Tag Archives: columbia accident
Summer Reading: Indispensable Books on the History of the Space Shuttle
When NASA began work on what became the Space Shuttle at the end of the Apollo program, few recognized how important a part of American life it would become over the next thirty-plus years. While not vast, the literature on … Continue reading
The Space Shuttle and the Expansion of the Astronaut Cadre in Space
The Space Shuttle has proven itself one of the most flexible space vehicles ever flown. Most assuredly, the range of possibilities for operations in orbit expanded dramatically with the launch of Columbia in 1981. Through the end of the program … Continue reading
Is Landing as Risky as Launch for Human Spacecraft?
The recent anniversaries of the tragic Apollo 1 (January 27, 1967), Challenger (January 28, 1986, and Columbia (February 1, 2003) accidents got me to thinking about the nature of risk in spaceflight. I did some very simple calculations about losses during … Continue reading
Moving Beyond Earth: Innovations in Space
The conference, “Moving Beyond Earth: Innovations in Space,” starts tonight at the Smithsonian Institition’s National Air and Space Museum. Everyone is welcome. We have posted about this event at: http://blog.americanhistory.si.edu/osaycanyousee/2011/11/moving-beyond-earth-innovations-in-space.html.
Course Syllabus for “Spaceflight and Society: Exploring the History of the Final Frontier”
Beginning on August 31 I started teaching as an adjunct instructor at the Johns Hopkins University. The course is “Spaceflight and Society: Exploring the History of the Final Frontier.” Only one class meeting thus far, but it has been great … Continue reading
Launch Day
In just a few hours STS-135 is scheduled to depart Launch Complex 39 at the Kennedy Space Center for the final flight of the Space Shuttle. It is a mission to the International Space Station (ISS), resupplying it and swapping … Continue reading
Reports, Reports Everywhere, and not a Shuttle Replacement in Sight
Hard to believe, but twenty years ago this December 17, the presidentially chartered Advisory Committee on the Future of the U.S. Space Program issued an especially significant report to the president that recommended the replacement of the Space Shuttle. Chaired … Continue reading
Roger Launius's Blog 