Space Shuttle Columbia OV-102 |
(Download a higher resolution picture by clicking on any
picture below.)
Space Shuttle Columbia OV-102 was the first operational orbiter. It was delivered to NASA from Edwards Air Force Base on March 20, 1979. Its first mision was STS-1 which took off on April 12, 1981 from the Kennedy Space Center and landed on April 14, 1981 at Edwards Air Force Base. It conducted 27 successful mission before it broke up over the state of Texas during re-entry at the conclusion of STS-107 on February 1, 2003.
Seven astronauts lost their lives in the accident:Commander Rick Husband
Pilot William McCool
Payload Commander Mike Anderson
Mission Specialist Kalpana Chawla
Mission Specialist Dave Brown
Mission Specialist Laurel Clark
Payload Specialist Ilan Ramone
Space Shuttle Columbia was delivered to NASA from Edwards Air Force Base on March 20, 1979.
747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft
(747-SCA), N905NA prepares for take off with Columbia from Runway
04 at Edwards AFB.
>
>
Work on the thermal protection system of Columbia was not yet completed.
747-SCA flies over Edwards AFB with
Columbia.
Columbia landed on Rogers Dry Lake at Edwards AFB at the conclusion of its first mission on April 14, 1981. John Young, Jr. was the Commander and Navy Captain Robert Crippen was the pilot of STS-1. Northrop T-38A Talons joined formation with the shuttle during its descent to the runway marked out on Rogers Dry Lake.
Emergency vehicles were parked at strategic locations around the lakebed.
Columbia kicks up a rooster tail of dust from the surface of Rogers Dry Lake.
Columbia landed on Runway 22 at Edwards AFB at the conclusion of its fourth mission on July 4, 1982. Captain Thomas Mattingly II was the Commander and Henry "Hank" Hartzfield was the pilot of STS-4.
Columbia rolls out after landing at Edwards AFB
on July 4, 1982. President Ronald Reagan observed the landing from a position near the giant flag in the hangar door on the other side of the runway. NASA Northrop T-38A Talon, N923NA is still flying at a speed well below the landing speed of the Space Shuttle.
A fleet of recovery vehicles and numerous support crew are required to service the orbiter after reentry. The vehicle in front of the word UNITED is equipped with a large fan to blow noxious fumes away from the orbiter
Space Shuttle Challenger OV-099 was delivered to NASA from Edwards AFB shortly after Columbia landed. President Ronald Reagan held a press conference in front of the Enterprise OV-101. Columbia sitting on Runway 22 with 747-SCA N905NA carrying Challenger at Edwards AFB on July 4, 1982. This was the first occasion on which two spaceflight capable space shuttles appeared together. I was the only photographer still waiting on the south side of the runway. All the others had gone to see the President's speech. At the moment I took this picture, President Reagan was leading the crowd in a rendition of God Bless America.
Columbia landing on Runway 22 at Edwards AFB at the conclusion of its fifth flight shortly before sunrise on November 15, 1982. Vance Brand was the Commander and Marine Colonel Robert Overmyer was the pilot of STS-5. This was the first spaceflight to carry more than three people. It carried mission specialists William Lenoir and Joseph Allen.
Columbia after landing at Edwards AFB on November 15, 1982.
Columbia after landing at Edwards AFB on
November 15, 1982.
Columbia descending to a landing on Rogers Dry Lake at Edwards AFB at the conclusion of its eighth flight on August 13, 1989. Brewster Shaw, Jr. was the Commander and Richard Richards was the pilot of STS-28. It carried mission specialists James Adamson, David Leestma, and Mark Brown. I photographed this landing from near Claymine Road, north of Highway 58.
Columbia had launched two classified Department of Defense satellites on the mission.
Shuttle Columbia arrived at Air Force Plant 42 shortly after 10:00 A. M. It had made low passes over NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base and Fox Field, west of Lancaster. For a moment, the 747-SCA, N905NA was handed off to the Fox Field tower by Joshua Control.
747-123 SCA N905NA with Space Shuttle Columbia at Palmdale on September 25, 1999.
You can buy framed prints or greeting cards of this photograph.
The 747-SCA circled at low altitude over the city of Lancaster and paraded around the Antelope Valley before lining up on Runway 25. Astronaut Gordon Fullerton was at the controls of the 747-SCA.
The space shuttle Columbia was expected to be at Palmdale for about nine months. It was scheduled to return to the Kennedy Space Center the following July.
More pictures from Space Shuttle events.
Edwards AFB displays.
You can buy a 2020 calendar featuring my photographs of Space Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.
A dozen photos of 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. Events depicted include:
747-SCA N905NA/Enterprise Approach and Landing Test 1 take-off on August 12, 1977.
747-SCA N905NA/Enterprise Approach and Landing Test 4 take-off on October 12, 1977.
747-SCA N905NA/Columbia delivery take-off on March 20, 1979.
747-SCA N905NA/Challenger static and departure take-off on July 4, 1982.
747-SCA N911NA/Endeavor delivery take-off from Palmdale on May 2, 1991.
747-SCA N905NA/Columbia landing at Palmdale on September 25, 1999.
747-SCA N905NA/Discovery take-off on November 2, 2000.
747-SCA N905NA/Atlantis take-off on July 1, 2007.
747-SCA N911NA/Endeavor take-off on December 10, 2008.
747-SCA N911NA/Discovery take-off on September 20, 2009.
747-SCA N905NA/Endeavor flyover at LAX, September 21, 2012.
Put a copy of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft 2020 calendar in your Lulu.com shopping cart for $14.95.
You can buy a 2020 calendar featuring my photographs of Space Shuttle Endeavour at Edwards Air Force Base.
Bad weather caused the Space shuttle Endeavour to divert to Edwards Air Force Base at the conclusion of STS-126 on November 30, 2007. Following servicing in the Mate/Demate Device, it departed from Edwards on the back of 747 Carrier Aircraft N911NA on December 10.
Put a copy of the Space Shuttle Endeavour at Edwards Air Force Base: 2020 calendar in your Lulu.com shopping cart for $14.95.
You can buy a 2020 calendar featuring my photographs of Space Shuttle Discovery at Edwards Air Force Base.
A dozen photographs of the Space Shuttle Discovery at Edwards Air Force Base. Bad weather at the Kennedy Space Center caused the Space shuttle Discovery to divert to Edwards Air Force Base at the conclusion of mission STS-128 on September 11, 2009. Following servicing in the Mate/Demate Device, it departed from Edwards on the back of 747 Carrier Aircraft N911NA on September 20.
Put a copy of the Space Shuttle Discovery at Edwards Air Force Base: 2020 calendar in your Lulu.com shopping cart for $14.95.
You can buy a 2020 calendar featuring my photographs of Space Shuttle Endeavour's Final Flights.
A dozen photos of Space Shuttle Endeavour's Final Flights. Boeing 747-Shuttle Carrier Aircraft N905NA and Space Shuttle Endeavour arrived at Edwards Air Force Base from Biggs Army Airfield on September 20, 2012. The pair were placed on static display at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center that afternoon. The 747/Shuttle stack departed from Edwards Air Force Base on the morning of September 21. It toured California and several landmarks in the LA Basin. It made two low passes over Los Angeles International Airport before making its final landing. The 747-SCA was flown to Edwards Air Force Base on September 24 where it was retired. The Endeavour ison display at the California Science Center.
Put a copy of the Space Shuttle Endeavour's Final Flights 2020 calendar in your Lulu.com shopping cart for $14.95.
Books and Videos about the Space Shuttle from Amazon.com |
||||||
Books |
||||||
DVDs |
||||||
Visit the Lockett Books Amazon Webstore for a selection of aviation and space related books and DVDs. |
||||||
Send a message to Brian.
