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Author
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Topic: Columbia: Original thermal protection tiles
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Headshot
Member Posts: 864
From: Vancouver, WA, USA
Registered: Feb 2012
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posted 11-23-2016 07:18 AM
   
When Columbia lifted off for what would be her last mission, she had been operational for slightly over 20 years. During that time some of her tiles had been replaced for various reasons. Does anyone know what percentage of her tiles were original? |
pupnik
Member Posts: 114
From: Maryland
Registered: Jan 2014
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posted 11-23-2016 07:34 AM
The majority should have been original. Each shuttle had more than 20,000 tiles and only about 100 were replaced (on average) after each mission. |
OV-105
Member Posts: 816
From: Ridgecrest, CA
Registered: Sep 2000
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posted 11-24-2016 04:26 PM
The low temp tiles on the sides had been replaced with the blankets like Discovery and Atlantis had when they were delivered. That happened durning the down time between STS 51-L and STS-28. |
Hart Sastrowardoyo
Member Posts: 3445
From: Toms River, NJ
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 11-24-2016 09:00 PM
I thought I read that Enterprise's body flap went to Columbia. If so, I wonder what other Enterprise parts went to 102, or to other orbiters. |
OV-105
Member Posts: 816
From: Ridgecrest, CA
Registered: Sep 2000
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posted 11-29-2016 04:18 PM
I think it was Challenger's or Discovery's body flap that was used on Atlantis and that shuttle got the new one that was for Atlantis, if I remember it right. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 11-29-2016 04:33 PM
As best as I can tell, Dennis Jenkins only makes one mention of a body flap swap in his upcoming "Space Shuttle: Developing an Icon": During processing after STS-17/41G in October 1984, a major hydraulic leak in a body flap actuator on OV-099 contaminated the structure and caused a considerable number of tiles to debond. Engineers estimated it would take several months to thoroughly clean the body flap and rebond the tiles. At the time, OV-104 was in final assembly at Palmdale and her body flap was complete but not yet installed. To minimize the impact on the manifest, NASA had Rockwell ship the OV-104 body flap from Palmdale to KSC and install it on OV-099 in time for STS-24/51B. The original OV-099 body flap was returned to Palmdale for cleaning and was subsequently installed on OV-104. The body flaps had not been swapped back before Challenger was lost. |
Hart Sastrowardoyo
Member Posts: 3445
From: Toms River, NJ
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 11-29-2016 08:46 PM
Hmm... Thought I read of OV-101 donating parts to Columbia in an earlier Jenkins' volume.Does this mean, though, that Atlantis still has Challenger's body flap? That would be wild, considering its display at KSCVC is just steps away from some of the Challenger debris on display. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 11-29-2016 08:58 PM
Yes, the body flap on Atlantis, now on display, flew as part of Challenger for its first six flights. |
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