A phantom bit of space history on Google Maps...

[Eric The Viking]

South and slightly west of this Google Earth flag is a large, but rather lonely aircraft.

It's NASA's N905NA, Boeing 747-100 at the Armstrong Flight Research Center (formerly NASA Dryden), at Edwards Air Force Base* in California. The image probably dates from late 2012. The Google "pin" marks the Space Shuttle's "Mate-Demate device" there, the gantry to lift the Shuttle up onto the carrier aircraft.

Here's 905 in service coming in to land at Cape Kennedy in 1990:

The aircraft is now on permanent static display at Houston's Johnson Space Center, with a dummy Shuttle mounted on top. Here's a close-up of one of the Shuttle mounts:

And an angled view of the facility from 2008:

I know NASA had to retire the Shuttles, but it's still hard to believe Obama didn't have the gumption to see how inspirational it all was to generations of schoolchildren. The trouble with a commercial replacement is that, because it's commercial, it's not open any more - so much is commercially secret. NASA, in contrast has been generally brilliant in communicating. The Apollo mission reports are available for download. I haven't, but I'm told if you printed all of them them you'd have a six-foot stack of paper. I have looked at them though, and the detail is wonderful.

I was prompted to post this after watching Buzz Aldrin on BBC2 last night. Gracious and witty, and just past his 85th birthday (Jan 20th).

I know we've had our Canadian songsters up there, etc., and even several Brits, and I mean no disrespect whatsoever to any of them, but the determined pioneering spirit seems to have gone, and with it some of the inspirational power. A US president that can't see that is a disappointment.

E.
[sound of man getting off soapbox]


*... Edwards has the longest runway in the world, by far, although technically that's cheating as it's across a dry lake bed, and not paved. If you're strict and only measure the concrete it's 17th (the new Denver is 8th, presumably because the altitude necessitates a longer take-off run for heavy aircraft).

 

[StevieB]

But is (manned) exploration of space really a top priority given all the other demands on national budgets - the US still doesn't have a functioning healthcare system, fully paid maternity leave, is falling down the educational league tables and has failing and crumbling terrestrial infrastructure to name but a few. That is without debatable priorities such as military spending. Spending billions to put men on mars wouldn't be top of my list, no matter how inspirational it might be to schoolchildren.

On the BBC programme last night someone asked Buzz Aldrin what we would do on the moon if we went back. I thought we would probably mine anything valuable we came across and then use it to dump nuclear waste if we could overcome the chances of an explosion on the way up. But then I am a cynical so-and-so

Steve

 

[Penny]

Out of interest, the runway at RAF Finningley near Doncaster (now Robin Hood Airport) had one of the longest runways in the UK. It was an alternate landing point for the Shuttle if anything went wrong.



https://www.google.com/maps/place/R...1s0x0000000000000000:0x1e60584ac71d5158?hl=en

 

[Eric The Viking]

Out of interest, the runway at RAF Finningley near Doncaster (now Robin Hood Airport) had one of the longest runways in the UK. It was an alternate landing point for the Shuttle if anything went wrong.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/R...1s0x0000000000000000:0x1e60584ac71d5158?hl=en

They had a few of those, but Wikipedia says Fairford was the only one in the UK. I too think that's incorrect, as I believe there was one in the Hebrides too.

Originally, Vandenburg AFB north of Los Angeles was to be the military launch site for the Shuttle, but it was a victim of budget cuts before they could get beyond one test stack roll-out (they never actually launched from there). One reason it was canned, I suspect, is that Kennedy was cheaper: Its launches align with the earth's rotation helping to achieve the necessary forward velocity into orbit. Vandenburg's seaward range is good for polar orbits - handy for spying on people but it needs more fuel to get up there.

I suspect the UK landing site(s) would have been used if a polar orbit mission had gone wrong, as otherwise we're probably too far North to have been useful.

Shuttle emergency landing sites seem to be a bit prone to urban myth. I've heard of several more which were unlikely. Not sure I trust Wikipedia mind, either!

E.

 

[Eric The Viking]

But is (manned) exploration of space really a top priority given all the other demands on national budgets?

I think so.

Obviously the inspiration value is very hard to measure, but very important too. It doesn't have to be an either/or choice - Obama has been quite happy to be ultra Keynesian when it comes to bailing out bankers, etc., so to can the Shuttle's follow-on projects on the grounds of cost is mean-spirited to say the least.

As regards uses for the Moon, personally I like the idea of a prison on the moon for intractable aliens...

E.

 

[KevM]

They had a few of those, but Wikipedia says Fairford was the only one in the UK. I too think that's incorrect, as I believe there was one in the Hebrides too.

Back in the late '80s early '90s I used to work a lot in and around Campbeltown in Scotland, apparently the local airfield RAF Macrihanish (now handed over to civilian use) was approved for the Space Shuttle. It's a very long runway ~3000m and had a very US flavour to parts of it when I was up there.

 

[Eric The Viking]

OK, close but no cigar - Kintyre penninsula. It was Macrihanish I was thinking of.

 

[Graham Orm]

Cool find Eric.

 

[mailee]

The photo of the lander mounting points amused me 'Note' black side down. LOL.

 

[mseries]

Years ago I was touring western USA and we arrived in Mohave looking for somewhere to stay. All the innkeepers reported no room, we eventually found a room for the night. "Have you come for the open house ?" the proprietor asked. The place was so busy because the following day was the open day at Edwards AFB. We went to the open day and it was great. No NASA stuff on display but some serious late 80s/ early 90s US Air Force kit. B2 stealth bomber, F-117 fighters doing a supersonic fly past and landing, and Blackbird.