***** Der Turm.

The STS61A mission - the first dedicated West German Spacelab - saw the Challenger liftoff at 12 Noon EST, Oct. 30, 1985. The 22nd launch in the Shuttle program and the countdown and ascent to orbit went flawlessly.

The eight-person crew was the largest ever to fly a sizeable spacecraft at one time. The crew included Henry W. Hartsfield, commander; Steven R. Nagel, pilot; Bonnie J. Dunbar, James F. Buchli and Guion S. Bluford, mission specialists, and three payload specialists Ernst Messerschmid and Reinhard Furrer of West Germany and Wubbo Ockels from the ESA, a citizen of The Netherlands.

The primary objective of the mission, officially designated Spacelab D1, was to conduct a series of experiments relating to materials processing. This fourth Spacelab mission was the first Shuttle flight to be largely financed and conducted by another nation. NASA was responsible for operation of the Shuttle and for safety and control functions, controlling the flight from the Mission Control Center in Houston. West Germany was responsible for the Spacelab scientific research. The flight crew, on 12 hour shifts, worked closely with ground controllers at the German Space Operations Center at Oberpfaffenhofen near Munich.