Landing of the Shuttle Challenger and end of STS 61-A mission

61A-S-139 (6 Nov 1985) --- Eight persons returning from space at one time is a record which was set at 9:45:39 a.m. (PST) today when the Space Shuttle Challenger's wheels came to a stop on the runway at Edwards Air Force Base. The main gear is seen touching down at 9:44:51 a.m. Inside the spacecraft are astronauts Henry W. Hartsfield Jr., Steven R. Nagel, Bonnie J. Dunbar, James F. Buchli, Guion S. Bluford Jr., Reinard Furrer, Ernst Messerschmid and Wubbo J. Ockels. A number of West German and other European experiments were performed during the week-long Spacelab D-1 mission.