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| Shuttle cutaway Shuttle cutaway showing deployment of LDEF Credit: NASA. 32,921 bytes. 529 x 269 pixels. |
| astronautix.com | Columbia |
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| Shuttle cutaway Shuttle cutaway showing deployment of LDEF Credit: NASA. 32,921 bytes. 529 x 269 pixels. |
Columbia, the oldest orbiter in the Shuttle fleet, is named after the sloop that accomplished the first American circumnavigation of the globe. The first U.S. Navy ship to circle the globe bore that title, as did the command module for Apollo 11, the first lunar landing mission.
The spaceship was the first Space Shuttle to fly into Earth orbit in 1981. Four sister ships joined the fleet over the next 10 years: Challenger, arriving in 1982 but destroyed four years later; Discovery, 1983; Atlantis, 1985; and Endeavour, built as a replacement for Challenger, 1991. A test vehicle, the Enterprise, was used for suborbital approach and landing tests and did not fly in space. Empty Weight was 158,289 lbs at rollout and 178,000 lbs with main engines installed.
 | Shuttle Orbiter - Shuttle Orbiter 2 view Credit: © Mark Wade. 4,696 bytes. 402 x 425 pixels. |
Craft.Crew Size: 8. Design Life: 16 days. Orbital Storage: 30.00 days. Total Length: 37.2 m. Maximum Diameter: 23.8 m. Total Habitable Volume: 71.50 m3. Total Mass: 104,328 kg. Total Payload: 21,190 kg. Total Propellants: 21,600 kg. Total RCS Impulse: 954,000.00 kgf-sec. Primary Engine Thrust: 24,213 kgf. Main Engine Propellants: N2O4/MMH. Main Engine Isp: 316 sec. Total spacecraft delta v: 700 m/s. Electric system: 14.00 total average kW. Electric System: 6,000.00 total kWh. Electrical System: Fuel Cells.
 | Shuttle Landing Credit: NASA. 24,373 bytes. 474 x 298 pixels. |
Upgrades and Features
Columbia was the first on-line orbiter to undergo the scheduled inspection and retrofit program. It was transported August 10, 1991, after its completion of mission STS-40, to prime Shuttle contractor Rockwell International's Palmdale, California assembly plant. The oldest orbiter in the fleet underwent approximately 50 modifications, including the addition of carbon brakes, drag chute, improved nose wheel steering, removal of development flight instrumentation and an enhancement of its thermal protection system. The orbiter returned to KSC February 9, 1992 to begin processing for mission STS-50 in June of that year.
Construction Milestones
07/26/72 Contract Award
06/04/74 Start structural assembly of Crew Module
09/13/76 Start structural assembly of aft-fuselage
08/26/77 Wings arrive at Palmdale from Grumman
11/07/77 Start of Final Assembly
04/23/78 Completed Final Assembly
03/08/79 Rollout from Palmdale
03/12/79 Overland transport from Palmdale to Edwards
03/25/79 Delivery to Kennedy Space Center
02/20/81 Flight Readiness Firing
04/12/81 First Flight (STS-1)
 | Shuttle cutaway - Shuttle cutaway showing deployment of LDEF Credit: NASA. 86,297 bytes. 1057 x 537 pixels. |
Two major directions were identified for manned space flight in the next decade. These were further exploration of the Moon, with possibly the establishment of a lunar surface base, and the continued development of manned flight in Earth orbit, leading to a permanent manned space station supported by a low-cost shuttle system. To maintain direction, the following key milestones were proposed: 1972 - AAP operations using a Saturn V launched Workshop 1973 - Start of post-Apollo lunar exploration 1974 - Start of suborbital flight tests of Earth to orbit shuttle - Launch of a second Saturn V Workshop 1975 - Initial space station operations - Orbital shuttle flights 1976 - Lunar orbit station - Full shuttle operations 1977 - Nuclear stage flight test 1978 - Nuclear shuttle operations-orbit to orbit 1979 - Space station in synchronous orbit By 1990 - Earth orbit space base - Lunar surface base - Possible Mars landing
 | STS-1 - Detailed drawing of STS-1 Columbia Credit: NASA. 58,292 bytes. 612 x 456 pixels. |
Start long-lead fabrication aft fuselage, Columbia (OV-102)
Start long-lead fabrication of crew module, Columbia (OV-102)
 | STS-1 - STS 1 Shuttle Columbia firing main engines Credit: NASA. 29,157 bytes. 620 x 412 pixels. |
Start final assembly and closeout system installation, Palmdale, Columbia (OV-102)
 | STS-1 - Launch view of the Columbia for the STS-1 mission, April 12, 1981 Credit: NASA. 24,110 bytes. 340 x 474 pixels. |
Complete final assembly and closeout system installation, ready for power-on, Columbia (OV-102)
Forward payload bay doors on dock, Palmdale, Columbia (OV-102)
Complete mate forward and aft payload bay doors, Columbia (OV-102)
 | STS-1 - Launch view of the Columbia for the STS-1 mission, April 12, 1981 Credit: NASA. 15,524 bytes. 342 x 330 pixels. |
 | STS-1 - Launch view of the Columbia for the STS-1 mission, April 12, 1981 Credit: NASA. 27,907 bytes. 340 x 475 pixels. |
Shuttle carrier aircraft/Columbia (OV-102) test flight at NASA Edwards
Ferry flight, shuttle carrier aircraft/Columbia (OV-102) from Edwards to Biggs Army Air Base, El Paso, Texas (3 hours, 20 minutes)
Ferry flight, shuttle carrier aircraft/Columbia (OV-102) from Biggs Army Air Base to Kelly AFB, San Antonio, Texas (1 hr, 39 min)
Ferry flight, shuttle carrier aircraft/Columbia (OV-102) from Kelly AFB to Eglin AFB, Fla. (2 hours, 12 minutes)
 | STS-1 - Space Shuttle orbiter Columbia on approach for landing Edwards Air Force Base Credit: NASA. 18,381 bytes. 588 x 261 pixels. |
Ferry flight, shuttle carrier aircraft/Columbia (OV-102) from Eglin AFB to KSC (1 hour, 33 minutes)
Deliver right-hand OMS/RCS from McDonnell Douglas, St. Louis, to KSC, Columbia (OV-102)
Deliver left-hand OMS/RCS from McDonnell Douglas to KSC, Columbia (OV-102)
In late 1977 shuttle orbital missions were due to start in 1979. The orbiting Skylab space station was not expected to decay until 1983. A plan to save Skylab was developed. In Phase 1a small Skylab Reboost Module would be docked to Skylab on the second Shuttle flight. This would boost the station to a higher orbit for later use, and also provide the capability of deorbiting the station into empty ocean if the decision was taken to abandon it. Astronauts Haise and Lousma were selected for this flight, and development of the reboost module was begun. But it was not to be. Aside from intense resistance from some factions at NASA headquarters, higher solar activity resulted in heavier than predicted drag on Skylab. The shuttle program also was hit with delays. Before the first shuttle flew, Skylab burned up in the atmosphere and crashed into the Australian outback on July 11, 1979. Additional Details: STS-2A.
 | STS-1 - Aerial ground views of the Columbia sitting on the Lakebed Runway Credit: NASA. 29,284 bytes. 622 x 365 pixels. |
First flight of Space Transportation System (aka Space Shuttle).. Payloads: Development Flight Instrumentation and Aerodynamic Coefficient Identification Package. Additional Details: STS-1.
 | STS-2 - Space shuttle Columbia being lowered down toward the solid rocket boosters Credit: NASA. 22,807 bytes. 348 x 477 pixels. |
Manned two crew. Payloads: Office of Space Science (OSS) experiments, Monodisperse Latex Reactor (MLR), Electro-phoresis Verification Test (EEVT), Plant Lignification Experiment. First and only landing by a shuttle at White Sands, New Mexico, after weather at Edwards did not permit landing there. Additional Details: STS-3.
 | STS-2 - Space Shuttle Columbia OV (101) launching from pad 39A begining STS-2 Credit: NASA. 44,220 bytes. 619 x 447 pixels. |
Manned two crew. Fourth space shuttle test flight. Payloads: Induced Environment Contamination Monitor (IECM), Monodisperse Latex Reactor (MLR), Continuous Flow Electrophoresis System (CFES), Development Flight Instrumentation (DFl), Orbiter Experiments (OEX), first NASA getaway special (GAS), Night/Day Optical Survey of Lightning (NOSL) experiment, Vapor Phase Compression (VPC) freezer heat exchanger dynamics for freezing samples, Aerodynamic Coefficient Identification Package (AClP) experiment. Additional Details: STS-4.
 | STS-2 - View of the Columbia's open payload bay and the Canadian RMS Credit: NASA. 47,243 bytes. 626 x 477 pixels. |
Manned four crew. First mission to deploy commercial communications satellites (SBS 3, Anik C3). Payloads: : Satellite Business Systems (SBS)-C with Payload Assist ; (PAM)-D; Telesat-E (Canadian communications satellite) with PAM-D. Monodisperse Latex Reactor (MLR), Continuous Flow Electrophoresis System (CFES), three getaway specials (GAS), Student experiments, GLOW experiment, Vestibular experiment, Oxygen Interaction With Materials experiment. Additional Details: STS-5.
 | STS-2 - Views of STS-2 Columbia landing at Edwards Air Force Base, California Credit: NASA. 19,568 bytes. 506 x 287 pixels. |
Carried ESA Spacelab. Payloads: Payload: Spacelab-1 experiments, habitable Spacelab and pallet, carried 71 experiments. The six-man crew was divided into two 12-hour-day red and blue teams to operate experiments. First high-inclination orbit of 57 degrees. Additional Details: STS-9.
 | STS-3 - Night firing of orbiter Columbia's thrusters Credit: NASA. 9,406 bytes. 547 x 287 pixels. |
Planned EOM-1/2 shuttle mission. Cancelled due to payload delays.
 | STS-3 - View of the Columbia's aft section while over Morocco's Atlantic Coast Credit: NASA. 35,048 bytes. 487 x 473 pixels. |
Planned Astro-1 shuttle mission. Cancelled after Challenger disaster.
 | STS-4 - View of the Columbia's RMS arm and end effector grasping IECM Credit: NASA. 32,809 bytes. 441 x 469 pixels. |
Planned shuttle mission for deployment of commercial communications satellites. Cancelled after Challenger disaster.
 | STS-9 - Launch of STS-9 Space Shuttle Columbia Credit: NASA. 41,860 bytes. 621 x 469 pixels. |
Planned Astro-2 shuttle mission. Cancelled after Challenger disaster.
Planned shuttle mission for deployment of commercial communications satellites. Cancelled after Challenger disaster.
Planned Astro-3 shuttle mission. Cancelled after Challenger disaster.
 | STS-9 - View of the Spacelab module in the payload bay of the Columbia during STS-9 Credit: NASA. 43,071 bytes. 484 x 395 pixels. |
 | STS-9 - Post landing view of the Columbia on runway with deservicing vehicles & crew Credit: NASA. 14,914 bytes. 611 x 239 pixels. |
 | STS-61-C - Piece of thermal insulation tile floats near the Shuttle Columbia Credit: NASA. 30,937 bytes. 514 x 464 pixels. |
 | STS-61-C - The SATCOM Ku-1 commuications satellite deployed from Columbia Credit: NASA. 31,969 bytes. 479 x 474 pixels. |
 | STS-61-C - Night landing of Shuttle Columbia at Edwards AFB and end of STS 61-C mission Credit: NASA. 43,233 bytes. 571 x 275 pixels. |
 | STS-28 - STS-28 Columbia, OV-102, Pilot Richards adjusts LES before bailout exercises Credit: NASA. 21,060 bytes. 280 x 374 pixels. |
 | STS-28 - STS-28 Columbia, OV-102, lifts off from KSC Launch Complex (LC) Pad 39B Credit: NASA. 15,156 bytes. 411 x 441 pixels. |
 | STS-28 - STS-28 Columbia, OV-102, Pilot Richards at forward flight deck pilots station Credit: NASA. 61,628 bytes. 620 x 441 pixels. |
Carried USMP-2, OAST-2, SAMPIE, TES, EISG. Payloads: United States Microgravity Payload (USMP) 2, Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology (OAST) 2, Dexterous End Effector (DEE), Shuttle Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet/A (SSBUV/A), Limited-Duration Space Environment Candidate Material Exposure (LDCE), Advanced Protein Crystal Growth (APCG), Physiological Systems Experiment (PSE), Commercial Protein Crystal Growth (CPCG), Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus (CGBA), Auroral Photography Experiment Phase B (APE-B), Middeck Zero-Gravity Dynamics Experiment (MODE), Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS) Calibration Test, Bioreactor Demonstration System A. Additional Details: STS-62.
 | STS-28 - STS-28 Columbia, OV-102, MS Brown juggles food containers on middeck Credit: NASA. 67,881 bytes. 622 x 435 pixels. |
Carried IML-2; microgravity, biology experiments. Payloads: International Microgravity Laboratory (IML) 2, Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment (OARE), Commercial Protein Crystal Growth (CPCG), Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS), Military Applications of Ship Tracks (MAST), Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment (SAREX). Additional Details: STS-65.
 | STS-28 - STS-28 Columbia, OV-102, MS Brown uses ARRIFLEX camera on aft flight deck Credit: NASA. 53,061 bytes. 591 x 440 pixels. |
Carried USML-2 for microgravity experiments (attached to Columbia). Payloads: United States Microgravity Laboratory (USML) 2, Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment (OARE). Additional Details: STS-73.
 | STS-28 - STS-28 Columbia, OV-102, landing at Edwards Air Force Base (EAFB) California Credit: NASA. 16,068 bytes. 614 x 234 pixels. |
Carried TSS-1R tether satellite; satellite tether broke during deployment, making TSS-1R an unintentional free flyer
Payloads: Tethered Satellite System (TSS) Reflight (1R); Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment (OARE) (part of United States Microgravity Payload 3); USMP-3; Commercial Protein Crystal Growth (CPCG) 09, Block IV; Middeck Glovebox Experiment (MGBX) (part of USMP-3). During the deployment of TSS, the tether broke and the satellite was lost. Additional Details: STS-75.
 | STS-28 - STS-28 MS Adamson inspects Columbia's, OV-102's, thermal protection system Credit: NASA. 43,667 bytes. 512 x 470 pixels. |
Carried Life and Microgravity Spacelab; human biological and microgravity experiments. Landed KSC July 7. Additional Details: STS-78.
 | STS-32 - Air-to-air view of STS-32 Columbia, OV-102, liftoff and SRB separation Credit: NASA. 10,844 bytes. 279 x 459 pixels. |
The launch of STS-83, the first Microgravity Science Laboratory (MSL-1) mission, was postponed for a day to replace some insulation around a water coolant line in Columbia's payload bay. Liftoff was further delayed 20 minutes due to anomalous oxygen readings in the orbiter's payload bay. STS-83 was cut short due to a problem with one of the three fuel cells that provide electricity and water to Columbia (flight rules required that all three must be operating). At 14:30 GMT on April 6 the crew were ordered to begin a Minimum Duration Flight (MDF). On April 8 the OMS engines ignited at 17:30 GMT for the deorbit burn, and Columbia landed on Runway 33 at Kennedy Space Center at 18:33 GMT.
With delays in International Space Station construction leaving ample room in the shuttle schedule, NASA made the unique decision to leave the equipment installed in Columbia and refly this mission with the same crew later in 1997 as STS-94. Additional Details: STS-83.
STS-94 was the reflight, with the same equipment and crew, of the curtailed STS-83 mission. Cargo Bay Payloads:
In-Cabin Payloads: SAREX, MSX
The mission this time went for its full two week duration and the crew completed the full list of experiments. The deorbit burn was on July 17, 1997 at 09:44 GMT and Columbia landed on KSC's Runway 33 at 10:46:34 GMT. Additional Details: STS-94.
OV-102 Columbia was launched on a microgravity science mission. Spartan 201 was released a day late on November 21. However the satellite did not start its automatic orientation maneuver because the crew failed to send it the correct commands prior to release.
Spartan was recaptured by hand, during a spacewalk by Takao Doi and Winston Scott on November 25. Tests of space station tools went well, but the free-flying Sprint camera subsatellite was not deployed due to lack of time.
NASA decided not to redeploy Spartan on this mission. During an EVA on Dec 3, Doi and Scott carried out more tests of the Space Station crane. They also deployed the AERCam/Sprint 'football' remote-controlled camera for a free flight in the payload bay.
Columbia landed on December 5, with a deorbit burn at 11:21 GMT. Touchdown was at 12:20 GMT at Kennedy Space Center. Additional Details: STS-87.
Retrieved Spartan free-flier. Tested EVA tools and techniques.
Tested tools and techniques for extravehicular activity.
Columbia rolled out to pad 39B on March 23. Payloads:
The Neurolab mission was managed by NASA-Johnson at Houston, unlike earlier Spacelab flights which were NASA-Marshall/Huntsville's responsibility. Landed at Kennedy Space Center May 3 1998.
STS-93 was first rolled out to pad 39B on June 7 1999. The Chandra/IUS-27 vehicle was placed in the payload canister on June 19. The first launch attempt was on July 20, but controllers aborted the launch at T-6 seconds, just before main engine ignition, due to a data spike in hydrogen pressure data. This was determined to be due to a faulty sensor and a second attempt was on July 22. A lightning storm prevented launch during the 46 minute window, and the launch was again scrubbed. Finally the vehicle lifted off the pad on July 23, but five seconds after launch a short in an electrical bus brought down two of the three main engine controllers. Backup controllers took over, but a further failure on the backup controller bus would have resulted in engine shutdown and the first ever attempt at an RTLS (Return To Launch Site) abort. To further complicate matters engine 3 (SSME 2019) had a hydrogen leak throughout the ascent, causing the engine to run hot. Controllers sweated as temperatures neared redline. The hot engine�s controller compensated as programmed by using additional liquid oxygen propellant. The final result was that the shuttle ran out of gas - main engine cut-off (MECO) was at 04:39 GMT, putting Columbia into a 78 km x 276 km x 28.5 degree transfer orbit. Columbia was 1,700 kg short of oxygen propellant and 5 meters/sec slower than planned. The OMS-2 engine burn at 05:12 GMT circularised the orbit 10 km lower than planned.
The orbiter payload bay contained only the Chandra spacecraft, the IUS, and the IUS tilt tableTthe following payloads were carried in the shuttle�s cabin: STL-B (Space Tissue Loss), CCM (Cell culture module), SAREX-II (Shuttle Amateur Radio Experiment), EarthKam, PGIM (Plant Growth Investigations in Microgravity), CGBA (Commercial Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus), MEMS (Micro-electric Mechanical System), and BRIC (Biological Research in Canisters) and SWUIS (the Southwest Ultraviolet Imaging System, an 0.18-m UV telescope to be used for airglow and planetary observations); GOSAMR (the Gelation of Sols: Applied Microgravity Research experiment) and LFSAH, the Lightweight Flexible Solar Array Hinge. MSX and SIMPLEX experiments were also to be carried out.
Chandra/IUS-27 was deployed from Columbia at 11:47 GMT July 23. Flight duration was limited; this was the heaviest shuttle (122,534 kg) and heaviest payload (19,736 kg) to that date. Columbia landed at 03:20 GMT on July 28 on runway 33 at Kennedy Space Center. Post-flight inspection found the presence of holes in the cooling lines on the nozzle of SSME 2019 (engine 3) which caused a hydrogen leak. A loose repair pin in the engine broke free and caused the failure. The cause of the short was found to be chaffed wiring inside the shuttle. The entire fleet was grounded for inspection and replacement of wiring as necessary.
Replaced all six of the gyroscopes on Hubble.
Installed in the Hubble space telescope a new 486/25 mhz computer and replaced Fine Guidance Sensor FGS-2.
Completed part of the installation of new insulation to the Hubble space telescope. The rest was deferred to the next servicing mission.