Discovery STS-26 – The Dream is Alive

[Ares67]

October 13: O-RINGS GIVEN CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH
All systems are go for America's space shuttle fleet and its redesigned solid rocket booster. The space agency reported Wednesday the seals on all eight O-ring joints in the boosters strapped to Discovery's external fuel tank survived the first post-Challenger launch with flying colors. Engineers at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station gave their final OK to the new seals after disassembling nozzles from the burned-out boosters and gaining access to each rocket's "case-to-nozzle" joint.

The other three joints in each re-useable booster were inspected Sunday and Monday and given a clean bill of health. The right-side booster nozzle was removed Tuesday night, and NASA officials said its nozzle joint survived Discovery's Sept. 29 blastoff in "great" condition. The left-side nozzle joint was inspected Wednesday afternoon, and it too showed no signs of damage. "We had good joint seals," said Gerald Smith, manager of the booster project at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. "The hardware looks great and we're very, very pleased."

The 14-story shuttle boosters consist of four fuel segments bolted together at three O-ring "field" joints, so named because the segments are assembled at the Kennedy Space Center - in the field. Challenger was destroyed on Jan. 28, 1986, by a field joint failure. Since then, those joints were improved with a third O-ring seal, better insulation and a metal flange called a "capture feature." It locks joint elements firmly together, preventing development of possible paths for leaks. In the case-to-nozzle joint, a third "wiper O-ring" was added along with 100 bolts that serve the same purpose as the capture feature in the field joints. (Deseret News/UPI, Oct. 13, 1988)

IN OTHER NEWS
Response is varied over the two presidential candidates’ appearance on a PBS-broadcast special, “Can the Next President Win the Space Race?” Experts generally say that the two are not paying important space issues the attention they deserve. +++ The Discovery crew arrives in Washington to meet the Speaker of the House, Jim Wright, and Head of the Science, Space and Technology Committee, Robert Roe. +++ Senator Jake Garn, R-Utah, quoting European sources says he learned that the Soviet Union’s version of the Space Shuttle is experiencing problems with its guidance system. He also says that it is likely that the Soviets will attempt a manned flight four to six months after a successful unmanned flight. (Countdown, December 1988)

October 14: PRESIDENT REAGAN WELCOMES DISCOVERY FIVE
During a ceremony in the Rose Garden at the White House, shortly before noon today, President Ronald Reagan greets and honors the Discovery Five and their wives. The astronauts present the President with the blue flight jacket they had promised to return to him after flying the attached patches aboard Discovery.

Reagan: Three weeks ago in Houston I met with Rick Hauck, Dick Covey, Pinky Nelson, Mike Lounge, and Dave Hilmers, to wish them Godspeed as they prepared for their important journey. Today let us just say to our five brave countrymen: Thank you for taking us with you into space, and bless you for your courage. And on behalf of every American, welcome home.

The Vice President was right last night: You are America's heroes. You are his heroes and mine. You're each veterans of the space program, and what you have done for the program and for your country will be long remembered. At a time when it counted, you stepped forward to help return America to space, to once again live the dream -- and for all of us, to help keep that dream alive. You, the astronauts, and the entire team that made the mission of the Discovery a success deserve the praise of a grateful nation.

I also want to salute the engineering and technical crew responsible for the redesign of the space shuttle. It was a job well-done. More than 400 design changes were made involving the orbiter, booster rockets, external tank, and engines. With the success of the new shuttle, America is on track for our next major objective: having the space station Freedom orbiting the Earth in the next decade.

In the meantime, we're looking forward to deploying the planetary probes Magellan, Galileo, and Ulysses, that will visit Venus, Jupiter, and the Sun. The launch of the Hubble Space Telescope -- the Hubble, I should say; I put an ``m'' in there -- the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope will extend our gaze to the far reaches of space. Important national security projects will also be launched, improving our ability to monitor arms control agreements. Our progress on developing the Mach 25 national aerospace plane continues.

And NASA's office of exploration has some very exciting ideas for the future: building a space observatory on the far side of the Moon, or establishing a permanent lunar colony, or sending a manned mission to the planet Mars or to one of its moons. There's so much that lies ahead. You know, I have to wonder how far off is the day when the children of America turn to their parents and say, ``Gee, Mom and Dad, can I borrow the spaceship tonight?''

For our young people, in particular, I think Mike Lounge said it best: ``Space is a fun place.'' That's a message that deserves to be posted in every science classroom in America. We can tell each child in every school: There's an exciting future ahead, and it belongs to you. Education will be your passport. Knowledge will be your boarding pass. So, set your sights on the stars. I want to say to our young people that our space program needs you. So you should study and work hard, because when you're old enough to go to space, America will be prepared to take you there.

I'll predict that the crew of the Discovery has launched a whole new generation of young space pioneers. Mission Commander Rick Hauck has said that this will be his last space flight. Well, we'll miss his leadership, but he says ``there are a lot of people waiting in the wings.'' In fact, four of them are right here. As Pinky Nelson, speaking for his colleagues, put it: ``We're back at the end of the line, waiting for our next mission.'' Well, we too are looking forward to seeing you return to space, but for now we just want to say thanks again for this mission and for all that it has meant for our country.

Along with the Discovery's dramatic liftoff, there have been few sights more inspiring than watching the graceful shuttle gliding down to Earth. Because in that moment, as five Americans returned from the heavens to the Earth, we could see our own future -- or at least glimpse the shape of its opening moments -- because there's so much more to come. What history is recording today is simply the greatest of beginnings, the opening overture of a symphony in space.

Yes, there have been setbacks and tragedy and heroism along the way. And the journey ahead is not for the faint-hearted; it's for the brave. But there are wonders that lie before us, wonders that the human heart has yearned to know since the dawn of time. Ours is the first generation in human history that has had the tools to bring mankind into the heavens, into space; and America intends to stay there as long as the human soul can dream and wonder, as long as our ancient destiny draws us toward the stars.

The poet William Butler Yeats described an Irish airman in World War I, who became a pilot not because of the call of ``public men nor cheering crowds'' but ``a lonely impulse of delight drove him to this tumult in the clouds.'' I think that's the way it'll always be. The men and women who blaze the trail lead us forward through sense of joy, through ``a lonely impulse of delight.'' They are the pioneers who seek knowledge and adventure, who lead us beyond the frontier, across great oceans, and who lift us to the clouds, to the heavens, and, someday, out beyond the stars.

Today vistas beyond imagination are being opened for humanity in space. A new future of freedom, both peaceful and bountiful, is being created. And America is telling the world: Follow us. We'll lead you there. This is the mission for which our nation itself was created, and we ask for God's guidance. America's as large as the universe, as infinite as space, as limitless as the vision and courage of her people.

So, to the crew of the Discovery and to all of you who help carry us toward our destiny on the wings of a dream, thank you, and God bless you.

Hauck: Mr. President, we would like to thank you very much for the privilege of coming to meet with you and for your coming down to Houston to wish us on our way. This is a great team that we work with, and many of those people are represented in the audience today. And we appreciate that opportunity to thank them again. But a team is only as good as its leader, and as far as we're concerned, you're the captain of the team. And we have a team jacket that we presented to you in Houston. We took the patches off of them so we could fly them into space, and we brought them back to you and would like to present them to you.

Reagan: They promised they'd bring 'em back to me.

Hauck: Our pleasure, sir.

Reagan: Thank you all very much. And to some ladies who are just as brave as these gentlemen.

The President's closing remarks referred to the wives of the crew.

[Ares67]

NASA MANAGER PRAISES THIOKOL
Morton Thiokol workers are war heroes who helped America regain its pride and accomplishment in space, the NASA manager who oversaw the Solid Rocket Booster redesign effort said Friday. Hundreds of Morton Thiokol employees gathered outside the aerospace firm's administration building to hear attaboys from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration officials who guided the redesign effort."We call these the good times, not only for NASA but for the whole NASA team," said J.R. Thompson, director of the Marshall Space Flight Center which manages propulsion systems for the shuttle program.

The successful four-day flight of the shuttle Discovery last month was necessary to get the U.S. space program back into orbit, Thompson said. "It was also to rekindle the pride we have in America and in ourselves. But this here in the hills of Utah is where it all began," Thompson told his appreciative audience, adding, "You've done right."

The Space Transportation System flight No. 26 verified that the more than 100 design changes incorporated into the Morton Thiokol-made solid rocket boosters were "every bit as good as advertised," he said. "And with the STS-26 flight, it's been sweet." But the 32-month hiatus the United States took in space flight was not so sweet. A presidential commission that investigated the January 1986 Challenger explosion which grounded the shuttle fleet blamed a faulty O-ring seal on a right side booster rocket for allowing hot gases to escape and ignite the huge external fuel tank. NASA and Morton Thiokol management took a beating in Congress, the press and the courts while engineers and commissions decided how the manned space program should continue.

"I know that you feel as I do, the last two years have been a war," where pride and confidence were the casualties, Thompson said. The team of Morton Thiokol engineers who redesigned the rockets and reaffirmed a commitment to quality space hardware "have what we folks at NASA call the right stuff to get it done." Gerald Smith, Solid Rocket Booster program manager for Marshall Space Flight Center, told the workers, "You should take enormous pride" in producing what he said were the best-made boosters "in the history of the solid rocket motor industry." – "The most important thing to me is you people came back from a devastating loss to the pinnacle of STS-26," Smith said.

The people who helped lift Discovery to the heavens can take a place alongside the space plane's crew as heroes with the right stuff. "The vice president was right last night – you are America's heroes. You are his heroes and mine … what you have done for the program and the country will be long remembered," Reagan told the Discovery five, referring to Vice President George Bush's presidential debate Thursday night with Democratic candidate Michael Dukakis. "You … and the entire team that made the mission of the Discovery a success, deserve the praise of a grateful nation." Discovery skipper Frederick H. Hauck gave the president a blue astronaut's jacket, complete with patches from the mission that had been taken into space aboard the shuttle. (Deseret News, Oct 15, 1988)

October 19: IN OTHER NEWS
NASA administrator James Fletcher says the United States should aim for a moon base rather than manned Mars expeditions. The base, which would be put in place by 2004, could serve as a scientific observatory for studying the solar system and also serve as a test bed and staging area for a trip to Mars a decade later, says Fletcher. +++ Dr. David Webb, speaking at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, says the U.S. space program “overvalues” human life. “The shuttle is not an operational vehicle. Inevitably people will die. On the other hand we shouldn’t be so concerned with human life. The people who fly the shuttle are people who know the risks and have decided to do it,” says Webb. He says the statement is not callous because he believes the frontier of space cannot be conquered without loss of life. (Countdown December 1988)

October 19: DISCOVERY'S MAIN ENGINE LEAKED
NASA confirmed today that one of Discovery's three main engines leaked during flight. The leak occurred in the line between the combustion chamber and the nozzle, according to NASA spokeswoman Sarah Keegan. Officials don't know whether the leak indicates a generic failure of the main engine system or whether Discovery's engine could be fixed or replaced, Keegan said. The impact on a flight would depend on when the failure took place, she said. The leak had been observed on other flights as well and should not affect the late November launch of Atlantis, officials said. Atlantis will be rolled over to the VAB on Oct. 23 where technicians will inspect an engine aboard the Orbiter to ensure that none of its parts are warped. (Florida Today, Oct. 20, 1988 & The Orlando Sentinel, Oct. 21, 1988)

October 20: IN OTHER NEWS
The NASA Authorization Bill passed today by the House of Representatives will give NASA security guards federal arrest authority and the power to employ deadly force in the line of duty if the bill is approved by the Senate. Another important section of the Authorization Bill stipulates levels of spending for the Space Station for the next three years. The funding amount for the station would be $900 million in 1989, $2.1 billion in 1990 and $2.8 billion in 1991. +++ Two cosmonauts spend more than four hours outside the Mir space station to replace a faulty component on an X-ray telescope which was melted because of cosmic radiation, Tass and Radio Moscow report. The faulty detector, built by English and Dutch scientists, was replaced by an “upgraded detector” which would help prolong the life of the telescope. (Countdown, December 1988)


October 25: DISCOVERY CREW RETURNS TO KSC
Several thousand Kennedy Space Center workers turned out to see the crew of Discovery as it returned to the space center in keeping with the tradition of American manned space flight. Mission Specialist George "Pinky" Nelson told the assembled workers: "When we lift off, what’s really pushing that thing up is all your good feelings and all the good work that you have done. It's the best ride in the world, and there is not a better way to get out o£ Florida." Pilot Richard Covey said, "If there's a heartbeat to America's Space program, it's right here."

The crew and Center Director Forrest McCartney exchanged traditional gifts and mementoes of the historic mission during the ceremony. Director McCartney gave the crew framed photos of the liftoff taken by a remote-operated camera near the launch pad. Commander Frederick "Rick" Hauck reciprocated by giving the Director a collage of launch and crew photos which included a crew patch and American flag that flew in space. Launch Director Robert Sieck and U. S. Rep. Bill Nelson also spoke at the ceremony. (Florida Today, Oct. 26, 1988)

SHUTTLE CREW RETURNS TO LAUNCH SITE
The five-man crew of the Space Shuttle Discovery brought the first post-Challenger flight full circle Tuesday, returning to their launch site to thank the thousands of men and women who made the historic voyage a success. The astronauts, treated to an old-fashioned homecoming motorcade Monday, planned to greet Kennedy Space Center workers Tuesday in a special ceremony near the giant Vehicle Assembly Building where Discovery was prepared for its Sept. 29 blastoff."The last time we left this area, we were going vertically," Discovery skipper Frederick Hauck said Monday after the crew arrived at Patrick Air Force Base, about 25 miles south of the Kennedy Space Center. "We've come back here to Brevard County and the Kennedy Space Center just to thank everybody who gave us such a beautiful send off. We thank you very much," he said.

Hauck and his crewmates - co-pilot Richard Covey, John "Mike" Lounge, David Hilmers and George "Pinky" Nelson - then were driven north to Cocoa Beach in five Corvette convertibles, smiling and waving to thousands of cheering supporters spread out along the 3-mile-long parade route. "I have to admit, we were not sad to leave the last time we left," Hauck said before a homecoming banquet later that night. "We were going straight up. I'll certainly admit at least my heart rate was up a little, but because of all the outstanding work many of your neighbors out here did just a few miles up the coast." The shuttle fliers carried a special book into orbit that was signed by more than 15,000 Kennedy Space Center workers to symbolize the team effort required to ready Discovery for the first American manned space flight since the Challenger disaster. (Deseret News, Oct. 25, 1988)

November 7: ASTRONAUTS THANK THIOKOL FOR A JOB WELL DONE
Two shuttle astronauts tipped their space helmets to Morton Thiokol workers Monday (Nov. 7) for a job well done in getting America's space program back off the ground. "This tremendous effort of thousands of people throughout the country is one of the greatest exhibitions of teamwork we've seen in this country in a long time," Rick Hauck said during the rally, held in the parking lot of Morton Thiokol's plant 25 miles west of Brigham City."Most people think the boosters gave most of the thrust that lifted Discovery, but a fair amount of emotion lifted us as well."

Hauck and pilot Dick Covey flew to Morton Thiokol, which undertook a 21/2-year effort to redesign the solid fuel rocket boosters following the explosion aboard the shuttle Challenger. The astronauts were joined by Sen. Jake Garn, R-Utah, Gov. Norm Bangerter and Rep. Jim Hansen , R-Utah, which prompted an angry outburst by state Democratic Party Chairman Randy Horiuchi. Garn responded with harsh words for Horiuchi, who had complained that the timing of the rally the day before the election made it appear to be politically motivated. The polls show Bangerter in a dead heat with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ted Wilson. Hansen is fighting a challenge by former Rep. Gunn McKay. Horiuchi said Democrats were not informed of the event or invited. "For Horiuchi to make something politcal out of this is insulting and ridiculous. These men risked their lives in space. The people at Morton Thiokol do an incredible job. Randy ought to keep his damn mouth shut," Garn said. Bangerter said he was asked to attend as governor, and he was at the rally in that capacity. "They go all over the country and they don't quit just because of an election," the governor said.

But politics was not an issue at Thiokol. "Thank you. You did it, and we knew you could," said Covey, the pilot on the Discovery. "What you do on a day-to-day basis pretty well can be a life-or-death matter for those of us who ride the space shuttle. You have to deal with that stress on a daily basis."

The two astronauts presented John Thirkill, vice president of Space Operations at Thiokol, a plaque showing a collage of the Discovery mission and thanking Thiokol for the hard work. "It's been a long several years getting back from Challenger," said Hauck. "It has not been easy. There has been a lot of work, dedication, professionalism and soul-searching. We are very proud of our NASA relatives here."

Garn also defended Morton Thiokol, which has taken the brunt of accusations concerning the ill-fated Challenger flight. "Thiokol took a bum rap," he said. "The Challenger had good boosters that were flown out of tolerance."

Both astronauts described the experience of going back into space as spectacular beyond description. "Traveling at five miles per second, it takes seven minutes to cross the United States," said Covey. "As we crossed over I thought that this was where all the people who did the work are and they are responsible for the great time we were having." (Deseret News, Nov. 8, 1988)

November 18: TDRS-3 PERFORMING “VERY WELL”
The Tracking and Data Relay Satellite launched by Discovery on September 29 has performed flawlessly on all tests to date and may support the next Space Shuttle mission, officials at Goddard Space Flight Center reported this week. “The satellite is performing very well,” said Bobby Vermillion, supervisor of JSC’s Communications Evaluation Section. “We’re approximately 75 percent through the tests and we’ve had no major problems occur.”

Following deployment of the satellites antennas and solar arrays, its thrusters were first fired on October 2 to start TDRS drifting toward the test location. The satellite’s movement was stopped by additional firings on October 11 and 12, when it arrived on station. Spacecraft communication systems were activated between October 7 and 18. All systems performed flawlessly and testing is ahead of schedule, according to Dr. Dale W. Harris, TDRS project manager at Goddard. Although tests and calibrations will not be complete, NASA hopes to use TDRS-3, along with TDRS-1 launched in April 1983, for improved communications during STS-27. (JSC Space News Roundup, Nov. 18, 1988 - edited)

On November 25, 1988 TDRS-3 is officially pronounced ready to support upcoming shuttle flights.

[Ares67]

Doing the “shuttle shuffle” – Soviet-style

And while NASA was preparing Atlantis for a secret military mission in December 1988, the world was about to see another reusable space plane making its maiden voyage – Soviet-style. The Russians meanwhile had revealed the name of their orbiter – “Buran” (Snowstorm). So, at the end of this STS-26 thread – as promised – here is the tale of Buran, as it unfolded at the end of 1988 and early 1989.

[Ares67]

A GIANT STEP FOR SOVIET SPACEFLIGHT

The Soviet Union is taking a giant step of their own as they prepare for the first launch of their Buran Space Shuttle. The flight of Buran marks the first attempt by the Soviets in a number of technologies. Among these is their use of highly advanced wind tunnels to develop the design of their winged space plane. They will also be attempting their first use of wire control for winged hypersonic flight and fault-tolerant computers responsible for launch and landing.

The Soviets have announced that their unmanned flight is just a test flight and will only stay in space for a few orbits before it is brought back to Earth. NASA engineers say the Soviets’ first launch attempt will be much more complicated than the American 1981 launch because they are flying unmanned and have little or no experience with hypersonic winged vehicles such as the U.S. X-15 which gave NASA engineers valuable information for the development of the U.S. shuttle.

The Soviets have announced that they are readying a second shuttle for launch in the event the Buran is lost on its initial flight. If the flight is successful, they plan to begin manned flights some time in 1989, perhaps on the second or third flight. (Countdown, December 1988)

[Ares67]

[Ares67]

On May 9. 1988, the Buran orbiter had been put onto its Energiya carrier rocket for the first time. Fit-checks and a test rollout to launch site 110 at Baikonur Cosmodrome followed. Buran stayed on the pad between May 19 and June 19, when the stack was returned into its assembly building. Buran was removed from the rocket for some technical upgrades, including work in the orbiters heat shield. On August 29 Buran once again sat on Energiya, and the whole stack was transported to a fueling station on September 13, where hazardous operations around the shuttle’s maneuvering engines could take place. On October 10 the whole stack once again sat upright on its launch pad, awaiting its maiden voyage.

[Ares67]

[Ares67]

[Ares67]

[Ares67]

[Ares67]

October 24: SOVIET SHUTTLE “BURAN” READY TO LAUNCH
The copycat Soviet version of the U.S. Space Shuttle, named “Buran”, is now ready for blastoff at the nation's space center in Central Asia, Radio Moscow reported Monday. "Preparation is nearing completion for its test launch," the state-run radio's international service said. It did not say when blastoff would occur. The Buran and its rocket booster, the 2,000-ton Energiya, will take off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, the Soviet space center on the steppes of Kazakhstan, Radio Moscow said.

Soviet space officials have said the shuttle's first mission, an unmanned test flight, should take place this year, but have not given an exact date. The "forthcoming flight with the reusable spaceship is a landmark in Soviet space exploration programs," Radio Moscow said. The radio's report was apparently the first in Soviet media to make the shuttle's name public. The Soviet shuttle, under development since at least 1982, has delta-shaped wings like its American counterpart, and is mated to its booster rocket in much the same way as the American craft.

Soviet officials have acknowledged that technical problems in creating their version of a reusable spacecraft have caused delays. They also point to the Jan. 28, 1986, explosion of the U.S. shuttle Challenger as an example of the hazards they are trying to prevent. The Energiya booster was tested once, on May 15, 1987, when it successfully carried aloft a dummy spacecraft. The booster is said by the Soviets to be the most powerful in the world. It can reportedly place 100 tons of cargo into orbit and deliver 170 million horsepower of thrust. (Deseret News, Oct. 24, 1988)

[Ares67]

[Ares67]

[Ares67]

October 28: U.S. AND SOVIET SHUTTLES AREN'T ALIKE
The U.S. space shuttle was never equipped for an unmanned test flight like the one planned tonight for the Soviets' look-alike orbiter. At the time, the program was behind schedule, money was tight and the technology was not well-developed. NASA, however, says it had confidence that its design would work the first time when the shuttle Columbia made its debut more than seven years ago.

Despite the striking resemblance of the two spacecraft, there are numerous differences between them. The Soviet shuttle's main engines will be on the Energiya rocket instead of on the reusable orbiter. The craft has small jet engines that give it greater maneuverability for landing. And it has liquid fuel booster rockets instead of solid-fuel boosters like the one that destroyed Challenger in January 1986, grounding the American program for 32 months.

The Soviet Union announced Wednesday that its shuttle would be launched at 9:23 p.m. MDT Friday, or 6:23 a.m. Moscow time Saturday, Oct. 29. The shuttle is named Buran, Russian for snowstorm. Soviet officials said Buran's first flight would be pilotless to avoid deaths in case of an accident like the Challenger explosion. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration said its decision to have two astronauts pilot the first U.S. shuttle reflected engineers' confidence that it would work the first time, but only if humans were aboard. Spacecraft in the earlier Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs underwent extensive unmanned testing before men flew them. But the shuttle program was running three years behind schedule and financial pressure on NASA was rising. Flying the shuttle without astronauts would have required extensive and expensive changes to allow the automatic pilot to respond to radio commands.

Officials also noted that the American shuttle was built with the technology of the early 1970s, when it would have been more difficult to develop an automated landing system for so complex a craft. The Soviets, coming along a decade later, could take advantage of the latest developments. As a precaution, the U.S. shuttle included ejection seats for the two pilots who flew early shakedown missions. But there was room for only two such devices, and they were removed when crews expanded.

The Soviet shuttle will be boosted into orbit by the new Energiya rocket, which can lift a 220,000-pound payload. That rivals the power of America's huge Saturn 5 rocket, which was scrapped for economy reasons after taking six Apollo crews to the moon. The liquid-hydrogen, liquid-oxygen booster has had only one test flight, in May 1987. The Soviets called the test a success, even though the payload failed to reach orbit. The Soviet shuttle's main engines are attached to the Energiya, meaning they will be jettisoned and cannot be reused. On the U.S. shuttle, the main motors are part of the orbiter and can be reflown up to 55 times. By not carrying its engines, the Soviet shuttle can haul more cargo than its U.S. cousin, about 66,000 pounds compared with 55,000 pounds. The disadvantage is that new, expensive power plants have to be built for each launch.

Assisting the Soviet craft into space are four strap-on rockets, also powered by liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. The U.S. vehicle has two solid-fuel strap-on motors. After descending from orbit, the American shuttle becomes a powerless glider. If it were unable to reach its runway, or if high crosswinds or something else spoiled its final approach, the crew would have to bail out and leave the vehicle to crash. The Soviet craft's two small jet engines would enable it to make its final approach at a safer, shallower angle and allow greater maneuverability, including the possibility of a second landing attempt. (Deseret News, Oct. 28, 1988)

[Ares67]

October 30: BURAN SHUTTLE NOT DAMAGED - COULD FLY AT ANY TIME
The Soviet Union's Space Shuttle, whose unmanned maiden flight was postponed indefinitely Saturday because of a fault in a safety platform, could fly again at any time, a senior space official said. The official, Major General V. Gudilin, told a Moscow TV reporter at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Central Asia neither the shuttle nor its Energiya booster rocket had suffered any damage."Nothing serious has happened," Gudilin said, pointing to the gleaming white shuttle and the booster, which were still in position on the launch-pad in bright sunshine. "They could take off at any time."

"But first we need to analyze what went wrong. This is not a failure. It is another experience in our conquest of space," the Air Force general, who heads the Cosmodrome's test administration, told the interviewer.

Earlier, Gudilin told the official news agency Tass that the blastoff was automatically aborted with only 51 seconds to go when the platform, designed for the emergency evacuation of crew, failed to swing clear. "This was detected immediately by the computer, which under launch conditions carries out constant checks on 140 system elements," he said. The unmanned Buran (Snowstorm) shuttle, mounted piggy-back on the giant booster rocket, had been due to lift off from Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 9:23 p.m. MDT. Tass initially said the launch would be delayed for four hours but later announced an indefinite postponement.

Hundreds of tons of liquid hydrogen and oxygen fuel had to be drained from the booster before any thorough analysis could be made, Gudilin said. Tass said a new date and time for the launch would be announced later, suggesting that the flight could be delayed for days rather than hours. Western experts estimate it could take three days to restart the countdown. (Deseret News, Oct. 30, 1988)

[Ares67]

November 8: SOVIETS STILL PLAN LAUNCH
Radio Moscow said Tuesday that the Soviets will try again in the next few days to launch their Space Shuttle, whose maiden voyage was scrubbed last month by a last-minute technical malfunction. The state-run radio, in a news broadcast, said the shuttle orbiter Buran and the booster rocket Energiya are in launch position at the Baikonur space center on the steppes of Soviet Kazakhstan. (Deseret News, Nov. 8, 1988)

The Soviet Union said it plans to try again to launch its first Space Shuttle, Buran, within "the next few days," Radio Moscow reported. But in a brief announcement Tuesday the radio did not specify the exact date or time of the launch. Its first attempted launch was aborted Oct. 29 just 51 seconds before lift-off because a service gantry failed to move clear of the Buran's booster rocket, Energiya."The Soviet press announces that the super-powerful booster rocket Energiya and the reusable orbiter, Buran, are on the launch pad at the Baikonur space port," the radio said. (Deseret News, Nov. 9, 1988)

November 12: COSMONAUTS NEAR ENDURANCE MARK
Two Soviet cosmonauts launched to the Mir space station 326 days ago sailed toward a new space endurance record Friday (Nov. 11) with no word on when a second attempt will be made to launch the first Soviet shuttle. A promised announcement of a new launch date for the shuttle had not materialized as of 11:50 p.m. Moscow time and sources at Tass and Radio Moscow said they did not expect one Friday.

As commander Vladimir Titov and flight engineer Musa Manarov orbited overhead, there was confusion in the Soviet media as to whether the duo had already broken the record of 326 days set by cosmonaut Yuri Romanenko in December 1987. Both Radio Moscow and the daily Komsomolskaya Pravda said they had already passed the mark, but it was thought that Romanenko's record would not be exceeded until 1:55 a.m. Saturday Moscow time - 5:55 p.m. EST Friday in the United States. "The Mir veterans tomorrow will break the record of Yuri Romanenko who remained in space (until last December) for 326 days, 11 hours and 38 minutes," the Tass news agency said in a brief dispatch from mission control at Star City outside Moscow.

Titov and Manarov were launched to Mir on Dec. 21, 1987, and while their time aloft exceeded Romanenko's, an official record will not be recognized by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale in Paris, the body that sanctions such records, until the old mark has been exceeded by 10 percent, which will happen Dec. 14. In any case, the achievement is viewed by Soviet space authorities as a minor milestone on the road toward an eventual manned flight to Mars, an otherwise routine event in a multi-faceted space program that now includes a manned reuseable Space Shuttle like the U.S. has.

The Soviets attempted to launch their first shuttle, Buran, Oct. 29 on an unmanned two-orbit flight but trouble with ground equipment forced a computer to interrupt the countdown at the T-minus 51-second mark. A second launch attempt is thought to be close at hand, and Alexander Dunayev, head of the Soviet space agency Glavkosmos, told a news conference Thursday a new launch date was expected Friday. But as the day wore on, there was no word from Soviet space officials on when Buran might be launched.

Dunayev said Titov, 41, and Manarov, 37, will return to Earth from Mir Dec. 21 after a full year aloft, an endurance record that will dwarf the 84-day American record but one that falls far short of what will be required for a manned flight to Mars in the next century. Soviet space officials said the long stays are aimed at gathering data about the psychological and physiological effects of prolonged exposure to weightlessness. A 21st century trip to Mars would take about 30 months  for a roundtrip, so the data also will assist in improving orbiting stations like Mir. (Deseret News, November 12, 1988)

November 13: SOVIETS PLAN SECOND TRY TO LAUNCH BURAN
Two Soviet cosmonauts broke a 326-day record for endurance in space Saturday, and the official news agency Tass announced that a second try to launch the Soviet Space Shuttle will take place Tuesday (Nov. 15). The first attempt to launch the shuttle Buran, on Oct. 29, ended 51 seconds before scheduled liftoff when a piece of equipment on the launch pad failed to move away from the unmanned craft.

Tass said the two cosmonauts on the space station Mir - flight commander Vladimir Titov, 41, and engineer Musa Manarov, 37 - broke last year's record established by colleague Yuri Romanenko. Titov and Manarov were reported healthy with only small changes in their weight and muscle measurements. Scientists worry about atrophy when humans spend long periods in zero gravity in space using just a fraction of their strength.

The Buran Space Shuttle is due to lift off at 6 a.m. Tuesday (8 p.m. MST Monday). If the unmanned double orbit is successful, officials will begin planning routine flights with a crew, Tass said. However, Soviet authorities said the Buran and its sister ships will shoot off into space "no more than two to four times a year." Tass did not clarify whether that meant each shuttle would fly only four times a year or whether the entire fleet would make just four flights a year.

Alexander I. Dunayev, director of the Soviet commercial space agency Glavkosmos, said several shuttles are under construction. The Soviets have not said how many shuttles they plan to build. But they will continue to use simpler, less expensive rockets to put satellites into orbit and save the shuttles for repair and hauling cargo to the Mir space station.

Buran will circle the Earth twice on its first flight and land at a specially constructed runway back at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Soviet Kazakhstan in Central Asia. "The cause of the delay has now been eliminated and the Energiya system with the Buran orbiter is undergoing pre-launch preparations," Tass reported.

The two cosmonauts on the space station Mir - Titov and Manarov - will get some company for their last month in orbit when two Soviet colleagues and a Frenchman join them Nov. 26, Tass said. On Dec. 21, Titov and Manarov will end their year in space by flying home with the French cosmonaut, leaving their two Soviet colleagues in space. The U.S. record for the longest manned mission is 84 days, set in 1973 by astronauts Gerald Carr, Edward Gibson and William Pogue aboard space station Skylab. (Deseret News, November 13, 1988)

November 15: UNMANNED BURAN ORBITS EARTH TWICE
The Soviet Space Shuttle Buran orbited the Earth twice Tuesday and landed eight miles from its launch pad in Soviet Central Asia, ending with flawless precision its unmanned 3-hour, 25-minute maiden flight. The mission was a major success for the Soviet space program after a series of problems that included the near loss of cosmonauts on a joint Soviet-Afghan mission to the Mir space station in September.

The Buran, "snowstorm" in Russian, touched down on a 2.8-mile concrete runway with a puff of dust from its rear wheels and rolled to a halt as three parachutes opened at its rear. "The USSR has successfully tested its first reusable spacecraft Buran," official Radio Moscow said, interrupting regular programming two minutes after touchdown. The flight originally was scheduled for Oct. 29, but that countdown was stopped by computers with only 51 seconds left when an access arm failed to pull far enough away from the rocket. Officials said they had since redesigned the joint.

Within 30 minutes of Tuesday's landing, Soviet television showed the fully automated approach and touchdown of the delta-winged U.S. shuttle look-alike in the middle of the barren, brown steppe. Radio Moscow said the flight, which had been in jeopardy because of cold, rainy weather, went according to schedule, and all on-board tests were completed. Pointing to the January 1986 explosion of the U.S. shuttle Challenger, which killed its seven crew members, Soviet officials say they will not make a manned flight until all the shuttle's systems are fully tested in unmanned flight. They have not said when that might be.

Buran separated as planned from the liquid fuel Energiya booster minutes after it lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in a flame of yellow, with clouds of white steam lighting up the early morning sky. About three-quarters of an hour later, Buran's own engines fired twice at an altitude of 99 miles, nudging the craft into its two orbits.

Television film shot from a jet aircraft showed the shuttle's dark silhouette against a pale blue-gray sky as it approached the landing site, then switched to closer shots as the shuttle landed like an aircraft. The official Tass news agency said as it prepared to re-enter the atmosphere, the shuttle turned its tail forward and switched on a retrofire engine. At an altitude of 24 miles, the craft turned again and began its approach like an airplane. The weather service in Moscow reported that it had been raining in Baikonur three hours before the launch and the temperature was 39 degrees. The weather at the exact launch time was not known. Soviet television said the launch was in jeopardy because of rising wind and the danger of ice coating the shuttle and its booster. U.S. officials will not launch the American Space Shuttle if there is ice on the booster rocket or orbiter. Cold temperatures contributed to the failure of booster rocket seals that led to the Challenger disaster, which halted the U.S. space shuttle program for 2 1/2 years.

Soviet space officals have said their ability to control the shuttle entirely from the ground makes it safer than the U.S. Space Shuttle program. And after the Soviet shuttle program begins in earnest, fully automated ground control will allow cosmonauts more time for scientific research, they say.

The United States flew its first shuttle, the Columbia, in 1981, and for years the Soviets criticized the craft as wasteful and unreliable. But Western space specialists say the Soviets began planning and building their space plane in 1982 at the latest. Tass said Buran is 36 yards long and has a wing span of 24 yards. Like the U.S. shuttle, it is covered with 38,000 heat-proof ceramic tiles. (Deseret News, November 15, 1988)

Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, after hearing of the success of Buran, says the shuttle’s flight is “one more confirmation of the kind of huge possibilities the Soviet Union has to solve any problem. NASA Administrator Fletcher releases a statement congratulating the Soviets on their first-ever shuttle launch. The statement reads, “NASA congratulates the Soviets on the successful flight of their Space Shuttle. It is a major technological accomplishment.” (Countdown, February 1989)

[Ares67]

[Ares67]

[Ares67]

[Ares67]