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Author
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Topic: Photo of the week 171 (February 9, 2008)
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heng44
Member Posts: 3387
From: Netherlands
Registered: Nov 2001
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posted 02-09-2008 02:46 AM
   
 This week's photo was selected as I was processing images for the STS-41B image library. It was taken on February 7, 1984, and shows how Bruce McCandless has just started backing away from the shuttle Challenger in the first untethered spacewalk, using the Manned Maneuvering Unit. Referring to Neil Armstrong's famous words, he said: "That may have been a small step for Neil, but it's a heck of a big leap for me". Ed Hengeveld |
rjurek349
Member Posts: 1190
From: Northwest Indiana
Registered: Jan 2002
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posted 02-09-2008 12:08 PM
"ground control to Major Tom..."Ed - a great image, as always. I particularly love this one. Thanks for sharing these with us week after week -- it is always a highlight of my weekend. Rich |
Delta7
Member Posts: 1505
From: Bluffton IN USA
Registered: Oct 2007
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posted 02-09-2008 02:57 PM
Actually: "ground control to Captain Bruce..."  |
FutureAstronaut
Member Posts: 372
From:
Registered: Mar 2006
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posted 02-10-2008 05:40 AM
This is almost too cool to be real! |
ApolloAlex
Member Posts: 390
From: Yeovil, England
Registered: Oct 2004
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posted 02-10-2008 06:17 AM
I had the pleasure of meeting Bruce McCandless a few years back and had him sign the usual WSS photo and of course a photo of him floating free in space on his EVA possibly one of the most iconic pics of the Shuttle program era.But nevertheless Ed another great image for us, you have some real beauties. Cheers,
Alex. ------------------
"Why dont you fix your little problem and light this Candle?" |
KSCartist
Member Posts: 2896
From: Titusville, FL USA
Registered: Feb 2005
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posted 02-10-2008 06:19 AM
Alex - now you need to get Hoot Gibson to sign it with the credit, "Photo by Hooter."Tim |
ApolloAlex
Member Posts: 390
From: Yeovil, England
Registered: Oct 2004
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posted 02-10-2008 07:25 AM
quote:
Originally posted by KSCartist:
Now you need to get Hoot Gibson to sign it with the credit, "Photo by Hooter."
Tim, now that would be very very cool idea and not a bad one either.Cheers,
Alex. ------------------
"Why dont you fix your little problem and light this Candle?" |
spaceheaded
Member Posts: 147
From: MD
Registered: Feb 2003
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posted 02-12-2008 07:20 PM
I had Hoot do just that last June at KSC. And even HE thought it was a cool idea!Bill |
User997
Member Posts: 59
From:
Registered: Oct 2005
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posted 02-13-2008 10:20 AM
So why wasn't the MMU ever used more extensively then it was? |
cspg
Member Posts: 6210
From: Geneva, Switzerland
Registered: May 2006
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posted 02-13-2008 10:22 AM
Too expensive, I think. Lack of mission/usage?Chris. |
sts205cdr
Member Posts: 649
From: Sacramento, CA
Registered: Jun 2001
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posted 02-13-2008 11:43 AM
IIRC, safety concerns played a partial role in shelving the MMU. What if a thruster got stuck and kept firing?--John |
sts205cdr
Member Posts: 649
From: Sacramento, CA
Registered: Jun 2001
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posted 02-13-2008 03:20 PM
After checking, it seems the concern was not so much an anomaly like a stuck thruster, but rather the overall post-Challenger prohibition of combustible propellants in the cargo bay. Also cited was the obvious risk to work sites like the Hubble from thruster exhaust, and the post-Challenger curtailing of DoD Shuttle missions.--John |
cspg
Member Posts: 6210
From: Geneva, Switzerland
Registered: May 2006
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posted 02-14-2008 12:16 AM
- Both the MMU and SAFER use gaseous nitrogen and I'm not sure that it is a combustible propellant (SAFER would not have been cleared for flight if it was).- Thruster exhaust was cited as a concern when the Shuttle docked with Mir (at least the Russians were not too happy about this at first) but dockings continued (the shuttle uses a different fuel - more corrosive - for its thrusters though), so I'm not sure that's an issue. But I may be wrong! Chris. |
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