sts-41c

The Active Cavity Radiometer Irradiance Monitor (ACRIM) I instrument was the first to clearly demonstrate that the total radiant energy from the sun was not a constant. However, the solar variability was so slight (0.1% of full scale) that continuous monitoring by state-of-the-art instrumentation was necessary. It is theorized that as much as 25% of the anticipated global warming of the earth may be solar in origin. In addition, seemingly small (0.5%) changes in the TSI output of the sun over a century or more may cause significant climatological changes on earth.

STS-41C 

First direct ascent trajectory for Space Shuttle. Using manned maneuvering unit, astronauts replaced altitude control system and coronagraph/polarimeter electronics box in the Solar Max satellite while it remained in orbit. STS-41C
This patch was likely produced prior to the mission when it was still numbered STS-13.

STS-41C was originally numbered STS-13. The crew played with the superstition idea and had this patch made for the crew (and wore it on their flight suits at times). Coincidentally, the shuttle landed on Friday the 13th:

VAN HOFTEN: Oh yes, triskaidekaphobia. In fact, you’ve probably seen the patch that Dick Scobee put together, the black cat patch. It was funny, because somewhere through our program NASA just decided they didn’t want thirteen anymore, and that’s when they invented all these goofy other labels, like we ended up 41-C that no one could ever figure out what that was. So we flew around with our STS-13 patch on, and that was a lot of fun. We ended up landing on Friday the 13th, so that was pretty cool. But no, it was really fun.  - JSC Oral history

This is the Randy Hunt replica version.

NASA's Long Duration Exposure Facility, or LDEF, was a school bus-sized cylindrical space experiment rack that exposed various material samples to outer space for about 5.7 years, completing 32,422 Earth orbits.

It was carried into orbit onboard STS-41C and retrieved by STS-32.

This version of the LDEF patch is more crudely executed than another version.

STS-41-C was NASA's 11th Space Shuttle mission, and the fifth mission of Space Shuttle Challenger. The launch, which took place on 6 April 1984, was the first direct ascent trajectory for a shuttle mission. STS-41-C was extended one day due to problems capturing the Solar Maximum Mission ("Solar Max") satellite, and the landing on 13 April took place at Edwards Air Force Base instead of at Kennedy Space Center as had been planned. The flight was originally numbered STS-13.

STS-41-C was NASA's 11th Space Shuttle mission, and the fifth mission of Space Shuttle Challenger. The launch, which took place on 6 April 1984, was the first direct ascent trajectory for a shuttle mission. STS-41-C was extended one day due to problems capturing the Solar Maximum Mission ("Solar Max") satellite, and the landing on 13 April took place at Edwards Air Force Base instead of at Kennedy Space Center as had been planned. The flight was originally numbered STS-13.

STS-41-C was NASA's 11th Space Shuttle mission, and the fifth mission of Space Shuttle Challenger. The launch, which took place on 6 April 1984, was the first direct ascent trajectory for a shuttle mission. STS-41-C was extended one day due to problems capturing the Solar Maximum Mission ("Solar Max") satellite, and the landing on 13 April took place at Edwards Air Force Base instead of at Kennedy Space Center as had been planned. The flight was originally numbered STS-13.

STS-41-C was NASA's 11th Space Shuttle mission, and the fifth mission of Space Shuttle Challenger. The launch, which took place on 6 April 1984, was the first direct ascent trajectory for a shuttle mission. STS-41-C was extended one day due to problems capturing the Solar Maximum Mission ("Solar Max") satellite, and the landing on 13 April took place at Edwards Air Force Base instead of at Kennedy Space Center as had been planned. The flight was originally numbered STS-13.

NASA's Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) was designed to provide long-term data on the space environment and its effects on space systems and operations. It successfully carried science and technology experiments that have revealed a broad and detailed collection of space environmental data. Launched aboard STS-41C, retrieved with STS-32.
This patch has more detail than another version, such as stars and more detail on the LDEF panels.

First direct ascent trajectory for Space Shuttle. Using manned maneuvering unit, astronauts replaced altitude control system and coronagraph/polarimeter electronics box in the Solar Max satellite while it remained in orbit. STS-41C

This image is of a flown version of the STS-41C mission.

Launched April 6, 1984, landed April 14, 1984. First direct ascent trajectory for Space Shuttle. Using manned maneuvering unit, astronauts replaced altitude control system and coronagraph/polarimeter electronics box in the Solar Max satellite while it remained in orbit. Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) deployed, carrying 57 experiments.

The space environment can be hostile to seed; therefore,
data are needed on the effects of space on seed and on how seed should be package to survive in
space. As a first step toward meeting this need, the George W. Park Seed Company, Inc., flew a
Getaway Special seed experiment on STS-6 and found that seed can in fact survive a few days in
low-altitude Earth orbits. The Seeds in Space Experiment on LDEF was designed to investigate the
effects on seed of long duration exposure in space.

Launched aboard STS-41C, retrieved with STS-32