Page 6 - 200303 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - February 2003

6 Shuttle Columbia Special Shuttle Columbia Special 6 NASA weighed retiring kicked in, narrowly avoiding the need NASA weighed retiring Columbia in 2001 for an emergency landing. Columbia in 2001 NASA grounded the fleet for months to inspect and repair exposed The space shuttle Columbia, wiring on the four orbiters. Each has The space shuttle Columbia, lost with its seven-person more than 100 miles of electrical wiring. lost with its seven-person On the most recent, fatal flight, crew in a catastrophic re- NASA technicians reviewing video crew in a catastrophic re- entry accident on Saturday, noticed that a piece of insulation fell off entry accident on Saturday, was considered for the the external fuel tank and seemed to was considered for retirement in 2001. strike the shuttle during its eight-minute retirement in 2001. race to orbit, possibly knocking off heat- resistant tiles, which protect the shuttle from the intense temperatures of atmospheric re-entry. [End] SHUTTLE TRIVA SHUTTLE TRIVA The Last Moments The Last Moments - The Space Shuttle Columbia was the 08:15 a.m. - Columbia fires braking first reusable spacecraft. It launched for rockets the first time on April 12, 1981. 08:53 a.m. - Ground controllers lose The oldest orbiter in the fleet, it - The Space Shuttle travels at hydraulic temperature data. Shuttle crew is had experienced engineering problems approximately 5 miles per second not alerted. before during a long career that begin (17,500 miles/hour). with the first shuttle mission more than 08:56 a.m. - Sensors show rise in 20 years ago. - Russia's shuttle is called the Buran. It temperature, pressure on Shuttle’s left side Yet none of the previous glitches flew one time, and the flight lasted only landing gear. on Columbia, which underwent a $90 205 minutes (approximately 2 orbits). million, 17-month overhaul that began 08:58 a.m. - Data is lost from three in September 1999, were thought to - The first reusable spacecraft designed temperature sensors in the Shuttle’s left have contributed to the fatal mishap. in 1962 was the X-20 Dyna Soar. It was wing. The 90-ton shuttle, heavier than to be launched into orbit by a Titan 3 other spacecraft in the fleet, was the rocket. 08:59 a.m. - Data is lost from the left-side only one not outfitted to dock with the tire temperature sensor. Crew is alerted. international space station. - The Space Shuttle Main Engine Approximately 9 a.m.. All vehicle data is NASA had considered operates at greater temperature extremes lost. Shuttle is 207, 135 feet up, travelling mothballing it in 2001 because of than any mechanical system in common about Mach 18.3. Noise, lights in the sky budget constraints, but decided to keep use today. The fuel, liquefied hydrogen reported over Texas and Louisiana. it in service, in part to ensure flying at -423 degrees Fahrenheit (-253 several scheduled missions. degrees Celsius) is the second coldest 09:16 a.m. - NASA contacts President They included the one known as liquid on Earth. When it and the liquid Bush, Homeland Security Director Tom STS-107, which, after years of delays, oxygen are combusted, the temperature Ridge. went into space in mid-January for a in the main combustion chamber is rare mission devoted solely to science. 6,000 degrees Fahrenheit (3,316 degrees 11:00 a.m. - Flag at Kennedy Space Center The $2 billion craft has been part Celsius), hotter than the boiling point of is lowered to half-staff. of numerous NASA milestones since iron. becoming the first shuttle to go into 12:15 p.m. - President Bush returns to orbit in 1981. - The energy released by the three Space Washington from Camp David. In 1999, it deployed the powerful Shuttle Main Engines at full power Chandra X-ray space telescope, with the level, in units of watts, is equivalent to 01:00 p.m. - NASA announces loss of first female commander at the helm, the output of 23 Hoover Dams. Shuttle and all aboard. Eileen Collins. But that mission began with - One Space Shuttle Main Engine 01:25 p.m. - President Bush speaks with major problems. The shuttle had leaked generates sufficient thrust to maintain Israeli Prime Minister for about 5 minutes. thousands of pounds of fuel during the flight of two and one-half 747 liftoff, leaving it in a lopsided but airplanes. 02:00 p.m. - President Bush tells the nation functional orbit. that “Columbia is lost, there are no And seconds after launch, a short - The External Tank is covered with a survivors.” circuit knocked out computers that thermal protection system (insulation) controlled two of three shuttle engines. which, if spread on the ground, would 03:20 p.m. - NASA suspends shuttle flights A backup computer system cover nearly one-half acre. for length of investigation.