STS-3 Landing and Medical Questions

[georgeniebling]

I just looked at the video for the STS-3 landing and I'd forgotten about how the hose "reared-up" on them.<br /><br />Would the Orbiter have had enough energy to resume flight for a moment (ie., rear wheel lift off) had the nose not come back down?<br /><br />What would have happened had the nose continued up and the "skid plate" (for lack of correct term) protecting the SSME's made contact?<br /><br />Did the crew (Lousma or Fullerton) fly again?<br /><br />Was there found to be any problem with the water (the crew suspected such and stopped consuming it leading to the dehydration issue).

 

[adzel_3000]

<br />I remember that landing! I think they referred to it as a "flare-out."<br /><br />Lousma did not fly again, but he was in a sense winding down his career (he had served aboard Skylab).<br /><br />Fullerton was a mission commander for STS-51F back in '85.<br /><br />The "skid plate" is actually the elevon and is a key control surface for the shuttle. It would have been damaged had it continued backward. I do not think the shuttle would have been airborne again. At 100 tons it did not have the airspeed when the flare happened.<br /><br />--A3K