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99-582: The OBSS was introduced to the shuttle fleet with STS-114 , the "Return to Flight" mission executed by Discovery , and was flown on every mission after that until the retirement of the Space Shuttle fleet in 2011. It was used to inspect the shuttle for damage to the heat shield, officially called the Thermal Protection System (TPS), that could jeopardize the shuttle during re-entry. The decision to perform focused inspections of

198-541: A Laser Dynamic Range Imager (LDRI) to detect problems with the shuttle's Thermal Protection System (TPS). The crew scanned the leading edges of the wings, the nose cap, and the crew compartment for damage, as well as other potential problem areas engineers wished to inspect based on video taken during lift-off. STS-114 was classified as Logistics Flight 1. The flight carried the Raffaello Multi-Purpose Logistics Module , built by

297-470: A V-1 flying-bomb-style weapon that never left the drawing board, the track found use after the war as a test area for V-2 rockets captured from Nazi Germany in Operation Paperclip . Later, Lt. Col. John Stapp appropriated the track for his MX981 project and installed what was believed to be one of the most powerful mechanical braking systems ever constructed. His deceleration tests led

396-540: A fourth spacewalk were cancelled. This timeline is a summary. For a more detailed timeline, see NASA Timeline of Significant Mission Events Archived September 8, 2006, at the Wayback Machine . NASA began a tradition of playing music to astronauts during the Gemini program , which was first used to wake up a flight crew during Apollo 15 . Each track is specially chosen, often by their families, and usually has

495-401: A gap filler was the likely cause of the high temperatures observed during this re-entry. Protruding gap fillers were also seen on STS-73 . A further in-flight repair was considered to remove or clip a damaged thermal blanket located beneath the commander's window on the port side of the orbiter. Wind tunnel testing by NASA determined that the thermal blanket was safe for re-entry, and plans for

594-533: A high plateau at Edwards. By the time the base was officially designated the U.S. Air Force Flight Test Center in June 1951, more than 40 different types of aircraft had first taken flight at the base and the nation's first generation of jet-powered combat airplanes had already completed development. One of them, the North American F-86 Sabre , was dominating the skies over Korea. The promise of

693-544: A large piece of debris separated from the Protuberance Air Load (PAL) ramp, which is part of the external tank. The debris was thought to have measured 36.3 by 11 by 6.7 inches (922 by 279 by 170 mm) – and to weigh about 0.45 kilograms (0.99 lb), or half as much as the piece of foam blamed for the loss of Columbia . The debris piece did not strike any part of the Discovery orbiter. Images of

792-625: A methodical fashion to answer largely theoretical questions. Then, as now, the great bulk of flight testing at Muroc focused on evaluations of the capabilities of aircraft and systems proposed for the operational inventory. In December 1949, Muroc was renamed Edwards Air Force Base in honor of Captain Glen Edwards (1918–1948), who was killed a year earlier in the crash of the Northrop YB-49 Flying Wing. During World War II , he flew A-20 Havoc light attack bombers in

891-458: A mixing of hot and cold air, which could have a major effect on the shuttle temperature. The decision to make the repair balanced the risks of the EVA with the risks of leaving the protruding gap fillers as they were. It is thought that gap filler protrusions of a similar magnitude were present on previous missions, but were not observed in-orbit. Consideration was also given to the risks of elements of

990-482: A month later, Major Chuck Yeager topped this record as he piloted the second-generation Bell X-1A to a top speed of Mach 2.44 (2,989 km/h; 1,857 mph) and, just nine months later, Major Arthur "Kit" Murray flew the same airplane to a new altitude record of 90,440 feet (17.129 mi; 27.57 km). These records stood for less than three years. In September 1956, Captain Iven Kincheloe became

1089-616: A new aviation record by piloting the first non-stop, around-the-world flight on a single tank of fuel in the Rutan Voyager . Extensive aviation research was also conducted on the ground at Edwards. Two rocket sled tracks pioneered important developments and research for the Air Force. The first 2,000-foot (610 m) track was built by Northrop in 1944 near what is currently the North Base. Originally intended to help develop

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1188-653: A number of modifications to the OBSS, now known as the Enhanced ISS Boom Assembly, including the addition of a Power Data and Grapple Fixture which enables mating to the robotic arm on the end of the boom with a Canadarm2 -compatible grapple fixture to favor station use. The boom was stowed on the ISS S1 Integrated Truss Structure on the fourth spacewalk of STS-134 on May 27, 2011. The OBSS sensors were disconnected during

1287-599: A peak altitude of 74,494 feet (14.1087 mi; 22.706 km). Then, in 1953, Marine Corps test pilot, Lieutenant Colonel Marion Carl , flew the same plane to an altitude of 83,235 feet (15.7642 mi; 25.370 km). On 20 November 1951, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics' Scott Crossfield became the first man to reach Mach 2 as he piloted the Skyrocket to a speed of Mach 2.005 (2,456.2 km/h; 1,526.2 mph). Less than

1386-599: A pivotal role in the development of systems that would provide the United States with true intercontinental power projection capabilities as it tested aircraft such as the B-52 Stratofortress , C-133 Cargomaster and KC-135 Stratotanker , as well as the YC-130 Hercules which served as the basis for a classic series of tactical transports that would continue in frontline service until well into

1485-554: A replica of a Japanese cruiser, nicknamed " Muroc Maru ", was constructed in Rogers Dry Lake where it was used for bombing training until 1950. With the end of the war, Fourth Air Force relinquished command of Muroc Army Airfield on 16 October 1945 and jurisdiction was transferred to Air Technical Service Command , becoming Air Materiel Command in 1946. Test work on the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star

1584-471: A search for a new, isolated site where a "Top Secret" airplane could undergo tests "away from prying eyes." The urgent need to complete the P-59 program without delay dictated a location with good, year-round flying weather, and the risks inherent in the radical new technology to be demonstrated on the aircraft dictated a spacious landing field. After examining a number of locations around the country, they selected

1683-585: A single accident and, though the aircraft did not prove to be combat worthy, the successful conduct of its test program, combined with the success of the Lockheed XP-80 program which followed it in early 1944, sealed the future destiny of the remote high desert installation. Muroc would thenceforth become synonymous with the cutting edge of the turbojet revolution in America. Aircraft testing continued at this desert "Army Air Base", then on 8 November 1943,

1782-605: A site along the north shore of the enormous, flat surface of Rogers Dry Lake about six miles away from the training base at Muroc. Ground tests began five days after the first XP-59 arrived on 21 September 1942. First flight took place on 30 September when the XP-59 rose to 10 feet (3.0 m) altitude for 0.5 miles (0.80 km) during taxi testing. However, the first official flight was 1 October 1942 with NACA, Navy Bureau of Aeronautics, Royal Air Force , Army, Bell and General Electric personnel on hand. As with virtually all of

1881-524: A special meaning to an individual member of the crew, or is applicable to their daily activities. On flight day 10, the entire STS-114 crew, and the crew of Expedition 11 gathered to wish Rick Husband's son Matthew a happy birthday. Rick Husband was the commander of Columbia on STS-107 . We know it's still August third down there on the planet Earth, and from the Shuttle Discovery we would like to say "Happy birthday" to Matthew Husband, who

1980-524: A testing site for experimental airplanes. The success of these programs attracted a new type of research activity to the base in late 1946. The rocket-powered Bell X-1 was the first in a long series of experimental airplanes designed to prove or disprove aeronautical concepts—to probe the most challenging unknowns of flight and solve its mysteries. Further evidence of things to come was experienced on 14 October 1947 when Captain Charles "Chuck" Yeager flew

2079-399: A vehicle's design life). Since the gap fillers are not necessary for re-entry, it was acceptable to simply pull them out. An overview of the situation, including procedures for dealing with the protrusions, were sent electronically to the crew and printed aboard the shuttle. The crew were also able to watch uploaded videos of NASA personnel on the ground demonstrating the repair techniques. Both

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2178-524: Is ten years old today. And Houston, that wake-up music sure makes me think of Rick Husband's mom, who lives in Amarillo, so we'd like to say "Hi" to Mrs. Husband, too. Since the loss of Columbia in STS-107 , it had been suggested that on future shuttle missions there would be a planned rescue capability involving having a second shuttle ready to fly at short notice. Even prior to the sensor problem causing

2277-497: Is the Laser Camera System (LCS) and a digital camera (IDC). The sensors can record at a resolution of a few millimeters, and can scan at a rate of about 2.5 inches (64 mm) per second. It is also fitted with handrails, so that the boom could be used to provide spacewalkers with access to the shuttle's underbelly in case in-flight repairs were required. During STS-120 the OBSS was used as an extension boom for

2376-627: Is the home of the Air Force Test Center , Air Force Test Pilot School , and NASA 's Armstrong Flight Research Center . It is the Air Force Materiel Command center for conducting and supporting research and development of flight, as well as testing and evaluating aerospace systems from concept to combat. It also hosts many test activities conducted by America's commercial aerospace industry. Notable occurrences at Edwards include Chuck Yeager 's flight that broke

2475-517: The B-2 Spirit bomber represented third-generation stealth technology, following the SR-71 and F-117. The 1980s also saw Edwards host a demonstration of America's space warfare capabilities when a highly modified F-15 Eagle launched an ASM-135 anti-satellite missile at the dead P78-1 (or Solwind) satellite and destroyed it. In 1986, Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager launched from Edwards to set

2574-553: The International Space Station . However, the major focus of the mission was testing and evaluating new Space Shuttle flight safety techniques, which included new inspection and repair techniques. The crewmembers used the new Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS) – a set of instruments on a 50 feet (15 m) extension attached to the Canadarm . The OBSS instrument package consists of visual imaging equipment and

2673-834: The Italian Space Agency , as well as the External Stowage Platform -2, which was mounted to the port side of the Quest Airlock. They deployed MISSE 5 to the station's exterior, and replaced one of the ISS's Control Moment Gyroscopes (CMG). The CMG was carried up on the LMC (Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier) at the rear of the payload bay, together with the TPS Repair Box. The crew conducted three spacewalks while at

2772-485: The North African campaign on 50 hazardous, low-level missions against German tanks, convoys, troops, bridges, airfields, and other tactical targets. Edwards became a test pilot in 1943 and spent much of his time at Muroc Army Air Field, on California's high desert, testing wide varieties of experimental prototype aircraft. He died in the crash of a Northrop YB-49 flying wing near Muroc AFB on 5 June 1948. From

2871-477: The shock waves from the noses of the solid rocket boosters and the external fuel tank. The other, in a different location where there is a wider gap between tiles, simply functions to reduce the gap size between tiles, which in turn reduces heat transfer to the shuttle. Even without this filler NASA did not expect the increased heat to cause a problem during reentry (it is present to avoid a level of heating which would only be problematic if experienced many times over

2970-743: The sound barrier in the Bell X-1 , test flights of the North American X-15 , the first landings of the Space Shuttle , and the 1986 around-the-world flight of the Rutan Voyager . A water stop on the Santa Fe Railroad since 1882, the site was largely unsettled until the early 20th century. In 1910, Ralph, Clifford and Effie Corum built a homestead on the edge of Rogers Dry Lake . The Corums proved instrumental in attracting other settlers and building infrastructure in

3069-720: The 1960s, the T-38 Talon , B-52H Stratofortress , F-4 and RF-4 Phantom II , the F-111 and FB-111, C-141 Starlifter and C-5 Galaxy , all became mainstays in the USAF operational inventory. Another aircraft gained world fame in the late 1960s at Edwards: the Lockheed YF-12A , a precursor to the SR-71 Blackbird , shattered nine records in one day of testing at Edwards. The SR-71's full capabilities remain classified, but

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3168-542: The 21st century. It also supported the development of the extremely high-altitude and long-range Lockheed U-2 and the dazzling ultra-performance capabilities of the B-58 Hustler , the world's first Mach 2 bomber. Throughout the 1950s, American airplanes regularly broke absolute speed and altitude records at Edwards, but nothing compared to the arrival of the North American X-15 in 1961. The program got under way in earnest in 1961 when Maj. Robert M. "Bob" White became

3267-587: The 4144th Air Force Base Unit was re-designated as the 2759th AF Base Unit and with the adoption of the Hobson Plan , as the 2759th Experimental Wing. With the X-1, flight testing at Muroc began to assume two distinct identities. Highly experimental research programs—such as the X-3, X-4, X-5 and XF-92A—were typically flown in conjunction with the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, or NACA, and were conducted in

3366-592: The 78th and 81st Fighter Groups. In 1943, the 360th Fighter Group and 382d Bombardment Groups were assigned permanently to Muroc for P-38 Lightning and B-24 Liberator Replacement Training (RTU) of personnel. In the spring of 1942, the Mojave Desert station was chosen as a secluded site for testing America's first jet, the super-secret Bell Aircraft P-59 Airacomet jet fighter. The immense volume of flight tests being conducted at Wright Field, in Ohio, helped drive

3465-655: The B-52 synthetic fuel program , the C-17 Globemaster III , and many prototype unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Edwards is among the few U.S. military bases to have gained jobs since the Cold War. Under the DoD's Base Realignment and Closure process, several smaller bases have been decommissioned, and their facilities and responsibilities have been sent to Edwards, China Lake , and other large bases. During 2012,

3564-549: The Center at the time of activation were the 6510th Air Base Wing for station support units. The test flying units at Edwards were assigned directly to the AFFTC . That same year, the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School moved to Edwards from Wright Field, Ohio. Its curriculum focused on the traditional field of performance testing and the relatively new field of stability and control, which had suddenly assumed critical importance with

3663-581: The EVA, and are not designed to withstand thermal conditions outside the ISS without power to keep them warm. However, the modification of the grapple fixture could enable such equipment to be mounted onto the OBSS in the future. STS-114 STS-114 was the first "Return to Flight" Space Shuttle mission following the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster . Discovery launched at 10:39 EDT (14:39 UTC ) on her 31st flight on July 26, 2005. The launch, 907 days (approx. 29 months) after

3762-620: The Expedition 7 crew to the ISS and bring home the Expedition 6 crew. The original crew was to be: STS-114 marked the return to flight of the Space Shuttle after the Columbia disaster and was the second Shuttle flight with a female commander (Eileen Collins, who also commanded the STS-93 mission). The STS-114 mission was initially to be flown aboard the orbiter Atlantis , but NASA replaced it with Discovery after improperly installed gear

3861-724: The Leuhman Ridge east of Rogers Dry Lake on Edwards AFB. Construction began in November 1949 on what was to become the Experimental Rocket Engine Test Station. Jurisdiction of Edwards AFB was transferred from Air Materiel Command on 2 April 1951 to the newly created Air Research and Development Command . Activation of the Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC) followed on 25 June 1951. Units designated and assigned to

3960-597: The Muroc Bombing and Gunnery Range, Muroc Lake, California, was designated as a separate post (Exempted Status). The name of the facility at the time was "Army Air Base, Muroc Lake." In July 1942, Muroc Army Airfield became a separate airfield from March Field and was placed under the jurisdiction of Fourth Air Force . Throughout the war years, the primary mission at Muroc was providing final combat training for bomber and fighter aircrews just before overseas deployment. Among its sub-bases and auxiliaries were: Muroc

4059-524: The Persian Gulf conflict of the early 90s. The Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night, or LANTIRN, system revolutionized air-to-ground combat operations during the same conflict by denying opposing forces the once comforting sanctuary of night. The late 1980s also witnessed the arrival of the first giant flying wing to soar over the base in nearly 40 years. The thin silhouette, compound curves and other low-observable characteristics of

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4158-659: The Raptor, the F-22A continues to undergo test and evaluation at Edwards. A new group of research projects came to Edwards in the 1990s. Global Hawk , an unmanned aerial vehicle that has been used extensively in Afghanistan and Iraq, made its first flight at Edwards in February 1998. The X-24, X-33, X-34, X-36 and X-38, a series of new lifting bodies, technology demonstrators and half-scale models were tested here by NASA during

4257-612: The Russian Space Corporation Energia , was reported by Pravda as saying: "If necessary, we will be able to bring home nine astronauts on board three Soyuz spacecraft in January and February of the next year". Edwards Air Force Base Edwards Air Force Base ( AFB ) ( IATA : EDW , ICAO : KEDW , FAA LID : EDW ) is a United States Air Force installation in California . Most of

4356-468: The Space Shuttle landed follows the route that hosted racing in the 1930s. The first major aerial activity occurred at Muroc in 1937 when the entire Army Air Corps participated in a large-scale maneuver. From then on, the bombing range grew in size. When Arnold became Chief of the Air Corps in 1938, the service was given a renewed focus on research and development . Muroc Field drew attention because

4455-532: The TPS was prompted by the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster , in which Columbia was destroyed due to damage inflicted to its TPS during launch. The OBSS was central to focused inspections of the TPS, not only because it carried all the instruments necessary for detailed measurements and observations, but also because without it, the Canadarm was too short to reach to all the areas that needed to be surveyed. The boom

4554-585: The X-15 Program, AFFTC and NASA also teamed up to explore a new concept called "lifting reentry" with a series of wingless lifting body aircraft. These rocket powered-vehicles – the M2-F2, M2-F3, HL-10, X-24A and X-24B – paved the way for the Space Shuttle and future spaceplane designs when they demonstrated that they could make precision landings after high-speed gliding descents from high altitude. The major aircraft systems that were tested and developed during

4653-407: The afternoon of 7 December 1941 , the 41st Bombardment Group and the 6th Reconnaissance Squadron moved to Muroc from Davis-Monthan Army Airfield , Arizona , with a collection of B-18 Bolos , B-25 Mitchells , and an A-29 Hudson . On Christmas Eve, the 30th Bombardment Group and the 2d Reconnaissance Squadron arrived from New Orleans Army Airbase , Louisiana , for crew training. On 23 July 1942,

4752-522: The area, and when a post office was commissioned for the area, they named it Muroc, a reversal of the Corum name, due to the presence of a town named Coram. Conscious that March Field was located in an area of increasing growth in Riverside County , and with the need for bombing and gunnery ranges for his units, base and 1st Wing commander Lieutenant Colonel Henry H. "Hap" Arnold began

4851-610: The base sits in Kern County , but its eastern end is in San Bernardino County and a southern arm is in Los Angeles County . The hub of the base is Edwards, California . Established in the 1930s as Muroc Field , the facility was renamed Muroc Army Airfield and then Muroc Air Force Base before its final renaming in 1950 for World War II USAAF veteran and test pilot Capt. Glen Edwards . Edwards

4950-548: The base title was changed to "Muroc Army Air Field, Muroc". In the fall of 1944, Eighth Air Force ran tests to determine how well conventional fighters stood up against jets. Also, in October 1944, a small detachment arrived at the base for experimental work in rocket firing and achieved such success that they remained through most of 1945. Other World War II test flights included the Northrop JB-1 Bat . In 1943,

5049-516: The contractor's reports, this preliminary evaluation consisted of a very limited number of flights and was essentially completed within a month. Formal operational suitability and accelerated service tests did not get underway until 1944, well after the AAF had decided that the airplane would not be suitable for combat operations and would, instead, be relegated to a training role. The P-59s were tested at Muroc from October 1942 through February 1944 without

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5148-524: The cracks that resulted in foam loss. NASA official Wayne Hale formally apologized to the Michoud workers who had been blamed for the loss of Columbia for almost three years. On the third EVA of the mission, two areas on the underside of the shuttle where photographic surveying identified protruding gap fillers were dealt with. According to NASA, the gap fillers, which each serve different purposes, are not required for reentry. One filler prevents "chattering" of tiles during ascent, which would occur due to

5247-429: The decade. The new millennium brought new projects with worldwide impact. The X-35A and X-32A, competing models for the Joint Strike Fighter program, made their first flights in September and October 2000. The X-35A won the competition in 2001 and will eventually be built in various versions for America's flying armed services and for foreign air forces as well. Also new are the RQ-4 Global Hawk , YAL-1 Airborne Laser ,

5346-525: The delay in the launch, a rescue option (called STS-300 by NASA) had been planned, which involved the crew of STS-114 remaining docked at the International Space Station until Atlantis could be launched with a four-person crew to retrieve the astronauts. Discovery would then be ditched by remote control over the Pacific Ocean, with Atlantis bringing back both its own crew, as well as that of Discovery . A further option for rescue would be to use Russian Soyuz spacecraft . Nikolay Sevastyanov , director of

5445-424: The desert. For the next two years aircraft shuttled back and forth between Muroc Dry Lake and March Field for Crew Bombing Practice. At this time, another colorful character in Edwards' history, Pancho Barnes , built her renowned Rancho Oro Verde Fly-Inn Dude Ranch that would be the scene of many parties and celebrations to come. The dry lake was a hive of hot rodding, with racing on the playa. The runway on which

5544-454: The development of a new subsonic attack aircraft that was designated the F-117A Nighthawk. The capabilities of existing aircraft such as the F-15 and F-16 have been continually refined and expanded, even as totally new aircraft and systems incorporating radical new technologies are developed for future operational use. The dual-role F-15E, for example, was developed in the 1980s and went on to demonstrate truly remarkable combat effectiveness in

5643-458: The dramatic increases in speed offered by the new turbojets. As the decade opened, the first-generation X-1 reached Mach 1.45 (1,776 km/h; 1,104 mph) and a 71,902 feet (13.6178 mi; 21.916 km) altitude, representing the edge of the envelope. The D-558-II Douglas Skyrocket soon surpassed these marks. In 1951, Douglas test pilot Bill Bridgeman flew the Skyrocket to a top speed of Mach 1.88 (2,303 km/h; 1,431 mph) and

5742-435: The duration of the shuttle program. Shuttles landed at Edwards as recently as 9 August 2005 ( STS-114 ), 22 June 2007 ( STS-117 ), 30 November 2008 ( STS-126 ), 24 May 2009 ( STS-125 ), and 11 September 2009 ( STS-128 ) due to rain and ceiling events at the KSC Shuttle Landing Facility . STS-126 was the only mission to land on temporary runway 04 at Edwards, as the refurbished main runway was operational from STS-119 through to

5841-412: The earliest the next shuttle could launch is September 22, 2005, but that's only "if next week, the guys have an Aha! effect on the foam and spot why this big chunk came off." Later in August, it became clear that a September launch date would not be possible, and that the earliest date for the next launch would be in March 2006. However, because Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast , the next launch

5940-439: The external tank taken after separation from the orbiter show multiple areas where foam insulation was missing. Around 20 seconds later, a smaller piece of foam separated from the ET and apparently struck the orbiter's right wing. Based on the mass of the foam, and the velocity at which it would have struck the wing, NASA estimated it only exerted one-tenth the energy required to cause potential damage. Laser scanning and imaging of

6039-429: The first man to exceed Mach 4, as he accelerated to Mach 4.43 (5,427 km/h; 3,372 mph) on 7 March. He claimed Mach 5 just three months later when he pegged a speed of Mach 5.27 (6,456 km/h; 4,012 mph) on 23 June and then, during the X-15's first full-powered flight on 9 November, he exceeded Mach 6, as he flew to a speed of Mach 6.04 (7,399 km/h; 4,598 mph). Major White also became

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6138-458: The first man to fly an airplane in space when he climbed to 314,750 feet (59.612 mi; 95.94 km) on 17 July 1962. NASA's Joe Walker flew the airplane to its peak altitude of 354,200 feet (67.08 mi; 108.0 km) on 22 August 1963 and Maj William J. "Pete" Knight reached Mach 6.72 (8,232 km/h; 5,115 mph) in the modified X-15A-2 on 3 October 1967, a speed that remains the highest ever attained in an airplane. In addition to

6237-417: The first man to soar above 100,000 feet (19 mi; 30 km), as he piloted the Bell X-2 to a then-remarkable altitude of 126,200 feet (23.90 mi; 38.5 km). Flying the same airplane just weeks later on 27 September, Captain Mel Apt became the first to exceed Mach 3 (3,700 km/h; 2,300 mph), accelerating to a speed of Mach 3.2 (3,920 km/h; 2,440 mph). His moment of glory

6336-481: The front underside of the shuttle would be inspected and dealt with during the third spacewalk of the mission. The spacewalk was conducted on the morning of August 3. Robinson easily removed the two fillers with his fingers. Later on the same day, NASA officials said that they were looking closely at a thermal blanket located next to the commander's window on the port side of the orbiter. Published reports on August 4, 2005, said that wind tunnel testing had demonstrated that

6435-419: The landing until the next day, then moved it to Edwards Air Force Base in California, where Discovery touched down at 08:11EDT (05:11 am PDT, 12:11 UTC). Around 2.5 seconds after lift-off, a large bird struck near the top of the external fuel tank, and appeared in subsequent video frames to slide down the tank. NASA did not expect this to hurt the mission because it did not hit the orbiter, and because

6534-407: The launch footage showed debris separating from the external tank during ascent; this was of particular concern because it was the issue that had set off the Columbia disaster. As a result, NASA decided on July 27 to postpone future shuttle flights pending additional modifications to the flight hardware. Shuttle flights resumed a year later with STS-121 on July 4, 2006. This mission was to carry

6633-424: The loss of Columbia , was approved despite unresolved fuel sensor anomalies in the external tank that had prevented the shuttle from launching on July 13, its originally scheduled date. The mission ended on August 9, 2005, when Discovery landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Poor weather over the Kennedy Space Center in Florida hampered the shuttle from using its primary landing site. Analysis of

6732-413: The nearby dry lake was so flat (Arnold described it as "level as a billiard table") that it could serve as a giant runway, ideal for flight testing. Over US$ 120 million was spent to develop the base in the 1940s and expand it to 301,000 acres (470 sq mi; 1,220 km ). The base's main 15,000-foot (4,600 m) runway was completed in a single pour of concrete. Download coordinates as: On

6831-404: The orbiter was safe to re-enter with the billowed blanket. On July 30, 2005, NASA announced that STS-114 would be extended for one day, so that Discovery' s crew could help the ISS crew maintain the station while the shuttle fleet was grounded. The extra day was also used to move more items from the shuttle to the ISS, as uncertainty mounted during the mission as to when a shuttle would next visit

6930-420: The press to nickname him the "fastest man on earth" and the "bravest man in the Air Force". The results from the first track prompted the Air Force to build a second in 1948. Located just south of Rogers Lake, the 10,000-foot (1.9 mi; 3.0 km) track was capable of supersonic speeds. Its first project was the development of the SM-62 Snark cruise missile . This track was so successful that an extension

7029-540: The procedure which would involve the ISS arm being used to carry Stephen K. Robinson below the shuttle, possibly the use of a sharp tool which had the potential to damage the EVA suit or shuttle tiles. The possibility of making things worse by attempting a repair was given serious consideration. Cameras on the shuttle arm and on Robinson's helmet were used to monitor the activities under the shuttle. Protruding gap fillers had been identified as an issue on previous flights, notably STS-28 . A post-flight analysis identified that

7128-486: The process of acquiring land next to Muroc Dry Lake for a new bombing range away from populated areas in August 1932; the last tract was not acquired until 1939. The facility established to support the range, initially called "Mohave Field" for the nearby community of Mohave , was Muroc Field. In October 1935, five men under a Sergeant Folgleman were sent to the area from March Field. They put out circular bombing targets in

7227-468: The prophecy concerning the ever-increasing importance of systems testing and integration. Moreover, another major new element of complexity was soon introduced into the flight test process. At a remote location in 1978 and 1979, an AFFTC test pilot and a pair of flight test engineers were engaged in proof-of-concept testing with Lockheed's "low-observable" technology demonstrator, dubbed "Have Blue." The successful completion of those tests led immediately to

7326-609: The records set on 1 May 1965 included a sustained speed of 2,070 miles per hour (3,330 km/h) and an altitude of 80,257 feet (15 mi; 24 km). New aircraft types arrived in the 1970s: the F-15 Eagle with its advanced engine and fire-control system; the single-engine F-16 Fighting Falcon with its revolutionary "fly-by-wire" flight control system; and the B-1 Lancer with its multitude of highly sophisticated offensive and defensive systems. These planes more than bore out

7425-519: The retirement of the shuttles. The end of the Cold War was marked by the arrival of the YF-22A and the YF-23A . The two prototype fighters were the first airplanes to blend stealth with agility and high-speed, supersonic cruise capability. The YF-22A was selected to become the Air Force's new advanced tactical fighter after a brief demonstration and validation risk reduction flight test program. Now named

7524-470: The shuttle was serviced before relaunch, were important factors in its selection and it continued to serve as the primary landing area for the space shuttle until 1991. After that time, Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida was favored. This saved the considerable cost of transporting the shuttle from California back to Florida, but Edwards AFB and White Sands Space Harbor continued to serve as backups for

7623-547: The small bullet-shaped airplane to become the first human to exceed the speed of sound. Four months later, on 10 February 1948, Muroc AAF was re-designated Muroc Air Force Base with the establishment of the United States Air Force as a separate military service. Units attached or assigned to the base at the time were the 4144th Army Air Force Base Unit, the 3208th Strategic Bomb Test Squadron along with communications and weather detachments. On 20 August 1948,

7722-464: The space station's Canadarm2 , something it was never designed to do. During this mission the P6 solar array had become damaged during the redeploy. Canadarm2 grabbed the arm on its center Flight-Releasable Grapple Fixture and then astronaut Scott E. Parazynski was mounted at the end of the boom to make the repair. Because Canadarm2 was unable to power the OBSS, it was without power many hours more than it

7821-550: The station. The first demonstrated repair techniques on the Shuttle's Thermal Protection System. During the second, the spacewalkers replaced the failed gyroscope. On the third, they installed the External Stowage Platform and repaired the shuttle, the first time repairs had been carried out during a spacewalk on the exterior of a spacecraft in flight. On August 1, it was announced that protruding gap fillers on

7920-482: The station. The orbiter's arrival also gave the nearly 200-ton space station a free altitude boost of about 4,000 feet (1,200 m). The station loses about 100 feet (30 m) of altitude a day. The shuttle hatch was closed the night before it undocked from the ISS. After undocking, the shuttle flew around the station to take photos. Atmospheric reentry and landing was originally planned for August 8, 2005, at Kennedy Space Center , but unsuitable weather postponed

8019-472: The test programs conducted during the war years, most of the actual flight test work on the P-59 was conducted by the contractor. Although Army Air Forces (AAF) pilots flew the aircraft from time to time, and flight test engineers from Wright Field reviewed the data, the formal preliminary military test and evaluation program did not commence until the Fall of 1943, a year after the first flight. Designed to validate

8118-497: The tile to cause the damage. The damaged tile was inspected further when the images from the umbilical camera were downloaded on day three. Engineers requested that this area be inspected by the OBSS , and flight managers scheduled the operation for July 29, 2005. This represented the only known possible damage to Discovery that could have posed a risk during re-entry. At 127.1 seconds after liftoff, and 5.3 seconds after SRB separation,

8217-462: The time Edwards Air Force Base was named, speed and altitude records began to pile up as new aircraft were developed and the base started to build and branch out significantly. A major reason for the growth of Edwards AFB was the nearness of West Coast aircraft manufacturers. However, another major reason was the decision in 1947 to build a missile test facility on the base. The need for a static missile faculty to test high-thrust missile rocket engines

8316-463: The turbojet revolution and the supersonic breakthrough were realized in the 1950s, as the Center tested and developed the first generation of true supersonic fighters—the famed "Century Series" F-100 Super Sabre , F-101 Voodoo , F-102 Delta Dagger , F-104 Starfighter , F-105 Thunderchief and F-106 Delta Dart , and, in the process, defined the basic speed and altitude envelopes for fighter aircraft that still prevail to this day. The Center also played

8415-419: The vehicle was traveling relatively slowly at the time. A small fragment of thermal tile, estimated to be around 1.5 inches (38 mm) in size, was ejected from an edge tile of the front landing gear door at some point before SRB separation. A small white area appeared on the tile as the piece detached, and the loose shard could be seen in a single frame of the video. It is unknown what object (if any) struck

8514-415: The videos and 12-page procedure document were also made publicly available via NASA's website. During the third EVA, both fillers were successfully removed with less than a pound of force and without the need to use any tools. Stephen K. Robinson gave a running commentary of his work: "I'm grasping it and I'm pulling it and it's coming out very easily" ... "It looks like this big patient is cured". If it

8613-556: The wing by the OBSS did not reveal any damage. On July 27, 2005, NASA announced that it was postponing all Shuttle flights until the foam loss problem could be resolved. As with Columbia , NASA at first believed that workers' improper installation and handling of the external tanks at the Michoud Assembly Facility in Louisiana caused the foam loss on Discovery . NASA Administrator Michael Griffin stated that

8712-592: Was carried to altitude by the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) and released. In all, 13 test flights were conducted with the Enterprise and the SCA to determine their flight characteristics and handling. After Space Shuttle Columbia became the first shuttle launched into orbit on 12 April 1981, it returned to Edwards for landing. The airbase's immense lakebeds and its proximity to Plant 42 , where

8811-512: Was constructed, and on 13 May 1959, the full 20,000-foot (3.8 mi; 6.1 km) track was opened. After the Navy had conducted research on the UGM-27 Polaris ballistic missile , the track was used to develop ejection seats that could be used at supersonic speeds. Though this program was a success, a budgetary review concluded that the track was too expensive to maintain, and the track

8910-456: Was decommissioned on 24 May 1963. Before it was closed, a trial run set a world speed record of Mach 3.3 (4,040 km/h; 2,510 mph) before the test car broke up. After it closed, the rails were pulled up to help straighten Lancaster Boulevard. After President Richard M. Nixon announced the Space Shuttle program on 5 January 1972, Edwards was chosen for Space Shuttle orbiter testing. The prototype Space Shuttle Enterprise

9009-461: Was delayed further. With the destruction suffered by Michoud and NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi due to Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent flooding, the launch of the next shuttle mission ( STS-121 ) was further delayed until July 4, 2006. In December 2005 x-ray photographs of another tank showed that thermal expansion and contraction during filling, not human error, caused

9108-400: Was designed to handle, but because it was heated up considerably before the start of the repair it stayed undamaged. Due to the benefits for spacewalkers from the extended range provided by connecting an OBSS to the International Space Station (ISS)'s robotic arm, NASA implemented a plan for STS-134 to leave its OBSS behind on the ISS, where it would permanently remain. The plan resulted in

9207-536: Was essentially the same design as the Canadarm itself, except that the articulatory joints are fixed. OBSS arms for the three remaining orbiters were manufactured relatively quickly, primarily because some spare parts for the Canadarm system were used. Two instrumentation packages are installed at the far end of the OBSS. Sensor package 1 consists of the Laser Dynamic Range Imager (LDRI) and an Intensified Television Camera (ITVC). Sensor package 2

9306-477: Was first envisioned in 1946 by the Power Plant Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base . It was that decision that such a facility should be government-owned to prevent a single contractor exclusive advantages on Air Force contracts for high-thrust missile rocket power plants, and it would eliminate duplication of like facilities by different manufacturers. The choice of location in 1947 was

9405-655: Was found in Atlantis ' Rudder Speed Brake system. During OMM for Discovery , an actuator on the RSB system was found to be installed incorrectly. This created a fleet wide suspect condition. The Rudder Speed Brake system was removed and refurbished on all three remaining orbiter vehicles, and since Discovery 's RSB was corrected first, it became the new Return to Flight vehicle, superseding Atlantis . Seventeen years prior, Discovery had flown NASA's previous Return to Flight mission, STS-26 . The STS-114 mission delivered supplies to

9504-508: Was initially used for IV Bomber Command Operational Unit training. The B-25 Mitchell 41st and 30th Bombardment Groups and the A-20 Havoc 47th Bombardment Groups trained at the station in early 1942. The training provided newly graduated pilots eight to 12 weeks of training as a team using the same aircraft they would use in combat. In 1942, the training mission was transferred to IV Fighter Command , with P-38 Lightning OTU training for

9603-450: Was not possible to pull the fillers out, then the protruding sections could have been simply cut off. The gap fillers were made of a cloth impregnated with ceramic – they were stiff and could be easily cut with a tool similar to a hacksaw blade. Protruding gap fillers were a problem because they disrupted the normally laminar air flow under the orbiter during reentry, causing turbulence at lower speeds. A turbulent air flow would result in

9702-467: Was the primary mission of the base for the greater part of the fall of 1945. The Consolidated Vultee XP-81 single-seat, long-range escort fighter and Republic XP-84 Thunderjet fighter arrived at the base in early 1946 for flight testing. It was obvious even at this embryonic stage of base development that the Army Air Force desert station was destined to become a proving ground for aircraft and

9801-454: Was tragically brief, however. Just seconds after attaining top speed, the X-2 tumbled violently out of control and Apt was never able to recover. With the loss of the X-2, the search for many of the answers to the riddles of high-Mach flight had to be postponed until the arrival of the most ambitious of the rocket planes—the North American X-15 . Meanwhile, the turbojet revolution had reached

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