Author Topic: Columbia Open House, March 1979 (Read 12543 times)

psloss · « **on:** 02/12/2006 08:17 pm »

OK, finally got 'round to getting a scanner. Here are three from the set...

Cheers,

Philip Sloss

Stowbridge · « **Reply #1 on:** 02/12/2006 10:12 pm »

Great images and rare to see her so young. 1979? Was she at KSC then or still at Palmdale?

psloss · « **Reply #2 on:** 02/12/2006 10:29 pm »

This was the Rockwell open house in Palmdale just before she was moved over to Edwards for ferry to KSC.

jjnodice · « **Reply #3 on:** 02/12/2006 11:08 pm »

Philip,

WOW! Fantastic pics. Comparing those with the ones I posted at Eglin, Columbia lost a LOT of tiles on that trip across country! Ironic that she did the same thing on her final mission...

Does someone know why so many fell off? Inexperience with them? What changed in the technique/process to make them stay on better?

Thanks again for sharing them!

Jason

norm103 · « **Reply #4 on:** 02/12/2006 11:11 pm »

wasent it that the bond they were using wasint working or some thing like that

psloss · « **Reply #5 on:** 02/12/2006 11:11 pm »

Yeah, my Dad got some good shots...couple more. I'll scan a few more that show the other side of the nose when I have time.

SRBseparama · « **Reply #6 on:** 02/13/2006 12:44 am »

Beautiful in her own way. Look how gleaming her OMS and read RCS is!

Jim · « **Reply #7 on:** 02/13/2006 01:50 am »

Quote

SRBseparama - 12/2/2006 7:44 PM

Beautiful in her own way. Look how gleaming her OMS and read RCS is!

Those were fake OMS pods, which were just for transport. It recieved the flight ones at KSC

Tahii · « **Reply #8 on:** 02/13/2006 07:04 am »

Thought they looked too shiny - no tiles on them.

Yep, I saw them and thought "oooo, shiny!" too

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #9 on:** 02/13/2006 10:16 am »

Well the aft looks like its got its SSME shield on, ready for transport on the SCA - that might account for some of it.

Greats pics.

SimonShuttle · « **Reply #10 on:** 02/13/2006 11:11 am »

Beautiful!

Hotol · « **Reply #11 on:** 02/13/2006 12:16 pm »

Also note the lack of thermal blankets on the front, nose/windows area.

Heather · « **Reply #12 on:** 02/13/2006 12:51 pm »

It's great to see history like this. What surprises me is this was 27 years ago, before I was born!

Doesn't seem to be that long ago when looking at a Shuttle orbiter.

Hotol · « **Reply #13 on:** 02/13/2006 02:01 pm »

Yes, that is a stunning thing to note.

STS Tony · « **Reply #14 on:** 02/13/2006 03:55 pm »

Did they have the addesive problem with the TPS before or after she was shipped to KSC? I remember there was a good year or so delay to STS-1 because of it.

norm103 · « **Reply #15 on:** 02/13/2006 05:50 pm »

before thats why she when with so many off and why they fell off.

Tahii · « **Reply #16 on:** 02/13/2006 06:25 pm »

Quote

Heather - 14/2/2006 12:51 AM

It's great to see history like this. What surprises me is this was 27 years ago, before I was born! Doesn't seem to be that long ago when looking at a Shuttle orbiter.

Eek! You just reminded me of that too. Thats quite freaky.

David AF · « **Reply #17 on:** 02/13/2006 10:19 pm »

Quote

STS Tony - 13/2/2006 10:55 AM

Did they have the addesive problem with the TPS before or after she was shipped to KSC? I remember there was a good year or so delay to STS-1 because of it.

Both I believe.

Jamie Young · « **Reply #18 on:** 02/13/2006 11:26 pm »

I'm thinking it might be after she got to KSC, after all, why would they fly her on the back of a SCA when she's got tiles falling off

Wouldn't want to be under her flight path when ferried.

jjnodice · « **Reply #19 on:** 02/14/2006 12:13 am »

Quote

Jamie Young - 13/2/2006 6:26 PM

I'm thinking it might be after she got to KSC, after all, why would they fly her on the back of a SCA when she's got tiles falling off Wouldn't want to be under her flight path when ferried.

It was during the ferry flight that tiles fell off. The trip across the US took a lot longer than most other flights. It was delayed several times and made several overnight stops in El Paso, San Antonio, and the Florida Panhandle before landing at KSC.

See this thread to see what it looked like the day before she arrived at KSC:

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=1420&posts=36

You are right about not wanting to be underneath those tiles. I always wondered where all those tiles went???