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EspañolSPACE SHUTTLE COLUMBIA
(Redirected from Shuttle Columbia)
'Space Shuttle ''Columbia''' (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: 'OV-102') was the first spaceworthy space shuttle in NASA's orbital fleet. Its first mission, STS-1, lasted from April 12 to April 14, 1981. On February 1, 2003, ''Columbia'' disintegrated during re-entry over Texas, on its 28th mission. All seven crew members aboard perished.
Construction began on ''Columbia'' in 1975 primarily in Palmdale, California. ''Columbia'' was named after the Boston-based sloop ''Columbia'' captained by American Robert Gray, who explored the Pacific Northwest and became the first American vessel to circumnavigate the world; the name also honored ''Columbia'', the Command Module of ''Apollo 11''. After construction, the orbiter arrived at John F. Kennedy Space Center on March 25, 1979, to prepare for its first launch. On March 19, 1981, during preparations for a ground test, five workers were asphyxiated during a nitrogen purge, resulting in two deaths.
The first flight of ''Columbia'' (STS-1) was commanded by John Young (a space veteran from the Gemini and Apollo eras) and piloted by Robert Crippen, who had never been in space before, but who served as a support crew member for the Skylab missions and Apollo-Soyuz. It launched on April 12, 1981, and returned on April 14, 1981, after orbiting the earth 36 times. ''Columbia'' then undertook three further research missions to test its technical characteristics and performance. Its first operational mission, with a four-man crew, was STS-5, which launched on November 11, 1982. At this point ''Columbia'' was joined by Challenger, which performed the next three shuttle missions.
In 1983, ''Columbia'' undertook its second operational mission (STS-9), this time with six astronauts, including the first non-American astronaut on a space shuttle, Ulf Merbold. ''Columbia'' was not used for the next three years, during which time the shuttle fleet was expanded to include Discovery and Atlantis.
''Columbia'' returned to space on January 12, 1986, with the launch of STS-61-C. The mission's crew included Dr. Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, as well as the first sitting member of the House of Representatives to venture into space, Bill Nelson.
The next shuttle mission was undertaken by ''Challenger''. It was launched on January 28, 1986, ten days after STS-61-C had landed. The mission ended in disaster shortly after launch. In the aftermath NASA's shuttle timetable was disrupted, and ''Columbia'' was not flown again until 1988 (on STS-28), after which it resumed normal service as part of the shuttle fleet.
STS-93, launched on July 23, 1999, was commanded by Lt. Col. Eileen Collins.
''Columbia'' was roughly 8,000 lb. heavier than subsequent orbiters such as ''Endeavour'', which were of a slightly different design, and had benefitted from advancements in materials technology.[1] In part this was due to heavier wing and fuselage spars, the weight of early test instrumentation that remained fitted to the avionics suite, and an internal airlock that was not fitted to the other shuttles.[2] Despite refinements to the launcher's thermal protection system and other enhancements, ''Columbia'' would never weigh as little unloaded as the other orbiters in the fleet. The next-oldest shuttle, ''Challenger'', was also relatively heavy, although 2,200 lb. lighter than ''Columbia''.
Externally, ''Columbia'' was the only orbiter in the fleet that had an all-tile thermal protection system (TPS), although this was later modified to incorporate nomex felt insulation blankets on the fuselage and upper wing surfaces. The work was performed during Columbia's first retrofitting and the post-''Challenger'' stand-down. Also unique to ''Columbia'' were the black "chines" on the upper surfaces of the shuttle's forward wing. These black areas were added because the first shuttle's designers did not know how reentry heating would affect the craft's upper wing surfaces.
Until its last refit, ''Columbia'' was the only operational orbiter with wing markings consisting of an American flag on the left wing and the letters "USA" on the right. ''Challenger'', ''Discovery'', ''Atlantis'', and ''Endeavour'' all until 1998 bore markings consisting of the letters "USA" afore an American flag on the left wing, and the pre-1998 NASA "worm" logo afore the respective orbiter's name on the right wing. From its last refit to its destruction, ''Columbia'' bore markings identical to those of its sister orbiters — the NASA "meatball" logo on the left wing and the American flag afore the "Columbia" designation on the right; ''Columbia's'' distinctive wing "chines" remained.
Another unique external feature, termed the "SILTS" pod, was located on the top of ''Columbia's'' tailfin, and was installed after STS-9 to acquire infrared and other thermal data. Though the pod's equipment was removed after initial tests, NASA decided to leave it in place, mainly to save costs, along with the agency's plans to use it for future experiments. The tailfin was later modified to incorporate the drag chute first used on ''Endeavour'' in 1992.
Internally, ''Columbia'' was originally fitted with Lockheed-Martin-built ejection seats identical to those found on the SR-71 Blackbird. These seats were active on the initial series of orbital test flights, but were deactivated after STS-4 and were removed entirely after STS-9. ''Columbia'' was also the only orbiter not delivered with heads-up displays for the pilot and copilot, although these were incorporated after STS-9. Like its sister ships, ''Columbia'' was eventually retrofitted (at its last refit) with the new MEDS "glass cockpit" display and lightweight seats. Unlike the other orbiters, ''Columbia'' retained an internal airlock, but was modified so that it could be fitted to accept the external airlock and docking adapter needed for flights to the International Space Station. This retention of an internal airlock allowed NASA to use ''Columbia'' for the STS-109 Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission, along with the Spacehab double module used on STS-107. If ''Columbia'' had not been destroyed, it would have been fitted with the external airlock/docking adapter for mission STS-118, an International Space Station assembly mission, in November 2003.
After the STS-118 mission, ''Columbia’s'' career would have started to wind down. The shuttle was planned to service the Hubble Space Telescope two more times, once in 2004, and again in 2005, but no more missions were planned for it again until 2009 when, on STS-144, it would retrieve the Hubble Space Telescope from orbit and bring it back to Earth.
Space Shuttle ''Columbia'' flew 28 flights, spent 300.74-days in space, completed 4,808 orbits, and flew 125,204,911 miles in total, including its final mission. It is the only spaceworthy shuttle to have never visited either the Russian Space Station Mir or the International Space Station.
Main articles: STS-107, Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, Columbia Accident Investigation Board
On its final mission, Columbia carried a crew of seven astronauts. They were Rick Husband (commander), Willie McCool (pilot), Michael P. Anderson, Laurel B. Clark, and David M. Brown, Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon, and Kalpana Chawla.
On the morning of February 1, 2003, the shuttle re-entered the atmosphere after a 16-day scientific mission. NASA lost radio contact at about 0900 EST, only minutes before the expected 0916 landing at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Video recordings show the craft breaking up in flames over Texas, at an altitude of approximately 39 miles (63 km) and a speed of 12,500 mph (5.6 km/s).
In the months following the tragedy, NASA scientists determined that a hole was punctured in the leading edge on one of ''Columbia's'' wings, made of a carbon-carbon composite. The hole had formed when a piece of insulating foam from the external fuel tank peeled off during the launch 16 days earlier, puncturing the edge of the wing. Hot gases, inaccurately described in initial reports as plasma,[3]
penetrated the interior of the wing, destroying the support structure and causing the rest of the shuttle to break apart during the intense heat of re-entry.
Forensic analysis of the debris found in open fields and citezens backyards' was conducted jointly with the Materials Science department of Lehigh University. The collected debris of the vessel is currently stored on the 16th floor of the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center; recovered items are occasionally loaned for research into the hypersonic flight regime. Former NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe vowed that Columbia will not be sealed away as the debris from the ''Challenger'' was. The debris from ''Challenger'' is permanently entombed in two Minuteman missile silos at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
The shuttle's final crew were honored in 2003 when the USGS's Board of Geographic Names approved the name Columbia Point for a 13,980' mountain in Colorado's Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Not more than a half-mile away lies Challenger Point, a peak named for America's other lost shuttle.
★ List of space shuttle missions
1. http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/features/000414overhaul/weightloss.html
2. http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/features/000414overhaul/future.html
3. "PLASMA: What is it?"
The use of the word "plasma" to describe the gases that entered the wing is not technically accurate, according to NASA and Boeing aero-thermal engineers who support the Space Shuttle program at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. They pointed out during the Columbia accident investigations that atmospheric entry heating and its intrusion into damaged left wing was from superheated air, not ionized gas and not plasma.
★ Columbia Disaster on YouTube.com
★ Maiden launch of Columbia (Google Video)
★ Columbia accident investigation board
★ Columbia Disaster Multi-Media
★ ''Columbia'' Loss FAQ, compiled by members of usenet newsgroups sci.space.history and sci.space.shuttle, including some employees of NASA and their respective contractor agencies. Much of the FAQ content has been copied and used by many of the news services without credit given, including Florida Today and Space.com.
★ Space.com ''Columbia'' FAQ.
★ Shuttle Orbiter ''Columbia'' (OV-102)
★ New York Times coverage of the shuttle
'Space Shuttle ''Columbia''' (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: 'OV-102') was the first spaceworthy space shuttle in NASA's orbital fleet. Its first mission, STS-1, lasted from April 12 to April 14, 1981. On February 1, 2003, ''Columbia'' disintegrated during re-entry over Texas, on its 28th mission. All seven crew members aboard perished.
| Contents |
| History |
| Prototype orbiter |
| Flights |
| Final mission |
| See also |
| References |
| External links |
History
Construction began on ''Columbia'' in 1975 primarily in Palmdale, California. ''Columbia'' was named after the Boston-based sloop ''Columbia'' captained by American Robert Gray, who explored the Pacific Northwest and became the first American vessel to circumnavigate the world; the name also honored ''Columbia'', the Command Module of ''Apollo 11''. After construction, the orbiter arrived at John F. Kennedy Space Center on March 25, 1979, to prepare for its first launch. On March 19, 1981, during preparations for a ground test, five workers were asphyxiated during a nitrogen purge, resulting in two deaths.
''Columbia'' astronauts Thomas K. Mattingly and Pilot Henry W. Hartsfield salute President Ronald Reagan, standing beside his wife, Nancy, upon landing in 1982.
The first flight of ''Columbia'' (STS-1) was commanded by John Young (a space veteran from the Gemini and Apollo eras) and piloted by Robert Crippen, who had never been in space before, but who served as a support crew member for the Skylab missions and Apollo-Soyuz. It launched on April 12, 1981, and returned on April 14, 1981, after orbiting the earth 36 times. ''Columbia'' then undertook three further research missions to test its technical characteristics and performance. Its first operational mission, with a four-man crew, was STS-5, which launched on November 11, 1982. At this point ''Columbia'' was joined by Challenger, which performed the next three shuttle missions.
In 1983, ''Columbia'' undertook its second operational mission (STS-9), this time with six astronauts, including the first non-American astronaut on a space shuttle, Ulf Merbold. ''Columbia'' was not used for the next three years, during which time the shuttle fleet was expanded to include Discovery and Atlantis.
''Columbia'' returned to space on January 12, 1986, with the launch of STS-61-C. The mission's crew included Dr. Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, as well as the first sitting member of the House of Representatives to venture into space, Bill Nelson.
The next shuttle mission was undertaken by ''Challenger''. It was launched on January 28, 1986, ten days after STS-61-C had landed. The mission ended in disaster shortly after launch. In the aftermath NASA's shuttle timetable was disrupted, and ''Columbia'' was not flown again until 1988 (on STS-28), after which it resumed normal service as part of the shuttle fleet.
STS-93, launched on July 23, 1999, was commanded by Lt. Col. Eileen Collins.
Prototype orbiter
''Columbia'' was roughly 8,000 lb. heavier than subsequent orbiters such as ''Endeavour'', which were of a slightly different design, and had benefitted from advancements in materials technology.[1] In part this was due to heavier wing and fuselage spars, the weight of early test instrumentation that remained fitted to the avionics suite, and an internal airlock that was not fitted to the other shuttles.[2] Despite refinements to the launcher's thermal protection system and other enhancements, ''Columbia'' would never weigh as little unloaded as the other orbiters in the fleet. The next-oldest shuttle, ''Challenger'', was also relatively heavy, although 2,200 lb. lighter than ''Columbia''.
Externally, ''Columbia'' was the only orbiter in the fleet that had an all-tile thermal protection system (TPS), although this was later modified to incorporate nomex felt insulation blankets on the fuselage and upper wing surfaces. The work was performed during Columbia's first retrofitting and the post-''Challenger'' stand-down. Also unique to ''Columbia'' were the black "chines" on the upper surfaces of the shuttle's forward wing. These black areas were added because the first shuttle's designers did not know how reentry heating would affect the craft's upper wing surfaces.
Until its last refit, ''Columbia'' was the only operational orbiter with wing markings consisting of an American flag on the left wing and the letters "USA" on the right. ''Challenger'', ''Discovery'', ''Atlantis'', and ''Endeavour'' all until 1998 bore markings consisting of the letters "USA" afore an American flag on the left wing, and the pre-1998 NASA "worm" logo afore the respective orbiter's name on the right wing. From its last refit to its destruction, ''Columbia'' bore markings identical to those of its sister orbiters — the NASA "meatball" logo on the left wing and the American flag afore the "Columbia" designation on the right; ''Columbia's'' distinctive wing "chines" remained.
Another unique external feature, termed the "SILTS" pod, was located on the top of ''Columbia's'' tailfin, and was installed after STS-9 to acquire infrared and other thermal data. Though the pod's equipment was removed after initial tests, NASA decided to leave it in place, mainly to save costs, along with the agency's plans to use it for future experiments. The tailfin was later modified to incorporate the drag chute first used on ''Endeavour'' in 1992.
''Columbia'' on the launch pad before its first mission.
Internally, ''Columbia'' was originally fitted with Lockheed-Martin-built ejection seats identical to those found on the SR-71 Blackbird. These seats were active on the initial series of orbital test flights, but were deactivated after STS-4 and were removed entirely after STS-9. ''Columbia'' was also the only orbiter not delivered with heads-up displays for the pilot and copilot, although these were incorporated after STS-9. Like its sister ships, ''Columbia'' was eventually retrofitted (at its last refit) with the new MEDS "glass cockpit" display and lightweight seats. Unlike the other orbiters, ''Columbia'' retained an internal airlock, but was modified so that it could be fitted to accept the external airlock and docking adapter needed for flights to the International Space Station. This retention of an internal airlock allowed NASA to use ''Columbia'' for the STS-109 Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission, along with the Spacehab double module used on STS-107. If ''Columbia'' had not been destroyed, it would have been fitted with the external airlock/docking adapter for mission STS-118, an International Space Station assembly mission, in November 2003.
After the STS-118 mission, ''Columbia’s'' career would have started to wind down. The shuttle was planned to service the Hubble Space Telescope two more times, once in 2004, and again in 2005, but no more missions were planned for it again until 2009 when, on STS-144, it would retrieve the Hubble Space Telescope from orbit and bring it back to Earth.
Flights
Space Shuttle ''Columbia'' flew 28 flights, spent 300.74-days in space, completed 4,808 orbits, and flew 125,204,911 miles in total, including its final mission. It is the only spaceworthy shuttle to have never visited either the Russian Space Station Mir or the International Space Station.
''Columbia'' launching during STS-1. The original white-painted external tank, as well as ''Columbia's'' distinctive black chines, are clearly visible
| Date | Designation | Launch pad | Landing location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 April 12 | STS-1 | 39-A | Edwards Airforce Base | First Shuttle mission |
| 1981 November 12 | STS-2 | 39-A | Edwards Airforce Base | First re-use of manned space vehicle |
| 1982 March 22 | STS-3 | 39-A | White Sands Space Harbor | First mission with an unpainted External tank. Only time that a space shuttle has landed at the White Sands Space Harbor. This launch was dedicated by Ronald Reagan to "the people of Afganistan". |
| 1982 June 27 | STS-4 | 39-A | Edwards Airforce Base | Last shuttle R&D flight |
| 1982 November 11 | STS-5 | 39-A | Edwards Airforce Base | First four-person crew, first deployment of commercial satellite. |
| 1983 November 28 | STS-9 | 39-A | Edwards Airforce Base | First six-person crew, first Spacelab. |
| 1986 January 12 | STS-61-C | 39-A | Edwards Airforce Base | Representative Bill Nelson (D-FL) on board/ final successful shuttle flight before Challenger disaster |
| 1989 August 8 | STS-28 | 39-B | Edwards Airforce Base | Launched KH-11 reconnaissance satellite |
| 1990 January 9 | STS-32 | 39-A | Edwards Airforce Base | Retrieved Long Duration Exposure Facility |
| 1990 December 2 | STS-35 | 39-B | Edwards Airforce Base | Carried multiple X-ray & UV telescopes |
| 1991 June 5 | STS-40 | 39-B | Edwards Airforce Base | 5th Spacelab - Life Sciences-1 |
| 1992 June 25 | STS-50 | 39-A | Kennedy Space Center | U.S. Microgravity Laboratory 1 (USML-1) |
| 1992 October 22 | STS-52 | 39-B | Kennedy Space Center | Deployed Laser Geodynamic Satellite II |
| 1993 April 26 | STS-55 | 39-A | Edwards Airforce Base | German Spacelab D-2 Microgravity Research |
| 1993 October 18 | STS-58 | 39-B | Edwards Airforce Base | Spacelab Life Sciences |
| 1994 March 4 | STS-62 | 39-B | Kennedy Space Center | United States Microgravity Payload-2 (USMP-2) |
| 1994 July 8 | STS-65 | 39-A | Kennedy Space Center | International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-2) |
| 1995 October 20 | STS-73 | 39-B | Kennedy Space Center | United States Microgravity Laboratory (USML-2) |
| 1996 February 22 | STS-75 | 39-B | Kennedy Space Center | Tethered Satellite System Reflight (TSS-1R) |
| 1996 June 20 | STS-78 | 39-B | Kennedy Space Center | Life and Microgravity Spacelab (LMS) |
| 1996 November 19 | STS-80 | 39-B | Kennedy Space Center | 3rd flight of Wake Shield Facility (WSF)/ longest Shuttle flight as of 2006 |
| 1997 April 4 | STS-83 | 39-A | Kennedy Space Center | Microgravity Science Laboratory (MSL)- cut short |
| 1997 July 1 | STS-94 | 39-A | Kennedy Space Center | Microgravity Science Laboratory (MSL)- reflight |
| 1997 November 19 | STS-87 | 39-B | Kennedy Space Center | United States Microgravity Payload (USMP-4) |
| 1998 April 13 | STS-90 | 39-B | Kennedy Space Center | Neurolab - Spacelab |
| 1999 July 23 | STS-93 | 39-B | Kennedy Space Center | Deployed Chandra X-ray Observatory |
| 2002 March 1 | STS-109 | 39-A | Kennedy Space Center | Hubble Space Telescope service mission (HSM-3B) |
| 2003 January 16 | STS-107 | 39-A | Did not land (Planned to land at KSC) | A multi-disciplinary microgravity and Earth science research mission. Shuttle destroyed during re-entry on February 1, 2003 and all seven astronauts on board perished. |
Final mission
Main articles: STS-107, Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, Columbia Accident Investigation Board
On its final mission, Columbia carried a crew of seven astronauts. They were Rick Husband (commander), Willie McCool (pilot), Michael P. Anderson, Laurel B. Clark, and David M. Brown, Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon, and Kalpana Chawla.
On the morning of February 1, 2003, the shuttle re-entered the atmosphere after a 16-day scientific mission. NASA lost radio contact at about 0900 EST, only minutes before the expected 0916 landing at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Video recordings show the craft breaking up in flames over Texas, at an altitude of approximately 39 miles (63 km) and a speed of 12,500 mph (5.6 km/s).
In the months following the tragedy, NASA scientists determined that a hole was punctured in the leading edge on one of ''Columbia's'' wings, made of a carbon-carbon composite. The hole had formed when a piece of insulating foam from the external fuel tank peeled off during the launch 16 days earlier, puncturing the edge of the wing. Hot gases, inaccurately described in initial reports as plasma,[3]
penetrated the interior of the wing, destroying the support structure and causing the rest of the shuttle to break apart during the intense heat of re-entry.
Forensic analysis of the debris found in open fields and citezens backyards' was conducted jointly with the Materials Science department of Lehigh University. The collected debris of the vessel is currently stored on the 16th floor of the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center; recovered items are occasionally loaned for research into the hypersonic flight regime. Former NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe vowed that Columbia will not be sealed away as the debris from the ''Challenger'' was. The debris from ''Challenger'' is permanently entombed in two Minuteman missile silos at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
The shuttle's final crew were honored in 2003 when the USGS's Board of Geographic Names approved the name Columbia Point for a 13,980' mountain in Colorado's Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Not more than a half-mile away lies Challenger Point, a peak named for America's other lost shuttle.
See also
★ List of space shuttle missions
References
1. http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/features/000414overhaul/weightloss.html
2. http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/features/000414overhaul/future.html
3. "PLASMA: What is it?"
The use of the word "plasma" to describe the gases that entered the wing is not technically accurate, according to NASA and Boeing aero-thermal engineers who support the Space Shuttle program at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. They pointed out during the Columbia accident investigations that atmospheric entry heating and its intrusion into damaged left wing was from superheated air, not ionized gas and not plasma.
External links
★ Columbia Disaster on YouTube.com
★ Maiden launch of Columbia (Google Video)
★ Columbia accident investigation board
★ Columbia Disaster Multi-Media
★ ''Columbia'' Loss FAQ, compiled by members of usenet newsgroups sci.space.history and sci.space.shuttle, including some employees of NASA and their respective contractor agencies. Much of the FAQ content has been copied and used by many of the news services without credit given, including Florida Today and Space.com.
★ Space.com ''Columbia'' FAQ.
★ Shuttle Orbiter ''Columbia'' (OV-102)
★ New York Times coverage of the shuttle
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