Space Shuttle orbiter Atlantis takes flight on its STS-27 mission, December 2, 1988, utilizing 375,000 pounds of thrust produced by its three main engines. The engines start in 3.9 seconds of ignition and go to static pump speeds of approximately 35,000 revolutions per minute during that time. The Marshall Space Flight Center had management responsibility of Space Shuttle propulsion elements, including the Main Engines. The STS-27 mission, the third mission dedicated to the Department of Defense (DOD), was crewed by five astronauts: Robert L. Gibson, commander; Guy S. Gardner, pilot; and mission specialists Richard M. Mullane, Jerry L. Ross, and William M. Shepherd.
