posted 09-29-2005 06:09 PM               

I just picked up a flown MADS flight data recorder that was on the Columbia mission that carried the OASIS 2 payload. This recorder is identical to the one that was found in the Texas farm field after the Columbia disaster.

I tried to research info on the OASIS 2 experiment, but other than finding out that it was a USAF project, I can't find any other info.

I'd appreciate it if someone could tell me which Columbia mission this OASIS 2 flew on so I can do some more research. I can also send a photo to anyone who's interested.

Thanks for your help,

posted 10-04-2005 05:54 PM               

thanks for the info but according to the manager of the NASA Orbiter Instrumentation Group at KSC, who are responsible for all flight data recorders on all of the orbiters, this MADS unit flew on Columbia with the experiment package of OASIS 2. I tend to believe the gentleman with the flight records that show this serial numbered unit flew on Columbia. The OEX was an upgraded unit with more parameters and was used in the later years, but the MADS were used on the early Columbia flights.

As a matter of fact there were 4 MADS units that flew on Columbia, they were custom built only for Columbia at a cost of $35,000 each, they're all marked with NAS9-14000 stock numbers and the OV-102 numbers on the sides. These MADS recorders flew on multiple missions and were rebuilt after every mission. The manager of the group is going to be sending me further info on this unit.

What I'm trying to find out is what the OASIS 2 experiment was, which STS mission it flew, but I haven't had much luck finding anything about it. I'd appreciate any help if you know about the OASIS experiments or dates it flew.

posted 10-04-2005 06:11 PM               

"The Orbiter Experiments Program Autonomous Supporting
Instrumentation System (OASIS) will be flown again on STS-29 to
record environmental data in the orbiter payload bay during
flight phases. OASIS will measure TDRS vibration, strain,
acoustics and temperature during launch ascent using transducers
affixed directly to the payload.

OASIS flight hardware consists of signal conditioning,
multiplexing and recording equipment mounted on a Shuttle
adaptive payload carrier behind the TDRS. Command and status
interface is achieved through the standard mixed cargo harness
and the general purpose computers.

In addition to TDRS-D and OASIS, Discovery will carry the
Space Station Heat Pipe Advanced Radiator Element (SHARE) in the
payload bay. Several secondary payloads will be carried in the
middeck of Discovery, including the IMAX camera, two student
experiments, a protein crystal growth experiment and a chromosome
and plant cell division experiment."
http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-29/sts-29-press-kit.txt

If I find any other info I will post, but I see nothing called "oasis 2" nor oasis associated with Columbia.

------------------
-Ben

posted 10-04-2005 07:56 PM               

Thanks for all the info and I'm starting to think that maybe the NASA records at KSC aren't all that accurate if nobody in this group has ever heard of OASIS 2.

Here's the email the manager of the NASA Orbiter Instrumentation Group at KSC replied when I sent my info into him.

"Ray,

It took me a little bit, but the story of your recorder is beginning to unfold. The recorder was flown on OV-102 as part of the OASIS II (Orbital experiments autonomous supporting instrumentation system) program, a stand alone payload that was housed in the P/L bay to support an Air Force sponsored project. I am trying to get more information on the OASIS II project and have been lead to believe that an O&M manual for the recorder may be available. As far as the reel, I understand the 10" reels are still available. My Boeing counterpart in Houston may have one that he will try to find and send (emphasis on the word 'try'). As more information surfaces, I will pass it on."

Considering he's the horses mouth, I'm wondering why there's no reference material on the OASIS 2 mission, unless it was a secret or black project by the USAF. The gentleman I bought this recorder from had a conversation with someone from the factory who built this recorder and he was told that the ones marked OV-102, were custom made to only fly on Columbia and that the other orbiters were fitted with OEX from the beginning. Being that the Columbia was the first orbiter, it made sense that these custom built recorders would not be used on or made to fit any other orbiter.

I appreciate the research and info and if I learn anything new, I'll let you know.

Take care,

posted 10-04-2005 09:42 PM               

All of these custom made MADS recorders flew multiple times on Columbia and I'll find out this next week which STS missions it was on.

I've just learned that there were 6 of these MADS recorders built specifically built for Columbia and it turns out that they were refurbished after every flight. Apparently when they were refurbished, they were also issued a new serial number, so it might be impossible to know exactly how many missions each recorder flew, but they all flew mulitple times.

Ray

posted 10-05-2005 03:47 AM               

I have flown OASIS patch presentations from all three flights. These rather cheap looking certificates refer simply to "OASIS" without any numbers but it's worth noting that the patch of the second flight (STS-27) has a "II" at the bottom. The other two patches are identical to each other identical and without numbers.