Thursday, April 10, 1980
Technical problems delay shuttle's blastoff
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University Daily Kansan
By DON MUNDAY
Staff Reporter
A plucky little spacecraft named Columbia, the size of a DC-10 jet airliner, is sitting this spring inside a hangar at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, weighing 119 miles above Florida.
By next spring, however, the space shuttle Columbia should be peering down on the bright blue ball of Earth, marking the first landing of a mission that captured space flight after a decade's hardship.
The shuttle was originally intended to operate on the Moon in 1970s the program was right on schedule. But the last few years brought a number of problems in developing new technology, including space debris.
WALTERS VISITED THE shuttle facilities at Cape Canaveral last month to observe the progress of the trouble-ridden shuttle program.
Officially, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is still hoping to have the first space shuttle flight as soon as possible. NASA has hired a committee, as well as Robert Walters, the manager of research facilities at KU's Applied Physics Laboratory, as a spring 1981 launch is more realistic.
"NASA still says there's a slim chance for a November launch," Walters said. "However, there's every likelihood that it early放 again until probably next year."
Among the biggest of these problems have been the heat-shield tiles for the exterior of the shuttle and the testing of its engines.
The heat-shield tiles have had to be specially designed for the orbiter, the part of the shuttle that will carry astronauts and that looks like an airplane. Unlaunch the
orbiter is strapped piggyback on a silo-sized fuel tank which has an additional booster rocket attached to both sides.
THE SKIN OF THE ORBER has to be glued to the skin of a porous silica. The tiles perform the vital function of protecting the craft from the heat of searing it.
"It's a tedious, painstaking undertaking to apply the tiles because they have to mold each tile to conform exactly with the airflow and shape of the orbiter. Walters said."
A year ago, the orbiter Columbia lost a number of dummy tiles in transit from Canada to New Zealand, and to the skin of the ship had to be repaired, and the process of attaching the tiles had been completed.
"I believe they have most of those problems ironed out, and they should have all the tiles on very soon." Walkers said.
Another problem involved the orbiter's engines, which had to be developed especially for the space shuttle program.
IN DECEMBER 1978, the engine-testing program was set back after NASA discovered that the engines had a tendency to blow up when tested at 100 percent thrust. The die difficulties, the engine problems have been largely resolved, Walters said.
These various problems have managed to put the shuttle program nearly two years behind schedule. Several times the first flight date has had to be postponed.
According to Walters, the shuttle has been the center of the American manned space program since the end of the Skylab mission. It is designed to be the workhorse of the space
program in the 1980s, more versatile than any spacecraft ever flown because it can be reused—not once or twice, but up to 100 times.
NASA is still planning on a fleet of shuttle that will be making a flight a week by 1984, with the possibility of returning decade, Walters said. Up until now, nearly twenty years of American manned space flight have amounted to only 31 missiles. The United States through the Apollo-Soyuz mission of 1975.
"THEY STARTED the shuttle program as far back as 1968." Waters said. "They had to design a spacecraft to do what they did in space, a space transportation had heretofore done."
Although Columbia will be making the shuttle's first flight, the most famous orbiter also happens to be the first one built. The Enterprise, named after the starship in "Star Trek," Trek, has served as NASA's guinea pig for a multitude of program tests in recent years.
launching itself, operating in the vacuum of space and surviving the tortuous reentry. Previous programs used booster rockets to launch modules to perform these different tasks.
The craft had to be capable of
The Enterprise made several test landings after being flown at a 747 three years ago. Last year, the entire shuttle assembly was put together on the launchpad, and it was the Enterprise that skied forward from its cluster of booster rockets.
THE ENTERPRISE WAS designed to fly but they aren't planning on flying it. Waiters said, "It's been placed in a backup role, but they've done all of those with it."
Eventually NASA hopes to have at least four shuttles in use so that one can be in orbit while others are cleaned up and prepared for another flight.
The inaugural flights planned for next spring will probably have only a two-astronaut crew, although the orbiter can carry seven or eight occupants, Walters said.
For the new program, a team of 35 new astronauts was chosen in 1978, including nine women, a first for the American space program. Only one woman has ever flown in space—a Russian, Valentina Tereshkova, in during the infancy of manned space flight.
In the space shuttle program, however, women are to be as much regular crew members as men. Walters said.
The first flight will probably be piloted by astronaut Fred Haise, the veteran of the shuttle crew. Ten years ago this week Haise was one of three astronauts aboard the mission, which managed to return safely to Earth in-space accident crippled the spacecraft.
Back in those days of the moon program, Americans in space were the exception, and we are still just two or three moon flights. Starting next year, however, NASA will be embarking upon a new era of space flight, one in which you will be in earth or practically all the time.
KANSAN On Campus
TODAY: HILLEL presents "Hoaceau," a photo exhibition all day in the Conference Room in the Satellite Union. There will be a WOMEN GRADUATE STUDENTS INFORMATION LUNCHON at noon in Cork Room in the Kinsale Union. The GRADUATE WOMEN'S GROUP will meet at noon in Cork Room 2 in the University. We will present Guy E. Swanson, who will present "The Social Bases of Trance in Religion, Hypnosis and Everyday Life." at 3:38 p.m. in the Council Room in the University, the UK Club will sponsor a film by Thomas McKenna or Krüger" at 4 p.m. in 4085 Macwell House.
TONIGHT: A meeting of the ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY RESIDENCE HALLS will be at 7 p.m. in the Council Room in the Union. There will be a 6 p.m. lecture on the HAITAUQAU LECTURE by Samuel Schoebaum titled, "Who Was Shakepeare" at 8 p.m. in the Helen Foreman Spencer Museum of Art Auditorium and AFYMENT COLLOQUE will be presented the Walnut Room in the Union. The UNIVERSITY MEN'S GLEE CLUBS from Kansas, Kansas State and Wichita state universities will perform at 8 p.m. in the RECISTAL with Norman Paige and Iain Bashar Paige, voice, at 6 p.m. in Swarthout Recital Hall in Murphy Hill.
KU FOLK DANCE CLUB PRESENTS:
NATIONALLY-KNOWN DANCE INSTRUCTOR
DAVID HENRY WITH A WORKSHOP OF
GREEK line dances, FRENCH sources, IRISH country dances,
WORKSHOP SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Fri, Apr. 11: 1:00am (dancing 7:30-10:30, 12:00pm (free))
Sat, Apr. 12: 1:00am (dancing 9:12-12, 5:30pm (free))
Community Build 9:12am (dance Ministry), Director's Party
Sun, Apr. 13: 1:00am (workshop 9:12am, Lawrence City Building.
Each event is $3.00. Beginners welcome!!
No partners necessary. Come join us any or all events!
Partially funded by Student Senate and Lawrence Arts Commission.
Tonite 6 p.m.
8 p.m.
10 p.m.
MOONLIGHT
SUPER SALE!
Everything drastically reduced!
Final Day for
SMOKE DAMAGE SALE
Table of
Order & Ends
$1-$2
Short Sleeve
Shirta & Shirta
$2.60
FADS FASHIONS
SUMMER EMPLOYMENT!!
Royal Prestige Needs Students to Supplement Summer Work Force!
$250.00 per week
For further info; come to:
Kansas Union—Oread Room
Thursday or Friday
12:30, 2:30, 4:30, or 6:30
Positions available in Kansas City, Lawrence,
Topeka, Wichita and other areas.
J. HOOD
BOOKS
THE SCHOLARS'
BOOKSTORE
ALL 25,000
PAPERBACKS
1/2 PRICE
1401 Mass. 841-4644
Madras Shirts Long sleeved from Chaps Reg. $25 by Raph Lauren Tonight Only $15
Knit Shirts ... Short sleeved, in solids
and stripes
Values to $25
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Hours:
Mon, Tues
Wed, Fri, Sat
Thurs 10-9
Sun 1-5
Many other items reduced
920 Massachusetts
sua films
Presents
David Bowie in [R-32]
The man who fell to Earth
Seniors! Find Your KU Connection
and win $50!
Before you graduate, investigate KU. You could win $50!
Just enter the KU Connection Canest. There are the four
bases on your screen.
10 Enter Spencer Museum of Art and you will see, two large paintings of oval as can be. Some paintings themed.
11. There’s no question that the Kansas gale blows forth, but is the KU flag at fraser On the south or north?
12. Allen Field House is the place for several sports. How many banners hang above the court?
The answers to these and look for more clues in every Mon. and Thurs. *Kansan* until April 14. Or get a list of all 15 clues plus the rules at the Alumni Association office, 403. Kasan Union. One $50 prize will be given to the winner at the
Senior Open House and Class Party
Thurs., April 17
7-11 p.m.
403, Union and Ballroom
Sr. class movie premiere
The Alumni Association: your answer to the KU Connection
1