Exactly a century after the Statue of Liberty arrived in New York, NASA’s Space Shuttle Discovery roared into the sky on June 17, 1985, to begin the historic STS-51-G mission. Over the course of seven days, the five-astronaut crew successfully deployed three distinct communications satellites for Mexico, the Arab Satellite Communications Organization, and AT&T.
Beyond the technical success of deploying three massive satellites from a single cargo bay, this mission carried immense global political significance. Among the crew was Payload Specialist Sultan bin Salman Al Saud, a royal prince who became the first Arab, the first Muslim, and the first member of royalty to fly into outer space. His presence transformed a standard satellite delivery run into a major geopolitical milestone, watched closely by millions across the Middle East.
