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  STS-39: Shuttle Getaway canister insulation

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Author Topic:   STS-39: Shuttle Getaway canister insulation
hazwah
Member

Posts: 12
From: Melbourne, Australia
Registered: Sep 2013

posted 02-20-2014 10:35 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for hazwah   Click Here to Email hazwah     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Hi guys! First time poster here but long time lurker.

A year or two back I purchased this Space Shuttle Experimental Box Insulating Material as a new space collector (I didn't realise just how big they were — the whole inches/centimeters thing!).

I love the items and I have just finished creating a giant cylinder onto which the material wraps around (I will show photos soon) to recreate how it would have been in the shuttle (if it was flown... not sure).

With the auction came a photograph (looks like an official KSC photo with an information sticker on the back that says:

12/17/90
W/O #90-MDSSC-2782. WAD #CRO 408334
STS-39 Chemical Release Observatory
(CRO) Battery Charger Connect. Air Force Project/Infra Background/Space Test Pay-load-01. Space Transportation System-39

(FRS 1-21)
(Customer Exposed Film-Bahur)
F9121-292
KSC-390C-8258.21

In hand writing on the back of the photo is "S.W.A.S Sub-millimetre Wave Astronomy Satellite" — but this doesn't quite add up to me. That wasn't STS-39 as far as I know...

In fact, the photo may not actually be of the same experimental box blankets.

The only text on the large blanket says 303L NF' and then again on a different location '303L'. There are no NASA tags, etc.

I have spent ages trying to find out if they actually belonged to STS-39, if they were flown (I'm guessing not), etc.

I would love to have a bit more info on these items. In general, I know that various experiments were ejected from these cylinders over a few missions, but that's it. Were these types of experiments done inside the cylinder, or where they always ejected from the cylinder into space?

Last, I want to velcro a NASA logo patch onto the insulation as it would have been originally (I think). But I would attach the patch to a small square of material to, then velcro onto the insulation. My question, is any advice of how I can get a visually similar material for the 10 inch square to that of the white/silver insulation? (My knowledge is low on this, I'm not even sure if it's beta cloth or just mylar/nylon.)

Thanks heaps for your time, and if people are interested I'll post images of the set-up. — Hayden

hazwah
Member

Posts: 12
From: Melbourne, Australia
Registered: Sep 2013

posted 02-22-2014 07:18 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for hazwah   Click Here to Email hazwah     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Sorry, I think I made a mistake in the title. I'm not discussing the experimental box insulation, it's the large insulation which I think is from the Getaway program.

Robert Pearlman
Editor

Posts: 42981
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 02-22-2014 07:27 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I updated the subject line for you.

You may be correct that the photo is not of the specific insulation you now own, but rather was included as a good shot of the type of insulation in use.

Unfortunately, without a parts tag it may be impossible to determine what mission, if any, the insulation was used aboard.

Still, a neat piece of shuttle memorabilia. I wonder where all the Getaway Special canisters are today?

hazwah
Member

Posts: 12
From: Melbourne, Australia
Registered: Sep 2013

posted 02-22-2014 07:42 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for hazwah   Click Here to Email hazwah     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Thanks for updating and replying to that Robert, much appreciated.

It is certainly a great bit of space history (even if not flown... we may never know!) and the favourite part of my (small) collection.

It would be great to hear from any of the members that were involved in any of the Getaway projects.

joe bruce
Member

Posts: 129
From: Spokane, WA U.S.A.
Registered: Nov 2004

posted 02-22-2014 08:54 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for joe bruce   Click Here to Email joe bruce     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Robert, I have one of the lids to a Get Away Special canister. It is one of the remotely opened lids as opposed to the sealed GAS canister. I have no idea if it was flown. The outer insulation is not with the lid.

I was exchanging emails with someone at the company that did the GAS canisters. We were emailing back and forth until the Columbia accident. They were looking into which lid I have. After the accident I did not reconnect with the person I had been emailing. Some of their GAS canisters were onboard Columbia.

Spaceguy5
Member

Posts: 427
From: Pampa, TX, US
Registered: May 2011

posted 02-22-2014 10:50 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Spaceguy5   Click Here to Email Spaceguy5     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Is there a part number tag, similar to this one? If yes, there's a database I can check that may or may not have information about when they were scrapped. I've had mixed results finding flight history for my own space shuttle hardware.

hazwah
Member

Posts: 12
From: Melbourne, Australia
Registered: Sep 2013

posted 02-23-2014 12:27 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for hazwah   Click Here to Email hazwah     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Joe, that's an amazing bit of hardware. stunning.

Spaceguy, no unfortunately there is no nasa tag or code anywhere on the blanket. As above the only text is '303L' and '303L NF' (which I hope don't mean not flown!). The text is similar to your example though in that its scored onto the gold foil with a clear tape covering it.

All times are CT (US)

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