Subject:
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Re: The Final Frontier never saw this...
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.geek
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Date:
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Tue, 2 Nov 2004 17:07:30 GMT
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Viewed:
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2056 times
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In lugnet.off-topic.geek, David Koudys wrote:
> http://us.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/11/01/space.enterprise.reut/index.html
> But if I recall correctly (throwing this out to the 'geeks'...)
>
> The Enterprise and the Columbia were virtually identical--the Enterprise was
> the first shuttle built, and the Columbia was the first one to get into
> space.
Not at all. The Pathfinder, Challenger, Enterprise and Columbia were all built
under the original contract to Rockwell. Pathfinder was strictly a mockup (an
'orbiter simulator'), Challenger was (originally) constructed for stress-testing
the orbiter's framework, Enterprise was constructed to test atmospheric flight
operations, and Columbia was constructed to test the complete launch-to-landing
operations of the shuttle.
Enterprise has never had the capabilities of space flight. Apparently there was
a plan to convert it to full-flight capabilities, but it was cheaper to convert
the less-developed Challenger instead.
> Then the Challenger, Atlantis, Endeavour were built, like 10 feet bigger in
> the cargo bay.
No, the Challenger would have followed the original shuttle design.
Discovery was the next shuttle constructed after Challenger. I believe there
was a certain amount of redesign starting with Discovery. Which makes sense,
since it was the first shuttle constructed after the initial flights of
Columbia.
Endeavour was constructed specifically to replaced the Challenger after the
Challenger was lost, and also introduced upgrades in the design of the orbiter.
> In the article, it says that there were 3 'original' sister shuttles--I
> thought there were only 2--Enterprise and Columbia.
>
> Anyway, that article brought me back. I think I have to take a trip sometime
> to see the Enterprise.
Yes, definitely.
Some interesting links (there are probably better, but this is what I found):
http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/resources/orbiters/enterprise.html
http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/resources/orbiters/columbia.html
http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/resources/orbiters/challenger.html
http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/resources/orbiters/discovery.html
http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/resources/orbiters/pathfinder.html
(which I had never heard of until just now)
I assume there are similar pages for the other orbiters, but I haven't looked
yet.
Hmm. The solid rocket boosters are reusable. I wonder if they have a history
page somewhere?
Steve
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | The Final Frontier never saw this...
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| (URL) it was sad, but the Enterprise still makes my eyes misty. I was 9 years old when I saw this on the telly for the first time. I remember hearing the Trekkie writing campaign to get Carter to name the first shuttle 'Enterprise'. I also remember (...) (20 years ago, 2-Nov-04, to lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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