The Space Shuttle Endeavour went on its grand tour of California and landed at LAX Friday but it skipped flying over the SCV entirely. Some readers wrote in:
FYI, Rocketdyne built and tested the liquid fuelled Shuttle Engines not the solid propellant boosters. The solid boosters were produced by Thiokol Corp, Bringham City, Utah.
Another reader wonders why McKeon didn't help us get a shuttle flyover.
Yes, Rocketdyne designed, tested and built the solid rocket boosters. But weren’t the SRBs the cause, arguably, of the most devastating NASA failure in spaceflight? And as a former Canoga Park resident, what exactly would they fly over there, Tommy’s?Well, as I recall, loose/frozen "O-Rings" on the SRBs of the Space Shuttle Challenger were responsible for the explosion which killed 7 astronauts. I still remember that day clearly; I was just a 5th grader at a Catholic school in Canoga Park, but we were watching live because Christa McAullife was on board.
I would think our well connected Congressman should have been able to arrange something for the SCV but perhaps he was too distracted with hearings about the defense sequestration cuts he voted for.
As for McKeon; I'm not sure I'd want our congressman meddling in the flight path of a grand NASA publicity stunt during one of his toughest reelection battles, but it would have made for a good story if he had tried.
What are your favorite shuttle memories? I only saw a shuttle in person once while living in Colorado. Columbia was making a fueling stop on its way back from Edwards to Kennedy Space Center sometime in the 80s. My dad took me out to Peterson Air Force base to see it and bought me a nice picture of Columbia & the 747 flying in front of Pikes Peak.
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