Author Topic: Columbia STS-9 / Spacelab 1 - Screenshots (Read 58286 times)

Ares67 · « **Reply #21 on:** 12/26/2011 11:48 AM »

Columbia took this journey twice, since she had to be rolled back to the VAB after an anomaly surfaced on one of the SRB nozzles of the just returned STS-8 mission.

Ares67 · « **Reply #22 on:** 12/26/2011 12:19 PM »

One of the SRB nozzles on STS-9 had been applied with the same flawed insulation material, that had nearly burned through during Challenger's mission in August 1983. A replacement was ordered and the launch of STS-9 had to be delayed until November 28, 1983.

STS-9 had originally targeted a September launch date, but already had to be pushed into October, because the TDRS-A data-relay satellite - which was essential for the Spacelab mission - had not been operational in time. Originally even the second TDRS should have been launched on STS-8, but technical troubles with the IUS during STS-6 in April had prevented that.

With STS-9 moving into late November/early December 1983, planned earth observation tasks from Columbia's high inclination orbit (57 degrees) would now suffer from reduced lighting in the northern hemisphere.

Ares67 · « **Reply #23 on:** 12/26/2011 12:24 PM »

Ares67 · « **Reply #24 on:** 12/26/2011 12:26 PM »

Ares67 · « **Reply #25 on:** 12/26/2011 12:27 PM »

Ares67 · « **Reply #26 on:** 12/26/2011 12:34 PM »

John Young and his crew at launch pad 39A

Ares67 · « **Reply #27 on:** 12/26/2011 12:39 PM »

Crew arrival for launch

Ares67 · « **Reply #28 on:** 12/26/2011 12:41 PM »

Ares67 · « **Reply #29 on:** 12/26/2011 12:43 PM »

shuttlefan · « **Reply #30 on:** 12/26/2011 12:46 PM »

Thank-you for all your screenshots thusfar of the shuttle missions!!

Ares67 · « **Reply #31 on:** 12/26/2011 12:55 PM »

November 27, 1983 - T-1 day and counting

One day before the planned launch nothing was certain. Bad weather over the US Southeast and at Zaragoza, Spain, one of the planned TAL sites, threatened another delay. If Columbia would not leave the pad until December 1, the launch had to be delayed until late February 1984, in order to minimize effects on the scientific return of planned earth observation and astronomy experiments.

Ares67 · « **Reply #32 on:** 12/26/2011 12:58 PM »

Quote from: shuttlefan on 12/26/2011 12:46 PM

Thank-you for all your screenshots thusfar of the shuttle missions!!

You are welcome. I'm glad you are enjoying it.

Ares67 · « **Reply #33 on:** 12/26/2011 01:07 PM »

November 28, 1983 - Launch Day

Ares67 · « **Reply #34 on:** 12/26/2011 01:10 PM »

Crew breakfast

Ares67 · « **Reply #35 on:** 12/26/2011 01:12 PM »

Ares67 · « **Reply #36 on:** 12/26/2011 01:17 PM »

Ares67 · « **Reply #37 on:** 12/26/2011 01:20 PM »

Ares67 · « **Reply #38 on:** 12/26/2011 01:25 PM »

Crew walkout

Ares67 · « **Reply #39 on:** 12/26/2011 01:30 PM »