Ernst Messerschmid
German - (DLR)
Retired
Date of Birth: May 21, 1945
Age: 81
Ernst Willi Messerschmid (born May 21, 1945) is a German physicist and former astronaut. From 1978 to 1982, he worked at the DFVLR (the precursor of the DLR) in the Institute of Communications Technology in Oberpfaffenhofen on space-borne communications. In 1983, he was selected as one of the astronauts for the first German Spacelab mission D-1. He flew as payload specialist on STS-61-A in 1985, spending over 168 hours in space.
Space Shuttle Challenger / OV-099 | STS-61-A
National Aeronautics and Space Administration | United States of AmericaKennedy Space Center, FL, USA
Oct. 30, 1985, 5 p.m.
Status: Success
Mission:
STS-61-A was the twenty-second space shuttle flight and ninth for Space Shuttle Challenger. It was a scientific spacelab mission funded entirely by West Germany. The payload operations were controlled from the German Space Operations Center as opposed to the regular NASA centers.
Low Earth OrbitThe German Aerospace Center is Germany's Center for aerospace, energy, and transportation research. Their main work is as a contributor to the ESA. They have done work both in tandem with the US on Space Shuttle and the ISS, and also with other European Nations on missions like Space Lab and Mars Express.
Falcon 9
NROL-95
Space Launch Complex 40 - Cape Canaveral SFS, FL, USAClassified payload for the US National Reconnaissance Office.
Long March 6A
TJSW-27A & B
Launch Complex 9A - Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China2 Chinese classified satellites claimed to be for communication technology test purposes. Actual mission not known.
Long March 7A
Tianlian 3-01
201 - Wenchang Space Launch Site, People's Republic of ChinaTianlian is a Chinese data tracking and relay communications geostationary satellite series. The TL-3 (Tian Lian 3) satellites are the 3rd generation…
Falcon 9
Starlink Group 17-51
Space Launch Complex 4E - Vandenberg SFB, CA, USAA batch of 24 satellites for the Starlink mega-constellation - SpaceX's project for space-based Internet communication system.
Starship
Flight 13
Orbital Launch Pad 2 - SpaceX Starbase, TX, USA13th test flight of the two-stage Starship launch vehicle. Second flight of Starship V3. For the first time, Starship will carry 20 V3 Starlink sa…
