'All You See Are Red Lights': 25 Years Since Columbia's Dramatic Aborted Launch Attempt

By Ben Evans, on March 25th, 2018

Columbia’s engines flare to life on 22 March 1993, a quarter-century ago, this week, in the third Redundant Set Launch Sequencer (RSLS) abort of the shuttle program. Photo Credit: NASA

A quarter-century ago, in March 1993, shuttle Columbia stood ready on Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida, awaiting liftoff on […]

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'Because I'm Scared to Death': 25 Years Since the Shortened Mission of STS-44 (Part 2)

By Ben Evans, on November 27th, 2016

Fred Gregory leads the STS-44 crew out of the Operations & Checkout (O&C) Building at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), 25 years ago, this week. Photo Credit: NASA, via Joachim Becker/SpaceFacts.de

Twenty-five years ago, this week, what should have been the third-longest space shuttle mission of its time—and the longest Department of Defense piloted […]

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'Not a Dysfunctional Family': 25 Years Since the Shortened Mission of STS-44 (Part 1)

By Ben Evans, on November 26th, 2016

The Defense Support Program (DSP) satellite, attached to is Boeing-built Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) booster, is deployed from Atlantis’ payload bay at the beginning of the STS-44 mission. Photo Credit: NASA

A quarter-century has now elapsed since a space shuttle mission was forced to come home early, having already lost its original commander and […]

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'Those Are Beautiful Shoes': Celebrating Independence Day in Space (Part 1)

By Ben Evans, on July 2nd, 2016

On 4 July 1982, the crew of STS-4 became the first U.S. astronauts to spend Independence Day in space. It also marked the date of their spectacular return to Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Photo Credit: NASA

On the morning of 4 July 1982, a rapidly moving, black and white speck appeared on the […]

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'Short-Lived Record': 20 Years Since the Record-Setting Mission of STS-78 (Part 2)

By Ben Evans, on June 19th, 2016

 

Launched 20 years ago, this week, STS-78 still holds the record for the shortest interval between the announcement and execution of a Spacelab mission. It was designed to bridge the gulf between the twilight of the Spacelab era and the dawn of a long-duration research capability aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Photo […]

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'Man, I'm Here': 20 Years Since the Record-Setting Mission of STS-78 (Part 1)

By Ben Evans, on June 18th, 2016

Created as a “bridge” between the final Spacelab flights and the beginning of research aboard the International Space Station (ISS), the Life and Microgravity Spacelab (LMS) offered a nod to past and future. Photo Credit: NASA, via Joachim Becker/SpaceFacts.de

Two decades ago, this week, International Space Station (ISS) research began in earnest, even though […]

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