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  Photo of the week 75h (April 13)

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Author Topic:   Photo of the week 75h (April 13)
heng44
Member

Posts: 3387
From: Netherlands
Registered: Nov 2001

posted 04-13-2006 12:23 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for heng44   Click Here to Email heng44     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote

As John and Crip were testing Columbia in orbit, I was trying to get to California to witness the landing at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center. Having picked up a stack of launch photos at the KSC photo office I boarded a plane for the west coast at around noon on Monday, April 13. After a stop in New Orleans we had been in the air again for about 15 minutes when the plane experienced engine problems and we had to return to the airport. Waiting for another flight took a few hours, so I arrived in Los Angeles after dark.

Columbia's landing was planned for the following morning, so I had no choice but to rent a car and head into the mountains surrounding LA. Fortunately I reached Lancaster without problems and managed to find a hotel room, where I could sleep for a few hours.

Ed Hengeveld

ilbasso
Member

Posts: 1522
From: Greensboro, NC USA
Registered: Feb 2006

posted 04-13-2006 07:07 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for ilbasso   Click Here to Email ilbasso     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I rarely see mentioned the high level of concern that was raised when the crew first opened the cargo bay door and saw that there were two large sections of tiles missing from the port OMS pod. Since this was completely new technology, no one was sure what was going to happen when Columbia reentered - whether there would be burn-through on reentry, or if the missing tiles would affect the aerodynamics of the terminal phase of flight. I remember being very anxious and worried for the crew.

[This message has been edited by ilbasso (edited April 13, 2006).]

kyra
Member

Posts: 583
From: Louisville CO US
Registered: Aug 2003

posted 04-13-2006 08:08 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for kyra   Click Here to Email kyra     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
Nice to see this image again !

To quote Crippen on the tile issue:
"We didn't know it, but those missing tiles caused quite a commotion back on earth. We weren't worried. The pods were not supposed to get that hot during reentry, and NASA was being conservative by tiling the area. Also we could see that the red compound called RTV, which helps bonds the tiles was still there. That itself will insulate against heat up to 900 degrees." Crippen also noted that mechanical flexing popped these tiles loose, and this was less likely to occur on the gentle curves on the underside of Columbia.

A salute to Young and Crippen not only for their bravery, but also the knowledge they were armed with for this first flight.

The communication between them and the ground was very matter of fact on this issue. After B/W close up footage was relayed, they asked the color of the area of missing tiles. They simply said "It's red" to which the Capcom simply said "Thank you".

All times are CT (US)

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