Keith’s note: I just learned that my long time friend Bob Phillips has died. Bob was one of the original crew members selected for the Spacelab mission which eventually became SLS-1. He was disqualified a few years after selection for medical reasons but continued to work on the mission. Indeed, if you look at the STS-40 mission patch you will see that the stars representing the crew members forms a […]

NASA manager mused about what to tell Columbia crew if they had known space shuttle was doomed, AP “When NASA started flying shuttles again, Hale told the new team of mission managers: “We are never ever going to say that there is nothing we can do.” NASA developed an in-flight heat shield repair kit. … Hale said he is now writing about the issue because he wanted future space officials […]

Columbia: Thinking Back – Looking Ahead, Excerpt from “New Moon Rising”, by Frank Sietzen, Jr. and Keith Cowing “At the end of the event, Rona Ramon, Ilan’s widow, spoke last. Steeling her emotions with grace and clarity, she spoke elegantly and briefly. She thanked all for coming. And then she talked of her husband, and the flight of the lost shuttle. “Our mission in space is not over” she told […]

Challenger Center Marks 27th Anniversary of Space Shuttle Tragedy “On Monday January 28, Challenger Center for Space Science Education (Challenger Center) will recognize the anniversary of the Challenger tragedy as it continues its work to strengthen students’ interest and knowledge in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The non-profit organization was formed as a living tribute to the seven members of the crew and is dedicated to the educational spirit […]

Preview Video: Space Shuttle Columbia: Mission of Hope “Space Shuttle Columbia: Mission of Hope is the untold inspirational story of Colonel Ilan Ramon, a fighter pilot and son of Holocaust survivors who became the first and only astronaut from Israel, embarking on a mission with the most diverse shuttle crew ever to explore space. Ramon realized the significance of “being the first” and his journey of self-discovery turned into a […]

NASA Human Space Flight Industrial Base in the Post-Space Shuttle/Constellation Environment, Bureau of Industry and Security’s Office of Technology Evaluation “The Shuttle retirement and CxP transition will impact future NASA HSF programs through a loss of unique skills, capabilities, products, and services by select suppliers. The assessment highlights and prioritizes immediate areas of concern for NASA, with focus on the 150 survey respondents that identified themselves as dependent on NASA. […]

Photo: NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden and KSC Center Director Bob Cabana sign the formal documents for the transfer of Space Shuttle Atlantis from NASA to the KSC Visitors Center.

Space Shuttle Exhibit Collapses After Sandy (Photo), CNN “The space shuttle exhibit on the Intrepid, normally a giant grey bubble from the outside, has completely collapsed due to Sandy.” Keith’s note: This Instagram picture shows another view of the damage to the bubble that surrounded Enterprise. The museum’s live webcam (which stopped updating before the storm hit) shows the bubble before it was destroyed.

After glitches and delays, Endeavour finally reaches its new home “It was built for orbital speeds approaching five miles per second, but space shuttle Endeavour took its own sweet time Sunday as it wheeled triumphantly onto the grounds of its new home, the California Science Center. “Mission 26 — mission accomplished,” Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced, amid the cheers of thousands of spectators. Before it was retired by NASA, […]

South L.A. shuttle boosters are feeling jettisoned, LA Times “Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa touted it as “the mother of all parades” — a historic celebration in a part of Los Angeles that doesn’t get much fanfare. Over two days, on the major thoroughfares of Westchester, Inglewood and South Los Angeles, space shuttle Endeavour would slowly make its way from LAX to its new home at the California Science Center. Community activists […]

United Space Alliance laying off 121 Floridians, 13News “United Space Alliance says they are laying off over 150 employees across the country — the majority being here along the Space Coast. USA said 121 of its workers in Brevard County will be laid off. The reduction represents about six percent of their total workforce. Following the layoff, USA will have a total 2,263 employees — with 1,073 of those in […]

Thoughts on the Last Flight of the Shuttle, Dennis Wingo, SpaceRef “I was at NASA Ames last week when the final flight of the final space shuttle Endeavour on its way to its final destination occurred. As many people did, I stood outside, on top of our MacMoon’s at Ames and took pictures. There were over 20,000 people at NASA Ames that waited hours for an event that took no […]

Photo: Space Shuttle Endeavour’s Last Flight As Seen From Orbit “Late last week, the Space Shuttle Endeavor flew atop a 747 into White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The shuttle continued its journey to Edwards Air Force Base in California. In October, The Space Shuttle Endeavor will be moved via road to a special display at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. During the flight, DigitalGlobe captured an […]

Photo: Looking Up At Endeavour @yembrick “So close to Endeavour that the entire bird doesnt fit in my iPhone pic. #OV105 #spotheshuttle #NASASocial” NASA Invites Californians to Participate in Endeavour Flyover “The orbiter, atop its 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA), is scheduled to fly over northern California and a large area of the Los Angeles basin beginning at about 8:15 a.m. PDT.” Photo: Space Shuttle Endeavour Flies over NASA Ames […]

Image: Space Shuttle Endeavour Over Houston, Texas Space Shuttle Endeavour Ferry Flight Continues West “After the refueling stop at Biggs, the SCA and Endeavour will make low-level flybys of the White Sands Missile Range and NASA’s White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico, as well as Tucson, Arizona en route to California. The flyover of Tucson will take place approximately an hour and 15 minutes after departure from Biggs. Arrival […]

Shuttle Endeavour Ferry Flight Rescheduled to Sept. 19 “NASA’s ferry flight of space shuttle Endeavour atop the 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) is rescheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 19 due to an unfavorable weather forecast along the flight path on Tuesday, Sept. 18. Endeavour now is expected to arrive at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Friday, Sept. 21.” Weather Postpones Shuttle Endeavour Ferry Flight to Sept. 18 Shuttle Endeavour Flyover […]

Shuttle Endeavour to fly over California landmarks, south U.S., LA Times “On Sept. 19 the shuttle will head to Biggs Army Airfield in El Paso for refueling and then conduct low-level flyovers of White Sands Test Facility near Las Cruces, N.M., before landing about midday at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in the Mojave Desert, where it sometimes landed on its own after space missions. […]

NASA Aircraft To Fly Over Los Angeles Area August 25 “NASA, in cooperation with the Federal Aviation Administration, will conduct training and photographic flights over the Los Angeles area on Saturday, Aug. 25. Two NASA jets, a T-38 and an F-18, will fly approximately 1,500 feet above Los Angeles starting at 8 a.m. PDT. If delayed by weather or other circumstances, the jets will fly at 12:30 p.m. These flights […]

Sad Photos: Rockwell Downey Building 1 Demolition “The following photos were taken by a longtime Rockwell (now Boeing) Downey employee last week. They are tearing down much of Building 1. It will be replaced by a shopping center. This is where large portions of the Space Shuttles and Apollo spacecraft were built.”