ten years ago today

[Henry Spencer]

DC-X flew for the first time 29 July 1993.

And three years later almost to the day, 31 July 1996, it was destroyed in
a post-landing fire, after an undetected mistake in preflight checkout
left one leg unable to extend.

It was grand while it lasted. Pity there was no followup.
--
MOST launched 1015 EDT 30 June, separated 1046, | Henry Spencer
first ground-station pass 1651, all nominal! |

[Doug...]

In article >, says...
> DC-X flew for the first time 29 July 1993.
>
> And three years later almost to the day, 31 July 1996, it was destroyed in
> a post-landing fire, after an undetected mistake in preflight checkout
> left one leg unable to extend.
>
> It was grand while it lasted. Pity there was no followup.

Agreed. And one of the things that made it especially grand, for me, was
that Pete Conrad was at the (remote) controls on that first flight, and
many of the later flights. It made sense -- Pete was one of the few
people alive at the time who had ever landed a rocket on its tail.

--

It's not the pace of life I mind; | Doug Van Dorn
it's the sudden stop at the end... |