting just over five days.