Ben E - 15/12/2005 3:07 PMAt the expense of publicising my new book, SPACE SHUTTLE COLUMBIA, I've picked up quite a few interesting stories/quotes from the build-up to STS-1. It seems that there were strong voices on both sides, arguing for and against having a manned first launch. Fred Haise, for one, thought it would be far harder to fly STS-1 without a crew. Although he accepted that it might have been possible to have a pilot on the ground 'flying' Columbia, it would have been much harder to mechanically program the orbiter to do that and easier to have a Commander and Pilot aboard to handle the myriad of potential problems. According to Haise, an unmanned flight was originally planned, but was so complex that it became difficult to effectively automate. Others, particularly in NASA management, felt that with the recent successful automated landings of Viking-1 and 2 on Mars, it would have been easier and safer to fly unmanned.A humorous snippet: when John Young complained about the size of the US flag on his pressure suit, the suit techs borrowed an enormous flag from the pole outside a real estate office and taped it to the wall of the suiting-up room. I think Young was SUITably impressed by it ;-) When you think back to all of the unknowns prior to STS-1 and the thousands of things that could (and still could) go wrong, you have a great appreciation of the sheer bravery of Young and Crippen.
Ben E - 15/12/2005 3:07 PMA humorous snippet: when John Young complained about the size of the US flag on his pressure suit, the suit techs borrowed an enormous flag from the pole outside a real estate office and taped it to the wall of the suiting-up room. I think Young was SUITably impressed by it ;-) When you think back to all of the unknowns prior to STS-1 and the thousands of things that could (and still could) go wrong, you have a great appreciation of the sheer bravery of Young and Crippen.
Ben E - 18/12/2005 8:28 AMYes, the LES suits were used until mid-1995. Since then, all Shuttle crews have worn ACES suits. The first 'test' use of ACES was by the STS-68 crew in September 1994.Still not sure about why the colour differences were there, but certainly the OFT suit, the LES suit and the ACES suit are all built by the same manufacturer, the David Clark Company.
carmelo - 18/12/2005 8:56 AMYes but why Brown suit for STS-1/STS-4 flights?
Ben E - 18/12/2005 7:28 AMStill not sure about why the colour differences were there, but certainly the OFT suit, the LES suit and the ACES suit are all built by the same manufacturer, the David Clark Company.