Been a long time since I've done one of these. ;-) About time I started it back up!
Today is the anniversary of STS-41C. On April 6, 1984, Challenger blasted off on the first ever satellite repair mission. The crew captured the crippled Solar Max satellite, repaired it, and released it back into space. The mission was also the first to carry IMAX cameras into space, and also tested the Manned Maneuvering Unit. There was a harbinger of trouble on this mission: the starboard SRB experienced significant erosion of the O-ring on the nozzle joint (farther aft than the joint that leaked on STS-51L). NASA analyzed the burn-through data and concluded that since it hadn’t caused a problem on this flight, the worst they’d have to worry about was off-center thrust from leaking gasses. They’d learn they were wrong less than two years later.
I clearly remember watching the resulting IMAX documentary, "The Dream Is Alive", at the McKnight Omnitheater at the Science Museum of Minnesota. It was very cool. ;-)
Today Pioneer 11 is 36. Launched April 6, 1973, Pioneer 11 became the second probe to visit Jupiter, the second probe to use a gravity assist (its older brother Pioneer 10 was the first in both instances), and then went on to become the first probe to visit Saturn. Pioneer 11 science operations ceased September 30, 1995 due to declining RTG power output, at which time it was 44.7 AU from the Sun, receding at a rate of 2.5 AU/year. As it is on a solar escape trajectory, it will never return to us.
Today is the anniversary of STS-41C. On April 6, 1984, Challenger blasted off on the first ever satellite repair mission. The crew captured the crippled Solar Max satellite, repaired it, and released it back into space. The mission was also the first to carry IMAX cameras into space, and also tested the Manned Maneuvering Unit. There was a harbinger of trouble on this mission: the starboard SRB experienced significant erosion of the O-ring on the nozzle joint (farther aft than the joint that leaked on STS-51L). NASA analyzed the burn-through data and concluded that since it hadn’t caused a problem on this flight, the worst they’d have to worry about was off-center thrust from leaking gasses. They’d learn they were wrong less than two years later.
I clearly remember watching the resulting IMAX documentary, "The Dream Is Alive", at the McKnight Omnitheater at the Science Museum of Minnesota. It was very cool. ;-)
Today Pioneer 11 is 36. Launched April 6, 1973, Pioneer 11 became the second probe to visit Jupiter, the second probe to use a gravity assist (its older brother Pioneer 10 was the first in both instances), and then went on to become the first probe to visit Saturn. Pioneer 11 science operations ceased September 30, 1995 due to declining RTG power output, at which time it was 44.7 AU from the Sun, receding at a rate of 2.5 AU/year. As it is on a solar escape trajectory, it will never return to us.
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram