Dan Brandenstein
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‘Significant Tug’: Remembering the Shuttle Drag Chute, 30 Years On
Thirty years ago this summer, NASA began flight-testing the shuttle’s drag chute system. It would go on to make each shuttle landing immeasurably safer. More
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Of Frogs and Princes: Remembering Shuttle Mission 51G, OTD in 1985
Thirty-five years ago today, on 17 June 1985, a spacecraft roared aloft with a crew representing the largest number of nations ever flown into space and carrying the largest load of satellites ever put into space at that time by a crewed vehicle. Aboard veteran shuttle Discovery for Mission 51G—the fourth of nine flights undertaken […] More
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in SpaceAt Its Best: Remembering STS-32, Thirty Years On
Thirty years ago, in January 1990, the Space Shuttle turned a corner. Long touted as a vehicle capable of regular sorties into low-Earth orbit and having captured and repaired satellites to the delight and astonishment of the world, its career was forever dented by the tragic loss of Challenger and the painful years of introspection […] More
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Baptism of Fire: 25 Years Since the Dramatic Rescue Mission of STS-49 (Part 2)
Twenty-five years ago, today, on 7 May 1992, Space Shuttle Endeavour launched into orbit on her maiden voyage, a dramatic nine-day flight to retrieve the errant Intelsat 603 communications satellite and reboost it into geosynchronous orbit. STS-49 Commander Dan Brandenstein led an experienced team, consisting of spacewalkers Pierre Thuot, Rick Hieb, Kathy Thornton and Tom […] More
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in Space, Endeavour, space shuttleThrowback to the Good Old Days: 25 Years Since the Dramatic Rescue Mission of STS-49 (Part 1)
“Ready. Ready. Grab!” The words of Rick Hieb echoed through the silent Mission Control Center (MCC) at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas. More
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Astronaut Scholarship Foundation to Honor 35th Anniversary of First Shuttle Missions
Thirty-five years ago, this summer, NASA worked around the clock to process the first reusable orbital manned spacecraft for something which had never previously been attempted. For two decades, U.S. astronauts had journeyed to and from space aboard single-use ballistic capsules, but in the summer of 1981 Space Shuttle Columbia had wrapped up a smooth […] More
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in AmericaSpace, Space, Ben Evans, astronaut
‘The Sultans of Space’: 30 Years Since the Multi-Cultural Mission of STS-51G (Part 2)
Thirty years ago, on 17 June 1985, the seven-strong crew of the 18th shuttle mission rocketed into orbit with a cargo of three commercial communications satellites, a free-flying astronomical observatory, the oldest woman yet to travel into space, and representatives of no fewer than three discrete nations—the United States, France, and Saudi Arabia—packed aboard Discovery. […] More
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in AmericaSpace, Space, Ben Evans, astronaut
‘The Sultans of Space’: 30 Years Since the Multi-Cultural Mission of STS-51G (Part 1)
Three decades ago, on 17 June 1985, the seven-strong crew of the 18th shuttle mission rocketed into orbit with a cargo of three commercial communications satellites, a free-flying astronomical observatory, the oldest woman yet to travel into space, and representatives of no fewer than three discrete nations—the United States, France, and Saudi Arabia—packed aboard Discovery. […] More
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Top Ten US EVA Missions of All Time: No. 7—’We’ve Got a Satellite!’
“Ready. Ready. Grab!” The words of Rick Hieb echoed through the silent Mission Control Center (MCC) at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas. The view through Space Shuttle Endeavour’s aft flight deck windows on the evening of 13 May 1992 was quite different from anything ever seen before. Not only was this the […] More
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in AmericaSpace, Shuttle, Space, Ben Evans, Endeavour
‘Big Mental Switch’: Remembering Shuttle Endeavour’s Maiden Voyage (Part 2)
More than two decades ago, on 7 May 1992, the last virgin space shuttle speared for the heavens. Orbiter Vehicle (OV)-105, better known as “Endeavour,” had arisen from a set of structural spares and had been assembled to replace her late sister, Challenger. With the possible exception of Columbia—which flew the very first shuttle mission in […] More
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in AmericaSpace, Shuttle, Space, Ben Evans, Endeavour
‘Where We Either Succeeded or Failed’: Remembering Shuttle Endeavour’s Maiden Voyage (Part 1)
“Ready. Ready. Grab!” The words of Rick Hieb echoed through the silent Mission Control Center (MCC) at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas. More
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in NASA, AmericaSpace, Spaceflight, Shuttle, Space, KSC, Kennedy Space Center, Space Exploration, Ben Evans, Columbia, astronaut, space shuttle, Launch, Exploration, low earth orbit, Launch Complex 39
Dawn of an Era: Remembering Shuttle Columbia’s Maiden Launch
Thirty-four years ago, today, on 12 April 1981, the first winged orbital space vehicle carrying human pilots was launched from Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. Aboard Columbia for STS-1—the long-awaited maiden voyage of the shuttle era—were Commander John Young and Pilot Bob Crippen, tasked with spending two days evaluating the performance […] More
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