Launch of the Tracking & Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) from the cargo bay of the space shuttle Discovery during the flight of shuttle mission STS-26. The TDRS is a vital component of NASA's plans to increase its presence in space & build a space station in the 1990s. STS-26 was the first shuttle mission after the Challenger disaster in January 1986. The crew were David C. Hilmers, George D. Nelson, Frederick H. (Rick) Hauck, John M. (Mike) Lounge, & Richard O. Covey (front). The STS-26 flight was launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on 29 September 1988, & landed on 3 October 1988 at Edwards Air Force Base near Los Angeles.