STS-51B Mission Patch

17th Space Shuttle Mission

7th Flight of Challenger Crew:

Robert F. Overmyer, Commander

Frederick D. Gregory, Pilot

Don L. Lind, Mission Specialist

Norman E. Thagard, Mission Specialist

William E. Thornton, Mission Specialist

Lodewijk van den Berg, Payload Specialist

Taylor G. Wang, Payload Specialist

The mission's primary payload was Spacelab-3. This was the first operational flight for the Spacelab orbital laboratory series developed by the European Space Agency (ESA). Studies were held in materials sciences, life sciences, fluid mechanics, atmospheric physics and astronomy.