Author Topic: Challenger STS 51-L – Part 2/4 Major Malfunction  (Read 132503 times)

Offline Ares67

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Re: Challenger STS 51-L – Part 2/4 Major Malfunction
« Reply #40 on: 03/07/2012 05:16 pm »

Offline Ares67

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Re: Challenger STS 51-L – Part 2/4 Major Malfunction
« Reply #41 on: 03/07/2012 05:18 pm »

Offline Ares67

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Re: Challenger STS 51-L – Part 2/4 Major Malfunction
« Reply #42 on: 03/07/2012 05:21 pm »
Earlier Air Force meteorologists had predicted clouds and possible rain on Sunday. But shuttle manager Jesse Moore still was confident at sunset that Saturday: “Right now things look good, and I just hope the weather outside continues to cooperate with us. I’ve established a meeting this afternoon, or this evening I should say, at 9:30, to assess the weather before we tank, start loading fuel into the external tank.”

Offline Ares67

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Re: Challenger STS 51-L – Part 2/4 Major Malfunction
« Reply #43 on: 03/07/2012 05:24 pm »
“The ceilings will be low again tomorrow morning about five o’clock and the clouds will be coming in with thunderstorms and rain. The Space Shuttle cannot go up through the rain at the speed of sound because of the heat-resistant tiles on the bottom. We’re always interested in the safety of the flight crew and the safety of the shuttle – so based on these considerations we’ve decided to stay down until Monday morning,” NASA spokesman Jim Mizell told reporters after the mission managers had decided not to proceed with tanking preparations for Sunday’s attempt. The crew already had gone to bed. “They will find out in the morning,” said Jim Mizell. “But work has been set aside for them to do. The commander will go out and probably will fly, if the weather is good enough to fly. And they all will go through their plans for the mission.”

Claus Jensen explains in his book “No Downlink” (1996): “The meteorologists were predicting a cold front moving in from the northwest. (…) This front was backed up by a ridge of high pressure bringing an exceptionally chill wind from the Polar Regions. On Tuesday, the temperature in Tampa was expected to drop down to 14°F. Such temperatures would contravene the official launch criteria, which prohibited launches at anything under 31°F. – So Sunday was out, because of the rain, Tuesday, because of the cold. (Vice President) Bush was therefore advised that he would have to miss out on the launch and it was put off until Monday, January 27.”


Offline Ares67

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Re: Challenger STS 51-L – Part 2/4 Major Malfunction
« Reply #44 on: 03/07/2012 05:32 pm »
Sunday, January 26, 1986 – Goofing up

Again Claus Jensen “No Downlink” (1996): “The weather did not, however, turn out according to the meteorologists’ prediction. The front came to a halt north of Florida and the weather on Sunday was beautiful. Ideal for a successful launch. But by then it was too late for a change of plan. An air of suppressed indignation prevailed among the Challenger crew, because regard for the Vice President’s comfort and convenience and for NASA’s reputation had prevented them from taking advantage of this chance.”

“Ed and I opened our Cape Canaveral door that morning,” explains Grace Corrigan the comical aspects of the situation in “A Journal for Christa” (1993), “to see a glorious sunny day and our son Stephen standing huddled up in rain gear, his hood tied snugly under his chin, laughing: “NASA sure predicted this horrible wind and rainstorm. It’s a good thing the flight was cancelled!”

Challenger's launch was scrubbed by a forecast of bad weather. To the consternation of mission managers, they awoke on the 26th to find ideal liftoff conditions, too late to fuel Challenger for takeoff. Frustrated by weather delays in two straight shuttle missions, NASA officials are prepared to spend millions to develop a system of "now-casting," said spokesman George Diller. "We're trying to project a localized forecast. We'll develop some computer models to try and predict weather conditions at specific locations, such as over the pad and the landing strip." Forecast for a Jan. 27 launch at 9:37 a.m. showed temperatures in the mid-30s and scattered clouds - less than perfect, but acceptable conditions. "It looks like we have a pretty good shot at it," Diller said. (USA Today, Jan. 27, 1986)

Claus Jensen describes the weather situation in “No Downlink” (1996): “Meanwhile, the cold weather was building up behind the stationary cold front. Much faster than expected. The weather on Monday would be colder than anticipated. New forecasts projected a temperature of 40°F at launch time – a full 15°F colder than previously forecast. On Sunday afternoon, belatedly, the rain fell. During the night the weather cleared, as the temperature dropped and the fuel tanks were filled.”

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Re: Challenger STS 51-L – Part 2/4 Major Malfunction
« Reply #45 on: 03/07/2012 05:33 pm »

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Re: Challenger STS 51-L – Part 2/4 Major Malfunction
« Reply #46 on: 03/07/2012 05:37 pm »

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Re: Challenger STS 51-L – Part 2/4 Major Malfunction
« Reply #47 on: 03/07/2012 05:39 pm »

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Re: Challenger STS 51-L – Part 2/4 Major Malfunction
« Reply #48 on: 03/07/2012 05:40 pm »
“That night the crew and their spouses had dinner together in a quarantined dining facility. As the meal came to an end, Ron McNair pulled out a large shopping bag. Inside was a magnum of champagne with a design of the shuttle etched onto it. McNair passed the bottle around with an etching pen, and each crew member signed his or her name on the bottle. Later that night, McAuliffe had trouble sleeping. She called her friend Greg Jarvis. They left the crew quarters and found two bicycles with lights. In the dark, they rode around the complex, an activity not even contemplated under NASA training rules.” (The Washington Post, “Challengers”, March 1986)

Offline Beemer

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Re: Challenger STS 51-L – Part 2/4 Major Malfunction
« Reply #49 on: 03/07/2012 11:20 pm »
I had no idea that NASA was cannibalizing parts from other shuttles in order to fly another. Perhaps that should have told them that they were attempting to do too much.  >:(
Ride, Sally Ride! In memory of Sally Ride [1951-2012] America's first woman astronaut

Offline Ares67

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Re: Challenger STS 51-L – Part 2/4 Major Malfunction
« Reply #50 on: 03/08/2012 10:10 am »
Monday, January 27, 1986 – Comedy of Errors

Offline Ares67

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Re: Challenger STS 51-L – Part 2/4 Major Malfunction
« Reply #51 on: 03/08/2012 10:14 am »
PAO: And we are joining the crew of 51-L for their breakfast, the traditional breakfast… all of them getting ready to have a bite to eat before they begin donning their space suits… once again, the crew of mission 51-L obviously looking as though they are having a good time and getting ready for their walkout to the astronaut van which will bring them out to the pad…

Offline Ares67

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Re: Challenger STS 51-L – Part 2/4 Major Malfunction
« Reply #52 on: 03/08/2012 10:23 am »

Offline Ares67

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Re: Challenger STS 51-L – Part 2/4 Major Malfunction
« Reply #53 on: 03/08/2012 10:28 am »

Offline Ares67

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Re: Challenger STS 51-L – Part 2/4 Major Malfunction
« Reply #54 on: 03/08/2012 10:31 am »

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Re: Challenger STS 51-L – Part 2/4 Major Malfunction
« Reply #55 on: 03/08/2012 10:35 am »

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Re: Challenger STS 51-L – Part 2/4 Major Malfunction
« Reply #56 on: 03/08/2012 10:43 am »

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Re: Challenger STS 51-L – Part 2/4 Major Malfunction
« Reply #57 on: 03/08/2012 10:46 am »

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Re: Challenger STS 51-L – Part 2/4 Major Malfunction
« Reply #58 on: 03/08/2012 10:49 am »

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Re: Challenger STS 51-L – Part 2/4 Major Malfunction
« Reply #59 on: 03/08/2012 10:50 am »

 

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