At the time, the STS-51C mission was notable largely for how low-profile it was.

For that reason, for the public, Discovery's launch in January 1985 was far from one of the most memorable or attention-worthy.

If you're a fan of Space Camp, however, you may have watched the launch, without even realizing it.

During the development of the space shuttle, NASA worked very closely with the U.S. Department of Defense to make sure the new vehicle would be able to serve multiple purposes as a national asset, including playing a key role in space-based elements of national defense. In the earliest years of the shuttle, multiple missions were supplemented with classified military payloads. The third flight of the orbiter Discovery took that involvement to a new level, as the first space shuttle mission entirely dedicated to the Department of Defense.

In the years since, the public has learned that the mission involved the deployment of an Air Force intelligence satellite into geostationary orbit, but, at the time, that information was classified. Media were told only that the launch involved a secret DOD payload, and the press kit for the mission was dramatically slighter than those for previous missions.

So if the classified nature of the mission provided for little to talk about at the time, why would the launch be one that a fan of Space Camp would be more likely to have seen?

Blame Jinx.

As any true devotee of Space Camp knows, in 1986, the movie SpaceCamp came out, starring Kate Capshaw, Lea Thompson, Kelly Preston, Tom Skerritt and in the central role of Max, a young Joaquin Phoenix, then known as "Leaf." In the movie, a robot named Jinx arranges a mishap that sends his friend Max and the rest of his Space Camp team into orbit. To make the movie more realistic, the filmmakers used footage of an actual space shuttle launch from the year before -- the STS-51C flight of Discovery.

Last year marked the 25th anniversary of the SpaceCamp movie, and this year marks a resurgence of Space Camp onto the screen.

This weekend marks the debut of "A Smile As Big As The Moon," a Hallmark Hall of Fame production about a special education teacher's efforts to bring his students to Space Camp. The movie, starring John Corbett, will air for the first time on Sunday, January 29, at 9 p.m. (8 p.m. CST.)

At the same time, preproduction work is currently underway for yet another Space Camp movie, which could begin filming in the next few months.

Twenty-six years ago, Discovery launch into space, carrying -- unknown to the public -- a military intelligence satellite and -- unknown to the crew -- a team of Space Campers.

This week, Hallmark Hall of Fame launches "A Smile As Big As The Moon," capturing the inspirational power of Space Camp.

This week, and always, Space Camp continues to launch the dreams of students who want to reach just a little higher than most.

Contributing Author: David Hitt