Chronology of Space Shuttle Booster Joint Capture FeatureBy Fred Policelli
Updated June 1, 2011
|
| 1 |
Apr.1981 to Jan, 1986 |
24 Shuttles W/O Capture Features Launched [most had burn-eroded O-rings] |
| 2 |
Jan, 1981 |
NASA Requested Hercules to perform a 'Feasibility Study' on a Composite SRM |
| 3 |
Nov, 1981 |
NASA Proposal Request to Hercules for SRM-FWC motor Development program |
| 4 |
Dec 1, 1981 |
Hercules presents results of completed 'Feasibility Study' to NASA at MSFC |
| 5 |
Dec 4, 1981 |
Joint O-ring Capture Feature invented by Hercules for SRM-FWC motor |
| 6 |
Mar, 1982 |
Hercules SRM-FWC proposal submitted to NASA for FWC, w/ Capture Feature |
| 7 |
Apr 12, 1982 |
Proposal Review w/ NASA & TCC; they reject Capture Feature. After intense discussion and 2 day caucus NASA said to go ahead with it. |
| 8 |
May, 1982 |
NASA awards Hercules the 'Light-Weigh' SRM-FWC Development Contract |
| 9 |
Mid 1984 |
Hercules completes 3 SRM-FWC Development motors with DM-7 static firing |
| 10 |
Mid 1985 |
Hercules completes 3 SRM-FWC Qualification motors with QM-6 static firing |
| 11 |
Jul, 1985 |
NASA ordered 72 new steel TCC case segments with O-ring Capture Features |
| 12 |
Jan 28, 1986 |
Challenger STS-51-L [25th Launch] explodes, [burn-eroded O-rings recovered] |
| 13 |
Mid 1986 |
NASA cancels Hercules SRM-FWC Contract |
| 14 |
Sep 29, 1988 |
Launch of Discovery STS-26, first steel cases w/Capture Features [no anomalies] |
| 15 |
1988 to May, 2010 |
107 Space Shuttles with Joint O-ring Capture Features Launched [no anomalies] |
| 16 |
Jul 8, 2011 |
Last Space Shuttle, Atlantus, Launched with Capture Features, returned safely to earth on July 21, 2011 |