STS-26 was the NASA mission that returned the space shuttle fleet to service after the Challenger disaster.
The mission launched Discovery from Kennedy Space Center on September 29, 1988. It was the first shuttle flight since Challenger was destroyed during launch on January 28, 1986, killing all seven astronauts aboard.
STS-26 carried five astronauts: Frederick H. Hauck, Richard Covey, John Lounge, David Hilmers, and George Nelson. The crew deployed the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite TDRS-3 and conducted technology and medical experiments during the four-day mission.
NASA introduced extensive safety changes before the return to flight, including redesigned solid rocket booster joints, improved launch decision procedures, and organizational reforms. STS-51-L was Challenger’s final mission, not the return-to-flight mission; STS-27 was Discovery’s next flight in December 1988.