S84-44373 ( 4 Oct 1984) --- Payload Specialist Gary E. Payton, representing United States Air Force.

The crew assigned to the STS-51C mission included (kneeling in front left to right) Loren J. Schriver, pilot; and Thomas K. Mattingly, II, commander. Standing, left to right, are Gary E. Payton, payload specialist; and mission specialists James F. Buchli, and Ellison L. Onzuka. Launched aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery on January 24, 1985 at 2:50:00 pm (EST), the STS-51C was the first mission dedicated to the Department of Defense (DOD).

jsc2023e064879 (12/9/2023) --- Dr. Lane Christenson discusses the finer points of follicular classification and counts with Payton Nies. Rodent Research-20 (RR-20) evaluates ovarian function in female mice in microgravity, fertility following return to Earth, and the effect of spaceflight on the next generation. Image courtesy of the University of Kansas Medical Center.

In the Space Life Sciences Laboratory at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, student interns such as Payton Barnwell are joining agency scientists, contributing in the area of plant growth research for food production in space. Barnwell is a mechanical engineering and nanotechnology major at Florida Polytechnic University. The agency attracts its future workforce through the NASA Internship, Fellowships and Scholarships, or NIFS, Program.

S85-26933 (27 Jan 1985) --- An unusual almost-straight-on view of the Space Shuttle Discovery as its main landing gear touches down on the Shuttle landing facility runway at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Aboard the spacecraft for the STS-51C mission were astronauts Thomas K. (Ken) Mattingly II, Loren J. Shriver, James F. Buchli and Ellison S. Onizuka of NASA; and payload specialist Gary E. Payton of the USAF.

In the Space Life Sciences Laboratory at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, student interns such as Ayla Grandpre, left, and Payton Barnwell are joining agency scientists, contributing in the area of plant growth research for food production in space. Grandpre is pursuing a degree in computer science and chemistry at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Montana. Barnwell is a mechanical engineering and nanotechnology major at Florida Polytechnic University. The agency attracts its future workforce through the NASA Internship, Fellowships and Scholarships, or NIFS, Program.

S85-26185 (24 Jan 1985) --- The Space Shuttle Discovery was photographed following engine ignition with a 35mm camera on the nearby service structure, as the vehicle headed for its third mission in Earth orbit. The five member STS-51C crew aboard consisted of astronauts Thomas K. (Ken) Mattingly II, Loren J. Shriver, James F. Buchli and Ellison S. Onizuka of NASA; and Gary E. Payton of the USAF.

S84-42223 (10 Nov. 1984) --- The crew insignia for STS-51C includes the names of its five crew members are astronauts Thomas K. Mattingly, commander; Loren J. Shriver, pilot; Ellison L. Onizuka and James F. Buchli, mission specialists; and Gary E. Payton, payload specialist. The NASA insignia design for space shuttle flights is reserved for use by the astronauts and for other official use as the NASA Administrator may authorize. Public availability has been approved only in the forms of illustrations by the various news media. When and if there is any change in this policy, which is not anticipated, the change will be publicly announced. Photo credit: NASA

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Payton Jones, an aerospace senior technician with United Space Alliance, stands on E platform on the 14th floor of high bay 3 as he monitors the external tank being lowered and leveled between the solid rocket boosters and platforms. The tank and rockets will be mated for the launch of Discovery on the STS-124 mission to the International Space Station, targeted for May 31. On the mission, Discovery will transport the Kibo Japanese Experiment Module - Pressurized Module (JEM-PM) and the Japanese Remote Manipulator System (JEM-RMS) to the space station to add to the Kibo laboratory. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

S84-43708 (11 Oct 1984) --- These five crewmembers are scheduled to fly aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger for Mission STS-51C, scheduled for January of next year. Astronauts Thomas K. (Ken) Mattingly II (kneeling right) and Loren J. Shriver (kneeling left) are commander and pilot, respectively. Astronauts James F. Buchli (standing center) and Ellison L. Onizuka (right) are mission specialists. Gary E. Payton of the U.S. Air Force, left, is payload specialist. The crewmembers, holding their launch and entry helmets, were photographed with their crew insignia.

51C-44-026 (24-27 January 1985) --- This oblique view of the Florida peninsula was photographed from the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Discovery during the DOD-devoted mission. Many popular features of the state can be delineated in the scene. Kennedy Space Center (KSC), from which this and all Space Shuttle missions are launched, is on the jutting Cape Canaveral, visible on the east Atlantic Coast. The spacecraft was flying at an altitude of 190 nautical miles. A handheld Hasselblad camera, with 70mm Kodak natural color Ektachrome ASA 64 film, was used to expose the frame. Crew members for the flight were astronauts Thomas K. Mattingly, Loren J. Shriver, Ellison S. Onizuka, James F. Buchli, and Gary E. Payton of the United States Air Force.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson listens as Cadet First Class Celina Guan, second from left, talks about her classes work in the astronautics lab of the United States Air Force Academy, Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021, north of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)