In 1983, the commercial satellite business was booming, worth about $2 billion a year. At the same time, the Reagan administration was pushing for NASA to be more cost effective. To help meet that goal, Challenger put several commercial satellites in orbit (for a price). To help it do so, Challenger used the Remote Manipulator System, a Canadian-designed mechanical arm that allowed crew members to move satellites, and even bring them on board.
Thom Baur/AP