Columbia rescue - save the space shuttle !

Archibald

Banned
More or less. STS-114 (unsurprisingly) has a complicated history. Very little information is available on the original mission (the one with Atlantis and a couple of russians to be flown on March 1 2003 to the ISS). It has been overshadowed by the *true* STS-114 return to flight as flown by Discovery in 2005.
From what I've understand commander Eileen Collins and her copilot remained, but the rest of the crew changed.
Obviously the rescue crew of 4 would have made build out of the original mission, since they had been trained together for a long time.

As late as this morning when cleaning the next entry I had a little surprise - suffice to say it will make the rescue mission even more *international* . A space agency somewhat invited itself to the party. :)
 

THE OBSERVER

Archibald said:
More or less. STS-114 (unsurprisingly) has a complicated history. Very little information is available on the original mission (the one with Atlantis and a couple of russians to be flown on March 1 2003 to the ISS). It has been overshadowed by the *true* STS-114 return to flight as flown by Discovery in 2005.
From what I've understand commander Eileen Collins and her copilot remained, but the rest of the crew changed.
Obviously the rescue crew of 4 would have made build out of the original mission, since they had been trained together for a long time.

As late as this morning when cleaning the next entry I had a little surprise - suffice to say it will make the rescue mission even more *international* . A space agency somewhat invited itself to the party. :)
Click to expand...

Japan. Sochi Noguchi was scheduled to fly with Collins and her copilot as a mission specialist in April 2003 OTL and flew with them in 2005.
 

Archibald

Banned
And now ladies and gentleman, the TL story climax. Biggest update so far, but the story is not over yet.

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times, Times, serif]Flight day 35 [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times, Times, serif]February 19, 2003 [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times, Times, serif]Aboard Columbia - and Atlantis ! [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times, Times, serif](music: [/FONT][FONT=Times, Times, serif]Travis[/FONT][FONT=Times, Times, serif], [/FONT][FONT=Times, Times, serif]Driftwood[/FONT][FONT=Times, Times, serif]) [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif][FONT=Times, Times, serif]
[/FONT][/FONT]The crippled orbiter had previously climbed to a higher orbit, ahead of the rendezvous, to make her rescuer launch window better. The highest Columbia, the slower it orbited Earth, the easiest for Atlantis to catch it.
Columbia had its open payload bay and cockpit facing Earth; it was somewhat flying upside down, (except in space there was no true up and down).
Atlantis was coming from below. In order for the rescue operation to work Eureca had previously been released and moved away from Columbia payload bay. The platform stint at Columbia had allowed the crew to save some reactant in the fuel cells.

640px-Space_Shuttle_Discovery_%28STS-114_%27Return_to_Flight%27%29_approaches_the_International_Space_Station.jpg

(STS-114... from another universe)

Back in 1965 Gemini astronauts had learned how tricky on-orbit rendezvous were. Early on their aircraft experience played against them; spaceships were no aircrafts, and orbital mechanics were a totally different matter. As such aircraft-like interceptions failed miserably - all this because of Kepler laws. To catch up any target a spacecraft has to fly on a lower, faster orbit, overtake the target and then - only then - climb backward.
Even in close proximity, with Columbia above Atlantis the two shuttles would not be at the exact same height above Earth. As such, Columbia would tend to orbit Earth slightly slower, and the small difference would be enough to gradually push the two orbiters away from each other. It was done on purpose: there would be no risk of collision.
In order for the astronauts could transfer from one shuttle to another Atlantis and Columbia were to fly back to back, or more exactly payload-bay to payload-bay. A dumb issue was that of the orbiters large vertical tails; here the solution found had been to "clock" the two shuttles 90 degree apart. Atlantis nose would be at mid-day and its tail at midnight; while Columbia would have its nose at three o'clock and tail at nine o'clock. That way they could got closer than their respective tails height without issue.

Hypothetical_EVA_-_Space_Shuttle_Atlantis-Columbia_Rescue_Mission.PNG



Eileen Collins acted on Atlantis thrusters and the orbiter moved upward at snail pace. Flying upside down Columbia did not moved a feather; Atlantis, for its part, carefully went closer and closer, until only 20 feet separated the two spacecrafts payload bays. They would have to stay like that for nine hours, the time needed for the astronauts to transfer, two at a time because of airlock limitations.
That had never been atempted before in the sense that no solid hardware kept the two shuttles together (or apart); there was no transfer tunnel, no docking ring and no hatch. Fate of the two orbiters hanged to a retro-reflector the Atlantis crew soon placed on Columbia cockpit roof. Atlantis had a Trajectory Control System, and that was all.
Through the shuttles cockpit windows the two crews waved at each others. Soichi Noguchi and Stephen Robinson, for their part, were in Atlantis airlock. With them was a pair of spacesuits; indeed with Clarke and Brown gone there would be no suits left in Columbia.
For the very last time Mike Anderson and David Brown donned their spacesuits and entered Columbia airlock. It had been decided they would go first, since they were trained for that but also because of their daring, exhausting work.
Aboard Atlantis commander Eileen Collins, assisted by James Kelly, kept a watcheful eye on his orbiter position.

Eileen-Collins-9542232-1-402.jpg

Come on Eileen...

Hypothetical_EVA-_Space_Shuttle_Atlantis-Columbia_Rescue_Mission2.PNG


Stephen Robinson locked his feet into a portable restraint set on Atlantis payload bay door. He deployed a purpose-build telescopic boom in the direction of Columbia. Soichi Noguchi used the boom to transfer himself to the damaged orbiter's airlock where Anderson and Brown awaited him.
When the airlock opened Noguchi had to help the weakened Anderson and Brown to exit.
For a fraction of second the three astronauts stood there, in the shadow of Columbia devasted payload bay, before Anderson exploded in laughter.
He and Brown shook Noguchi hand and hugged him. On both sides were exclamations, expectatives, and much rejoicing.
It was a memorable meeting in space, to be ranked along Apollo-Soyuz or STS-71, the first Shuttle-Mir docking. It was as bizarre as Stanley asking "Doctor Livingstone, I presume ?" to the man he had searched so long in the remote confines of Africa.
The meeting was broadcasted to Houston, where Mission Control literally exploded in cheering.
"It was crazy, a return to the heydays of Apollo splashdowns" veteran Jerry Griffin later remembered. "We had guys puffing and chomping cigars, something not seen since the 70's, but for once the no-smoking rule was broken."
Within minutes the information spreaded all over Earth.

rescue3.jpg


Meanwhile the three astronauts placed the spare space suits into the airlock, and headed in the direction of the boom. Minutes later Mike Anderson and David Brown were safely tucked into Atlantis airlock. Aboard Columbia the crew opened its own airlock and pulled out the space suits.
Over the next nine hours the operation was repeated three times: Laurel Clark and William McCool, Kalpana Chawla and Ilan Ramon successfully transfered to the safety, warmth and cleanliness of Atlantis flight deck. Each pair that exited the airlock was greeted with hugs, flowers and a big box of chocolates.
NASA couldn't resist broadcasting the rescue live, and as such, down on the big planet Earth rolling below the two shuttles, million of people whooped, shed tears and cheered.
Meanwhile Commander Rick Husband, like a faithful capitain was the last to exit his ship. For the last time he looked at the orbiter interior, his little home for five weeks. Columbia had kept them alive all this time, bleeding itself to death in the process; never would it fly into space again.
It was not over, however, not yet.
Rick Husband watched Steve Robinson exit Columbia airlock. Together they had a last, controversial work to achieve before leaving Columbia forever.
"I suppose your presence here mean they have taken the decision."
"They did." Robinson said. "I was there, and I can tell you the debate was heated, and it raged for a long time."
"This is hardly surprising. This has only one chance over a hundred to work."
"Oh, they are taking little risk. You are all safe, ready to return Earth with us: Atlantis slipped across foam losses and reached orbit intact, and that what matters. Everything past that point is a bonus."
"A bonus - that's the word. So let's do this, and then get out of here."
Husband sat on his commander seat, and Robinson on his right. They could see Earth rolling past Columbia windows, and a large chunk of Atlantis nose and payload bay, so close Husband felt he could touch it with his hand.
They started removing a handful of panels - F6, F6A3, C3A5, R2. Robinson then carefully plugged the connectors. Together they floated downwards, into the osbcure, smelly middeck. There they had another panel removed. They accessed the orbiter avionic bay 3A, and Robinson plugged a black box into it. Husband caught the 6 pound cable that sneaked out of Columbia cockpit and connected it to Robinson GCIL box. They then unloaded instructions uplinked from Houston into Columbia electronic brain - its five General Purpose Computers.
That work done, Rick Husband said a moving goodbye to his ship and, with the help of Robinson, went along the harrowing path to Atlantis safety - Columbia airlock, the wrecked payload bay that had his heart pinch (where's my Spacehab ?), climb roping on the telescopic boom and Noguchi himself, more crawling, and finally Atlantis airlock.
With Noguchi return the rescue mission was essentially over; Atlantis backed down, leaving Columbia alone. The eleven astronauts aboard all had a pinch of heart at the sight of the abandonned orbiter drifting away in the distance. Columbia had been left on her own.
Before returning Earth however Atlantis had a last job to accomplish. After Columbia vanished in the distance, Commander Eileen Collins maneuvered her orbiter to their next target, the heroic Eureca. Its lone solar array had been folded so that Noguchi could capture the platform and delicately depose it into Atlantis payload bay. All of a sudden the European Space Agency had had a renewed interest (and budget) for the brave little ship that had worked so well. As such it would be returned to Earth, refurbished and reflown.
Aboard Atlantis the crew enjoyed a hot, delicious meal - Columbia galley had been shut down as part of the power-down, and needless to say the food aboard had been pretty much atrocious (although Eureca arrival had improved things: French cooks had jumped on the occasion and provided the stranded crew with the finest meal compatible with cold water and zero gravity).
There were obviously heart-shattering telecons with the families, all the wives, husbands, childs, brothers, sisters, parents and grandparents that for a month had been devoured with anguish.
The NASA astronaut corp official band Max-Q, led by Hoot Gibson for his part engaged in a remake of the famous 1985 charity single We Are The World.

 
Last edited:

Bahamut-255

So now it's time to get the crew home. This would certainly be a CMOA for NASA!

Wonder what they'll do with Columbia though? From the looks of it, they've either set it up for destructive re-entry over the Pacific, or are attempting a jury-rigged automated landing at White Sands or Edwards Air Force Base - whichever one is closer to the Pacific.
 

THE OBSERVER

Bahamut-255 said:
So now it's time to get the crew home. This would certainly be a CMOA for NASA!

Wonder what they'll do with Columbia though? From the looks of it, they've either set it up for destructive re-entry over the Pacific, or are attempting a jury-rigged automated landing at White Sands or Edwards Air Force Base - whichever one is closer to the Pacific.
Click to expand...

If it's the latter, best to do it at White Sands. Beautiful!
 
Athelstane

Athelstane

Bahamut-255 said:
So now it's time to get the crew home. This would certainly be a CMOA for NASA!

Wonder what they'll do with Columbia though? From the looks of it, they've either set it up for destructive re-entry over the Pacific, or are attempting a jury-rigged automated landing at White Sands or Edwards Air Force Base - whichever one is closer to the Pacific.
Click to expand...

I wager they're trying for automated landing. In California.

It probably won't work; it will disintegrate somewhere over the Eastern Pacific. But that leaves NASA no worse off. Leaving it in orbit for a latter repair mission seems too risky.
 

Dathi THorfinnsson

I think it would have been nice for Atlantis to have carried up a replacement wing edge. Sure, getting it to hold in place during reentry would have been tricky, but would have raised the chance of a successful landing fom ???5% to 50%???
 

RazeByFire

Park Columbia at ISS. If nothing else, she can be used to boost the station. This would be especially useful if they can figure out how to refuel the RCS and/or OMS in orbit.

Or if they figured out a way to restart the SSME's in orbit and put some fuel tanks onboard they could use her as a real space truck. She'd never return to Earth but she could do a lot in orbit.

I would expect that doing that sort of work would require something like a space dock though-if nothing else a Bigelow designed inflatable screen to keep debris out of the ISS orbital track while the work was being done 'ahead' of ISS orbit.

Or course, that's crazy. No one at NASA would ever consider doing something that loony with her. Expect risk averse management to crash her. :(

I do wonder though, if Ron Howard got behind an effort to keep her up there, could it be done? Maybe Hollywood public relations and some billionaire with more money than sense could do it. Put some derring-do back into American space operations.
 

Bahamut-255

RazeByFire said:
Park Columbia at ISS. If nothing else, she can be used to boost the station. This would be especially useful if they can figure out how to refuel the RCS and/or OMS in orbit.
Click to expand...

Columbia, and all the shuttles, can only be fuelled on the ground.

Besides, Columbia is orbiting at a 39 degree inclination. The ISS, at 51.6 degrees. Columbia simply can't get to the ISS at all.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top
Top