Space Shuttle Anecdotes
Discussion
outnumbered said:
phil-sti said:
I’m off to KSC in a few months so looking forward to seeing Atlantis.
It's a really superb exhibition. Be sure to do the shuttle simulator too. Big kid stuff, but a lot of fun.
Hard to believe this was 40 years ago:
Feb 7th 1984 - Astronaut Bruce McCandless uses the Manned Maneuvering Unit for the first untethered free flight; Drifting away from Space Shuttle Challenger for that iconic shot.
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvnC--JjDBw
Feb 7th 1984 - Astronaut Bruce McCandless uses the Manned Maneuvering Unit for the first untethered free flight; Drifting away from Space Shuttle Challenger for that iconic shot.
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvnC--JjDBw
TGCOTF-dewey said:
Be sure to do the shuttle simulator too. Big kid stuff, but a lot of fun.
He he, Yeah I managed to land it OK. RustyMX5 said:
The BBC have produced a documentary about the loss of Columbia called The Space Shuttle That Fell to Earth which makes for uncomfortable but fascinating viewing.
Watched this over the last few evenings (3 1hr parts). Very well done and definitely has a sense of purpose about it the whole way through. I’ve seen all the shuttles I think. Years ago I saw Enterprise on its 747, then the ones in Florida (Atlantis), Washington (Discovery) and Los Angeles (Endeavour, which will shortly be mounted vertically with the last remaining external fuel tank), plus the rather sobering remains of Challenger and Colombia, also in Florida. Amazing machines, especially considering the design comes from the Apollo era! Here’s Endeavour at the California Science Institute:
I’ve seen a fair few of the Apollo capsules too, including 11, but that’s for another thread I guess.
I’ve seen a fair few of the Apollo capsules too, including 11, but that’s for another thread I guess.
Saw Atlantis go fly in May 2010, my late father went twice and both were scrubbed, we just turned up and away she went.
Difficult to describe the emotion, I was actually shaking with excitement as the countdown reached zero, sadly pre smartphone so no pictures, just wonderful memories that still give me goosebumps to this day.
Difficult to describe the emotion, I was actually shaking with excitement as the countdown reached zero, sadly pre smartphone so no pictures, just wonderful memories that still give me goosebumps to this day.
595Heaven said:
Never saw a launch, but did see the shuttle Enterprise on the converted 747 fly over Birmingham in July 1983. It was retuning from the Paris Air Show I think.
We were on a coach for a school trip and I remember seeing the roof of Fort Dunlop next to the M6 being covered in spectators. Realised what they were doing there and managed to catch a very quick glimpse of the shuttle on the plane. Made my day.
I lived in nearby Castle Bromwich, and remember being taken out in to my primary school’s playground to see this. I would have been 9 years old in 1983.We were on a coach for a school trip and I remember seeing the roof of Fort Dunlop next to the M6 being covered in spectators. Realised what they were doing there and managed to catch a very quick glimpse of the shuttle on the plane. Made my day.
Remember seeing the shuttle on the Boeing flying over the school one school lunchtime. Also if you haven't listened to the BBC13 minutes to the moon podcast yet- listen to S1 &2 (thats a lot of hours) S1 is the lunar landing, S2 is the Apollo 13 story- and series 3 will be released shortly and will be the Shuttle story, they have a live recording in London for a Q&A wed 24 May.
aterribleusername said:
RustyMX5 said:
The BBC have produced a documentary about the loss of Columbia called The Space Shuttle That Fell to Earth which makes for uncomfortable but fascinating viewing.
Watched this over the last few evenings (3 1hr parts). Very well done and definitely has a sense of purpose about it the whole way through. Beati Dogu said:
Hard to believe this was 40 years ago:
Feb 7th 1984 - Astronaut Bruce McCandless uses the Manned Maneuvering Unit for the first untethered free flight; Drifting away from Space Shuttle Challenger for that iconic shot.
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvnC--JjDBw
That must have been some feeling! (not you landing a simulator.... the other bloke floating away in space Feb 7th 1984 - Astronaut Bruce McCandless uses the Manned Maneuvering Unit for the first untethered free flight; Drifting away from Space Shuttle Challenger for that iconic shot.
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvnC--JjDBw
TGCOTF-dewey said:
Be sure to do the shuttle simulator too. Big kid stuff, but a lot of fun.
He he, Yeah I managed to land it OK. 
)I visited KSC as part of a wider US road trip back in 2004, looking back through my photos I see that we had John Blaha as our guide on the tour - a rather experienced astronaut! (ISTR paying more for a lengthier, behind the scenes kind of tour but I'm not 100% if that's why we had him as guide or not)
I've not been back since but remember being in awe of the whole place and I'll return one day for sure.
I've not been back since but remember being in awe of the whole place and I'll return one day for sure.
Otispunkmeyer said:
Beati Dogu said:
Hard to believe this was 40 years ago:
Feb 7th 1984 - Astronaut Bruce McCandless uses the Manned Maneuvering Unit for the first untethered free flight; Drifting away from Space Shuttle Challenger for that iconic shot.
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvnC--JjDBw
That must have been some feeling! (not you landing a simulator.... the other bloke floating away in space Feb 7th 1984 - Astronaut Bruce McCandless uses the Manned Maneuvering Unit for the first untethered free flight; Drifting away from Space Shuttle Challenger for that iconic shot.
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvnC--JjDBw
TGCOTF-dewey said:
Be sure to do the shuttle simulator too. Big kid stuff, but a lot of fun.
He he, Yeah I managed to land it OK. )“After a safety review following the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, the MMU was judged too risky for further use and it was found many activities planned for the MMU could be done effectively with manipulator arms or traditional tethered EVAs.“
Bruce flew 300 feet from the shuttle. I’m not sure what the recovery options were if the MMU failed and stranded the astronaut out there.
Yes - it might not have always been possible to do that but that would have been the most likely rescue technique.
The MMU was used on a few missions between 1984 and the end of 1985 but the Challenger accident review effectively brought an end to its use.
The RMS is a much more practical, effective and safe method for astronauts when they need to work at a distance from the Shuttle or ISS.
The MMU was used on a few missions between 1984 and the end of 1985 but the Challenger accident review effectively brought an end to its use.
The RMS is a much more practical, effective and safe method for astronauts when they need to work at a distance from the Shuttle or ISS.
As a last resort, there is SAFER.
Wikipedia: Simplified Aid For EVA Rescue (SAFER)
Puntastic ESA article: Better SAFER than sorry
Wikipedia: Simplified Aid For EVA Rescue (SAFER)
Puntastic ESA article: Better SAFER than sorry
jingars said:
As a last resort, there is SAFER.
Wikipedia: Simplified Aid For EVA Rescue (SAFER)
Puntastic ESA article: Better SAFER than sorry
That appears to have all the finesse of WALL-E and his fire extinguisher. Wikipedia: Simplified Aid For EVA Rescue (SAFER)
Puntastic ESA article: Better SAFER than sorry
White-Noise said:
The thing I always remember from that place was that the stars on the flag are 6 feet wide iirc on the side of the building.
I think the other couple of facts they give you on the tours is that the flag is the size of a tennis court and it can actually rain inside the building because clouds can form inside it.I've done the NASA "Up Close" tours a couple of times when visiting KSC years ago and they really were superb - did what it says on the tin, during the tour the bus drove right up to launch complex 39A and around, and also along part of the runway at the landing facility.
Speaking of the landing facility - anyone who follows LewDix Aviation (English flying instructor who works in Florida) this is a great video of him taking a student on a lesson where they fly a low pass on the landing facility at 500ft in a Cessna 172 and you get a real impression of how long a 15,000 foot runway really is, and the distances involved between the VAB and the launch complex.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFeU5ntlh-w
I was lucky enough to see two launches. Once I was on a work trip and got up very early and got near enough to view from the road, still felt the ground shake and obviously hear the noise.
Second time was a planned trip and waited about 8 hours in a prime spot across the water from the launch site, absolutely incredible.
However, that is not my best shuttle anecdote. On the same work trip as the first launch I was at the museum (having flown in over the weekend) and was alerted to a shuttle landing on a 747. Then not long afterwards a second one. This was the first time two had been delivered on the same day and I believe also the last as security tightened up due to certain events later that year.
Second time was a planned trip and waited about 8 hours in a prime spot across the water from the launch site, absolutely incredible.
However, that is not my best shuttle anecdote. On the same work trip as the first launch I was at the museum (having flown in over the weekend) and was alerted to a shuttle landing on a 747. Then not long afterwards a second one. This was the first time two had been delivered on the same day and I believe also the last as security tightened up due to certain events later that year.
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