Recoveryof

Space ShuttleColumbia

and

Return to Flight of

Space ShuttleDiscovery

Michael U. RudolphiEngineering Director

Marshall Space Flight Center

On February 1, 2003, Space Shuttle Columbia and her crew were lost upon re-entry during STS-107.

The debris field ranged from eastern Texas to western Louisiana.

Radar - deriveddebris plot

Disaster field offices (DFO’s) were established at Barksdale AFB, LA and Lufkin and Ft. Worth, TX.

More than 25,000 people were actively involved in search efforts. Over 480 Federal, state, and local agencies (as well as private organizations and volunteer groups) provided search personnel, supplies, and equipment.

Debris field included:

Area about the size of Rhode Island

Main corridor ~10 miles wide and 240 miles long, stretching from Dallas, TX to Fort Polk, LA

8 counties inhabited by over 400,000 people (none injured by falling debris)

Multi-Agency response toa monumental challenge

Goals

Ensure public safety.

Recover crew.

Retrieve evidence.

Compensate costs incurred by local jurisdictions.

Searched

680,748 acres (total)

9,800 acres per day (average)

4.4 acres per day per searcher (average)

To date

82,300 out of 222,900 lbs recovered (~38% total re-entry weight of Space Shuttle Columbia)

Over 81,965 pieces retrieved during search

66,895 pieces identified at Kennedy Space Center

Ground search

Base Camp and ground search crews

8

Water Search

Dives

3,100 targets cleared in Toledo Bend Reservoir365 targets cleared in Lake Nacogdoches

Personnel involved per day: up to 166

Bottom time: 800 hours total

Boats13 dive boats12 security boats10 sonar boats

Sonar types usedMulti-beamSide scan

Dive TeamsUS Navy Salvage TeamUS Coast Guard TeamFBI Dive TeamDPS Dive TeamHouston Police Dive TeamGalveston Dive Team

Total area scanned

14.69 sq. miles in Toledo Bend Reservoir3.17 sq. miles in Lake Nacogdoches

Air search

Helicopters Fixed wing aircraftDC-3 aircraftCivil Air Patrol Department of DefenseNASA ER-2 (U-2 jet)Motorized paragliders

Monomethyl hydrazine spherical tank

Decontamination setup

All retrieved material shipped:

first to Barksdale AFB or Johnson Space Center

then to Kennedy Space Center

Reassembling the pieces

High-quality, capable, compatible peopleClearly articulated missions, strong universal buy-inTrust built through transparency of leadershipLocal capability, community generosityPowerful support for NASA and the space programNo ongoing threat to life or propertyOpenness of physical spaceConstituent units empoweredAccountable, but not overly rule-boundNegotiated competing missions,lack of “turf” strugglesExplicit attention to morale

Why Columbia recovery succeeded

In Memoriam

Commander: Rick Husband

Pilot: William McCool

Mission specialists:Mike AndersonDavid BrownKalpana ChawlaLaurel Clark

Payload specialist:Ilan Ramon (Israel)

Lost during recovery effort:Jules “Buzz” Mier, Jr.Charles Krenek

Return to Flight

Root Cause TestingRoot Cause Testing

CryoingestionCryoingestion--Critical Defect Critical Defect DeterminationDetermination

Bellows Ice MitigationBellows Ice Mitigation

TPS Fracture ToughnessTPS Fracture Toughness

ET/TPS Return to Flight - Development

This image shows a large piece of foam that separated from the ET during STS-114.

LO2 and LH2 PAL Ramp Elimination

Bipod Harness Revisions

Development Flight Instrumentation

Bipod Hardware Revisions

Intertank Acreage Machining /

VentingLO2 PAL Ramp

LH2 PAL Ramp

Ice Frost Ramp

STS-121 / ET-119Return to Flight Modifications

LO2 Feedline BellowsTPS Drip Lip and* Fwd Bellows Heater System

Partial LH2 PAL RampReplacement

Intertank / LH2 TankFlange CloseoutEnhancement

RedesignedBipod FittingRemove/ Replace

Longeron Closeouts

ET Camera in LO2Feedline Fairing

Bipod Strut Hardware(Lubricated thru-bolts)

Increase Area of Vented Intertank TPS

ET/SRB Bolt Catcher Inserts

RTF Instrumentation

ET Ground Umbilical Redesign * Delta from RTF Baseline –

Not reviewed at SSP DCR

STS-114 / ET-121 Return to Flight Modifications

LO2 F/L & Flange Interference (ET-130)

LO2 / Intertank IFR (ET-131)

SRB PAL Ramp(ET-126 & 128)

LO2 Feedline (F/L) Base closeout (ET-128)

LO2 F/L Strut (ET-125 & 128)

Thrust Strut Flange: OML Change (ET-125 & 128)

Aft Lower ET/SRB Fittings (ET-134)

Aft GH2 Press lineFairing (ET-135)

Diagonal StrutCloseout (ET-117)

Diagonal Strut TPS (ET-133) Umbilical Cable

Trays (ET-131)

Vertical Strut TPS (ET-132)

Helium Inject Box TPS (ET-134)

LO2 F/L Bellows Heaters (ET-128)

+Z Aerovent (ET-125)

Rank: 11

Rank: 10

Rank: 14

Rank: 8Rank: 5 & 9

Rank: 21Rank: 22

Rank: 15Rank: 20

Rank: 19

Rank: 12 & 13

Rank: 16 & 18

Rank: 17

Rank: 23 & 24

Rank: 3 & 7

Reduce: ICE

LH2 IFR Interim(ET-124)

Rank: 1

Reduce: TPSLH2 IFR Long Term(ET-128)

Rank: 4

Reduce: TPS & ICEReduce: TPS

Reduce: TPS

LO2 Feedline TI Yoke (ET-125 & 128)

Rank: 2 & 6

Reduce: TPS

Reduce: TPS

Reduce: TPSReduce: TPS

Reduce: ICE

Reduce: TPS

Reduce: ICE

Reduce: TPS & ICE

Reduce: TPS

Reduce: TPS

Reduce: TPS & ICE

Reduce: TPS & ICE

Reduce: ICE

Ranking and ET Implementation based

on SDS 6123 Several significant redesign initiatives have already been identified and prioritized.

ET-137STS 133

ET-136STS 132

ET-135STS 131

ET-134STS 130

ET-133STS 129

ET-132STS 128

ET-131STS 127

ET-130STS 126

ET-127STS 119

ET-129STS 125

ET-128STS 124

ET-126STS 123

ET-125STS 122

ET-120STS 120

ET-117STS 118

ET-124STS 117

ET-123STS 116

External Tank:

DeliveryOrder

STS: LaunchOrder

ET – Future Risk Reduction Redesign Initiatives

SRB bolt catcher

• Original design load did not include dynamic effects on energy absorber crush strength.

• Possible debris sources included SLA-561 thermal protection material, attach fasteners, or insert failure.

• New design uses cork as TPS material and has passed factor of safety testing.

SRB Return to FlightBolt Catcher NSIPC Redesign

External Tank

SRB

SRB ETET

SRBBolt

Catcher

Separation Plane

External Tank

SRB

SRB ETET

SRBBolt

Catcher

Separation Plane

• Bolt catcher redesigned to increase margin of safety

• NSI pressure cartridge redesigned to eliminate NSI ejection

PlayVideo

New Bolt Catcher Design

Previous Bolt Catcher Design

PlayVideo

Bolt CatcherBolt Catcher Fwd. Sep FiringFwd. Sep Firing

SRB Return to Flight

• Booster Separation Motor Igniter redesigned to eliminate erratic performance

Igniter Case

Igniter Propellant Grain

Igniter Adapter

Retainer

Igniter RodBKNO3 bags

BSM Cross-section

BSM Igniter Cross-section

Propellant

Liner

Case

Exit Cone

Graphite throat

Closure

Igniter

Igniter Case

Igniter Propellant Grain

Igniter Adapter

Retainer

Igniter RodBKNO3 bags

BSM Cross-section

BSM Igniter Cross-section

Propellant

Liner

Case

Exit Cone

Graphite throat

Closure

Igniter

Forward BSM

location

Aft BSM location

LH SRB RH SRB

Forward BSM

location

Aft BSM location

LH SRB RH SRB

Booster Separation Motor (BSM) Igniter Redesign

New Igniter Design

Previous Igniter Design

SRB Return to Flight

• Implement 4340 Steel ETA Ring

External Tank Attach (ETA) Ring

Location of ETA RingsRing Segment

LH ETA Rings ETA Rings

Thrust Post

StrutsSplice Plate

(4 places)

H-fitting

SRB Return to FlightExternal Tank Instrumentation

Bipod Temperatures(2 RTDs; 2 measurements)

+Z Intertank Accels(3 accels; 6 measurements)

LO2 PAL Ramp Accels(4 accels; 5 measurements)

• Enhanced Data Acquisition System (EDAS) used to record 13 ET measurements

Typical EDAS Installation

SRB Return to Flight

ETA RingCamera

Forward Skirt

Camera

Opposite Location for RH

ETObservation

Camera

SRB Camera System

PlayVideo

Return to Flight: Discovery

On July 26, 2005, Space Shuttle Discovery was launched during STS-114.

Two weeks later, the mission concluded with a successful landing at Edwards AFB, CA.

Continued with STS-115.

NASA's Constellation Program is developing the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) and Crew Launch Vehicle (CLV) in order to return humans to the Moon and begin to prepare for even longer voyages.

www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall

Questions and Answers