There are no satellites that have spent as little time in space as Westar 6 and Palapa B2. These communications satellites were deployed from the space ferry Challenger In February of 1984during the mission STS-41b of the POT. However, ended in incorrect orbits due to failures in their rockets. The space agency decided recover them and bring them back to earth To give them a second chance, something that the mission was occupied STS-51A In November of that same year. And it was in this mission where astronauts Joseph Allen and Gardner They performed a risky maneuver that NASA has not repeated again and consisted In recovering the misguided satellites using, literally, their own hands.
The ferry Discovery had a tool specifically designed for this case, the Apogee Kick Motor Capture Devicealso known as Stinger or sting. An astronaut should Take it in your arms to the satelliteinsert it into the engine bell and connect it to the robotic arm of the ferry, the Remote manipulation system (RMS), which would place it on the discovery cargo bay.
There, a second astronaut should use Pruning scissors to remove the omnidirectional satellite antenna and install a bridge structure (ABS) with a grip accessoryin the plate of the main antenna of the satellite, after which the RMS would definitely place it in the load bay. Allen and Gardner exchanged the papers in the recovery of each of the satellites.
Gardner, The Astronaut Who Captured Satellite By Hand.
He Flew Free Using The Manned Maneunting Unit and Began To Attach A Control To The Rotating Westar 6 Satellite.pic.twitter.com/ky9CSJ2K0
– Massimo (@rainmaker1973) March 20, 2025
Catch a satellite that is turning 50 rotations per minute
After displaying satellites Anik D2 and Leasat 1the discovery crew was able to focus on the recovery of Westar 6 and Palapa B2, which were orbiting some 350 km altitudeinstead of the 35,000 to which they had to operate if they had not had problems with their engines.
One of the difficulties of the approach of astronauts to the satellites, both with a weight slightly above the 1,200 kgthey were turning about 50 rotations per minutewhich meant a great risk to astronauts. During the previous weeks, the earth controllers lowered the orbit of Westar 6 and Palapa B2, reducing the speed of twists per minute from 50 to 1which still made it necessary for the astronaut to stop him completely with the help of the Tripulated maneuvering unit (mmu).
This is one Propulsive backpack that NASA astronauts used throughout the 80s, which allowed them to move through space without being connected to the ferry. He had 6 hours of autonomy, weighed 148 kg, he had 24 small propellants that used compressed nitrogen gas to generate impulse And it was essential for the astronaut to stop the satellite before recovering it.
The recovery of the blade B2 and Westar 6
Allen was the first to carry it on the fifth day of the mission. With discovery alone 10 meters A distance from the Palapa B2, the astronaut placed the Stinger in his arms and went to the satellite. Once there, The Stinger inserted in the Motor Apogee Kick of the satellite and, using its hands and the MMU attitude control system, stopped the Palapa turn.
From Discovery, Astronaut Anne Fisher used the RMS to capture A grip accessory mounted on the Stinger between Allen and the satellite. HoweverGardner could not attach the ABS to the satellite due to an unexpected problem of free space in the satellite.
Using a backup plan, Allen decoupled from the stingerleaving it connected to the satellite as well as the RMS, and kept the MMU in the payload bay. With Allen now holding the satellite for its antennaGardner connected an adapter to the lower end of the satellite to secure it in your space in the Used Bay. This plan worked and Allen and Gardner completed the space walk in exactly six hours.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr6jlwbehvy
For the recovery of Westar 6 on the seventh day of the mission, Allen and Gardner exchanged roles, with the latter flying with the MMU to catch the satellite. Here, Allen’s previous experience was very useful for Gardner. ‘I flew a little different from Joe. He commented that the sun had bothered him, that he gave him in his eyes in the last phase. When the sun came out, I was lucky enough Take advantage of the orbiter’s nose to have a shade of the sunso my approach to the satellite was a little easier, ‘the astronaut explained. On this occasion, They did not remove the omnidirectional antenna to be able to use it as a handle. The second recovery was completed in 5 hours and 42 minutes.
No one has recovered a ‘hand’ satellite since then. It was also the last time that the MMUs and the last space promenade were used without ties until 1994, when astronauts from the STS-64 mission tested simplified help for the Eva rescue (safer). All subsequent space walks in the space ferry and the International Space Station used safety straps, with the SAFER as support in case a crew member is disconnected from the vehicle.
Both satellites returned to space in 1990.