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Columbia Accident Investigation Board Issues Preliminary Recommendation Four: Launch and Ascent Imaging



 
 
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Old July 1st 03, 06:45 PM
Jacques van Oene
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Default Columbia Accident Investigation Board Issues Preliminary Recommendation Four: Launch and Ascent Imaging

For Immediate Release
CAIB PA 37-03

Date: July 1, 2003
Contact: Lt. Col Woody Woodyard, 703-416-3532 or 713-301-2244
Laura Brown, 703-416-3532 or 281-467-8657


Columbia Accident Investigation Board Issues Preliminary Recommendation
Four: Launch and Ascent Imaging

ARLINGTON, VA - The Columbia Accident Investigation Board today issued its
fourth preliminary finding and recommendation to the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration, in advance of its appearance in the final report.

Recommendation Four:
Upgrade the imaging system to be capable of providing a minimum of three
useful views of the Space Shuttle from liftoff to at least Solid Rocket
Booster separation, along any expected ascent azimuth. The readiness of
these assets should be included in the Launch Commit Criteria for future
launches.


Consideration should be given to using mobile assets (ships or aircraft) to
provide additional views of the vehicle during ascent.
Facts:

Imaging the Space Shuttle vehicle during launch and ascent provides
necessary engineering data including the ability to examine the entire Space
Shuttle system for any unexpected debris or other anomalies during ascent.


A variety of assets are already in place at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC)
and on the Air Force Eastern Range (ER) to accomplish this task.


Ascent data from the optical assets at KSC and the ER are reported to the
Mission Management Team in the days following the launch. A "quick look"
report is available the day after launch, and a more detailed analysis is
available within a few days. For the most part, engineering quality
ground-based data is not available in real time.


During the STS-107 ascent, two ground-based long-range camera sites provided
data that was usable for evaluating the foam strike against the vehicle. A
third camera that would have provided a better view was unusable.
Findings:

The current long-range camera assets on the Kennedy Space Center and Eastern
Range are inadequate to provide best possible engineering data during Space
Shuttle ascents.


Evaluation of STS-107 debris impact was hampered by lack of high resolution,
high speed cameras (temporal and spatial imagery data).
Background:

The Space Shuttle is still a developmental vehicle, and engineering data
from each launch is essential to further understand the vehicle.


Although numerous ground-base imaging assets are available, they are often
inadequate to provide meaningful data to the program.


The ability to validate models on the effect of the TPS debris strikes has
been hampered by the lack of high quality ascent image data.


The existing camera sites suffer from a variety of readiness, obsolescence,
and urban encroachment (i.e., civilian buildings around the asset) problems.


The imaging systems have not been upgraded to reflect changes in launch
patterns, primary azimuths associated with International Space Station
support missions.


--
----

Jacques :-)

Editor: www.spacepatches.info

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