Satellite fails to ignite in orbit

In 1990, a wiring defect caused the apogee motor of the Intelsat 603 satellite to fail, leaving it stranded in low Earth orbit. The satellite, designed to provide international telecommunications, became unusable and prompted its manufacturer, Hughes, to seek a recovery mission.

NASA launches recovery mission

NASA was contracted for a 90 million dollar recovery mission, leading to the launch of the Endeavour shuttle on its first flight, STS-49. The mission included seven astronauts who aimed to capture and repair the stranded satellite in space.

Capture attempt fails with specialized tool

The initial plan involved using a specially designed capture bar to stabilize the satellite and bring it into the shuttle's cargo bay. However, the first two attempts failed as the tool caused the satellite to oscillate, making capture risky and potentially damaging.

Astronauts perform historic spacewalk

Faced with the failed tool, engineers and astronauts decided to manually capture the satellite. Three astronauts exited the shuttle simultaneously in a previously untested configuration, performing the only three-person extravehicular activity in history to grasp the satellite with their hands.

Mission succeeds after 8-hour spacewalk

The spacewalk lasted 8 hours and 29 minutes, setting a record for the time. The astronauts installed a new motor, enabling the satellite to reach its intended geostationary orbit. Intelsat 603 remained in service until 2013.

Endeavour crew sets spacewalk record

The STS-49 mission also set a record for total extravehicular activity time, with the Endeavour crew logging 25 hours and 23 minutes in space. The successful ignition of the recovery motor allowed Intelsat 603 to reach its final orbit, showcasing human ingenuity and determination.