Disasters in Space: Tragic Stories From the US–Soviet Space Race

Disasters in Space: Tragic Stories From the US–Soviet Space Race, Hermann Woydt, 2018, ISBN 978-0-7643-5617-9144 pp.

Disasters in Space: Tragic Stories From the US–Soviet Space Race by
Hermann Woydt

Author Hermann Woydt has given historians a empty niche filling work. He addresses, throughly yet concisely, the human cost of space exploration to date—a question left unanswered until this welcome arrival of Disasters In Space. Most readers will recall a lethally catastrophic event here or there but Woydt’s work gives readers a view from on high as well as close up yielding a deep understanding of space exploration’s human dimension.

Disaster brings forth deep emotion which is often expressed through art and Hermann Woydt is sensitive to this with his understated, though powerful, opening images of NASA’s black granite Space Mirror Memorial and of the soaring Monument to the Conquerers of Space located in Moscow.

Woydt’s description of these historic, and headlining events, is clear and easy to read. His research into the detail of each disaster is refreshing and thorough. This is no cursory or  vicarious book. This book is a work worthy of any library concerned with the specialties of aerospace’s history or exploration’s history in general. Decisions made which ended in unintentional death are explained in the context of the time as well as their resultant corrective measures. There is much to learn and see within this handily sized book. We learn, for example how the unintended simultaneous detonations of only two explosive bolts, not in sequence as intended, caused the deaths of three cosmonauts. Deep knowledge comes from Woydt’s understanding why the decision was made to have three cosmonaut’s in the Soyuz capsule which began the chain of purposeful decisions leading to the loss of three fine souls. Woydt equally tends to the Challenger as well as Columbia disasters with this same deep understanding. The chapter on Spaceplane SpaceShip 2 is incredibly timely as space exploration become increasingly privatized. We learn that, though the crash is chiefly attributed to pilot error, there were design decisions which directly fomented the co-pilot’s crash inducing error.

There is much in between as the near disasters in the Gemini and Apollo programs attest.

Woydt may have a wry sense of humor as there are 13 events, each having its own chapter, in Disasters in Space. Or is it coincidence? Regardless, it shows the author’s talent. This book is as important for the historical descriptions as it is for the painful lessons learned as humankind found its way into space.

Hornet at Mach

An F/A-18F Super Hornet breaking the sound barrier on a fly past—U.S. Navy/ Mass Comm Spec Seaman Michael A. Colemanberry

The magic of a fast mover just at Mach 1 with the rapid and continuing condensation of water vapor behind the compression of the shock wave where the pressure rapidly drops. At times there are multiples—just aft of the cockpit canopy for example.

An F/A-18F Super Hornet breaking the sound barrier during a fly past—U.S. Navy/ Mass Comm Specialist 3rd Class Spencer Roberts

A Hurry, a Lanc and a Spit

From the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) in the skies above Lincolnshire is the Hawker Hurricane LF363, lettered GN-F on the port side to represent the aircraft flown by Battle of Britain ace Wing Commander Tom Neil DFC as well as Bar AFC AE LdH. SD-A is lettered on the starboard side to represent Paul Farnes DFM aircraft during the Battle of Britain. The Avro Lancaster PA474 wearing 460 Squadron (RAAF)’s AR-L on her portside and 50 Squadron VN-T on her starboard side (note the Hurricane pilot’s concentration while flying formation with the Lanc) —© Crown Copyright 2014/Cpl Phil Major

From the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) in the skies above Lincolnshire is the Hawker Hurricane LF363, lettered GN-F on the port side to represent the aircraft flown by Battle of Britain ace Wing Commander Tom Neil DFC as well as Bar AFC AE LdH. SD-A is lettered on the starboard side to represent Paul Farnes DFM aircraft during the Battle of Britain. The Avro Lancaster PA474 wearing 460 Squadron (RAAF)’s AR-L on her portside and 50 Squadron VN-T on her starboard side—© Crown Copyright 2014/Cpl Phil Major

From the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) in the skies above Lincolnshire is the Hawker Hurricane LF363, lettered GN-F on the port side to represent the aircraft flown by Battle of Britain ace Wing Commander Tom Neil DFC as well as Bar AFC AE LdH. SD-A is lettered on the starboard side to represent Paul Farnes DFM aircraft during the Battle of Britain. The Avro Lancaster PA474 wearing 460 Squadron (RAAF)’s AR-L on her portside and 50 Squadron VN-T on her starboard side. ‘MK’ has been painted in a desert camouflage to represent Spitfire Mk IX EN 152/QJ-3 of 92 Squadron based in Tunisia during 1943—© Crown Copyright 2014/Cpl Phil Major

From the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) in the skies above Lincolnshire is the Hawker Hurricane LF363, lettered GN-F on the port side to represent the aircraft flown by Battle of Britain ace Wing Commander Tom Neil DFC as well as Bar AFC AE LdH. SD-A is lettered on the starboard side to represent Paul Farnes DFM aircraft during the Battle of Britain. The Avro Lancaster PA474 wearing 460 Squadron (RAAF)’s AR-L on her portside and 50 Squadron VN-T on her starboard side—© Crown Copyright 2014/Cpl Phil Major

 

Veterans Day 2018

Marines with Marines Barracks Washington perform a 21-gun salute while taps play in honor of the lives lost by fellow Marines and service members—USMC image

The U.S. Marine Corps Ceremonial Guard Company marching on parade—Department of Defense photo/ by EJ Hersom

Airbus Beluga XL

Missiles—Now and Then

NOW: A Tomahawk cruise missile launches from the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Shoup (DDG 86) during a live-fire exercise—U.S. Navy/Mass Comm Spec 2nd Class William Collins III

THEN: Gorgon missile underneath the wing of a Northrop P-61 Black Widow—NASA image

SOFIA On the Fly

 

SOFIA with telescope’s shutter door open revealing the IR telescope used to look back in time—C. Thomas/NASA image

NASA operates a Boeing B-747SP (see previous posts) so that a unique IR telescope can be carried aloft. This is SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy)—a telescope which senses within the infrared portion of the light spectrum. This telescope is quite large and more capable than those based on land or in orbit. SOFIA is a cooperative mission between the USA’s NASA and Germany’s Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR, or the German Aerospace Center). DLR built the quite large IR telescope which has a diameter of 2.5m (100 inches) and weighs 20,000kg (44,100 lbs)—operating within the frequency range of  0.3–1600 μm (microns). It is a Bent Cassegrain/Nasmyth design and serves to gather information especially from nebular gas clouds which is fed to instruments aboard the NASA’s 747SP. One of these instruments is known as GREAT, an acronym for German Receiver for Astronomy at Terahertz (frequencies), though there are many other instruments, as well. Recently the frequency was nearly doubled from ~2 THz to 4.1 THz vastly increasing the richness sensed by the telescope.

Being airborne, the telescope can be positioned nearly anywhere in the world (so celestial events can be observed at the optimum coordinate and time) and it is above 99% of the Earth’s atmosphere (eliminating nearly all of its adverse effects). Aircraft vibrations are zeroed out with actuators which sense these vibrations and counteract them, effectively providing a vibration free base.

The aircraft (N747NA) was originally built for Pan American Airways in 1977 and christened Clipper Lindbergh. Later it was sold to United Airlines and retired thereafter. Later acquired by NASA it was fitted for flight and modified to carry the large telescope aloft in a fuselage bay located between the wing and the tail. A large hatch (shutter) can be rotated upward to expose the telescope to observe the heavens as well as to expose what is known as “the cavity” to the harsh conditions of the stratosphere. The aircraft is designed to fly 900 missions per year at an altitude range of 39,000–45,000 feet (~11,800–~13,600 meters) with as many as 25 persons on board for eight hours of observation at a time—all at -60º C (-76º F) and 800kph (500 mph). Clipper Lindbergh was refitted after 2011 with most of the science system wiring replaced (15,000 connections were rewired), three times more power made available to the scientific instruments, the telescope mirror cleaned, the cavity door improved as well as the cavity’s environmental control (better keeping water as well as water vapor out) and the cockpit was transformed from analog based to digitally based (i.e., a glass cockpit).

The IR telescope is the pointed end of the stick investigating the chemical reactions which have occurred (since the light received was emitted ages ago the past tense seems appropriate to use) so that galaxy evolution, planetary system formation and the chemical intricacies of stellar gas clouds can be fathomed.

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Additional References

SOFIA Stellar—Stellar SOFIA: Southern Hemisphere missions mark new day for the program, The Dryden Express, Oct 2013, Vol 5 No 8 (2.6Mb)

SOFIA self-guided tour—Stellar SOFIA, 2013, NASA (216kb)

SOFIA_Mercury—NASA’s New Airborne Observatory Sees “First Light”, Nicholas A. Veronico, 2010, Summer issue of Mercury (1.8Mb)

SOFIA departing Hamburg in late 2014—Alexander Golz/DLR (German Aerospace Center/Deutsches Zentrum für Luft-und Raumfahrt e.V.) image

SOFIA departing Hamburg in late 2014—Alexander Golz/DLR (German Aerospace Center/Deutsches Zentrum für Luft-und Raumfahrt e.V.) image

SOFIA departing Hamburg in late 2014—Alexander Golz/DLR (German Aerospace Center/Deutsches Zentrum für Luft-und Raumfahrt e.V.) image

SOFIA departing Hamburg in late 2014—Alexander Golz/DLR (German Aerospace Center/Deutsches Zentrum für Luft-und Raumfahrt e.V.) image

SOFIA departing Hamburg in late 2014—Alexander Golz/DLR (German Aerospace Center/Deutsches Zentrum für Luft-und Raumfahrt e.V.) image

SOFIA departing Hamburg in late 2014—Alexander Golz/DLR (German Aerospace Center/Deutsches Zentrum für Luft-und Raumfahrt e.V.) image

SOFIA’s glass cockpit—DLR (German Aerospace Center/Deutsches Zentrum für Luft-und Raumfahrt e.V.) image

SOFIA’s cockpit showing as many as four crew positions though two are the norm—Thilo Kranz/DLR (German Aerospace Center/Deutsches Zentrum für Luft-und Raumfahrt e.V.) image

SOFIA’s cockpit—Thilo Kranz/DLR (German Aerospace Center/Deutsches Zentrum für Luft-und Raumfahrt e.V.) image

IR telescope’s backend of SOFIA rotating to position—Thilo Kranz/DLR (German Aerospace Center/Deutsches Zentrum für Luft-und Raumfahrt e.V.) image

SOFIA at homebase in Palmdale CA—DLR (German Aerospace Center/Deutsches Zentrum für Luft-und Raumfahrt e.V.) image

SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy) in Cologne 2011—Thilo Kranz/DLR (German Aerospace Center/Deutsches Zentrum für Luft-und Raumfahrt e.V.) image

 

The Lightning II and the HMS Queen Elizabeth (no tail hook no catapult required)

An F-35B Lightning II fighter jet taking off from the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) laying the foundation for the next 50 years of fixed wing aviation for the United Kingdom’s carrier strike capability (note the lift fan door has been raised indicating the vertical lift system is engaged)—U.S. Navy photo courtesy of the Royal Navy by LPhot Kyle Heller

The Royal Navy’s newest aircraft carrier is innovative for its two islands and is wedded to the Lockheed F-35B Lightning II S/VTOL for offensive potential. The ramp as well as the Lightning’s vertical lift system (the engine drives a downward directed fan located aft of the cockpit at the expense of fuel storage volume of the F-35A and F-35C) eliminate the requirement for catapult systems. Additionally, the aircraft (Lightnings as well as helicopters) aboard the HMS Queen Elizabeth do not require arresting cables. No tail hooks here.

An F-35B Lightning II fighter jet taking off from the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) laying the foundation for the next 50 years of fixed wing aviation for the United Kingdom’s carrier strike capability (note the lift fan door has been raised indicating the vertical lift system is engaged)—U.S. Navy photo courtesy of the Royal Navy by LPhot Kyle Heller

A flight of F-35B Lightnings fly over the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)(note yet another British aircraft carrier innovation of two islands, the forward one for ship ops and the aft one for flight ops)—U.S. Navy photo courtesy of Lockheed Martin

BF-4 Flt 511 Sqn Ldr Andy Edgell and BF-5 Flt 374 Mr. Peter Wilson during night ops aboard the HMS Queen Elizabeth on 29 Sep 2018 (note the exhaust nozzle has swirled to the vertical)—Crown Copyright

An F-35 Lightning II fighter jet on night ops aboard the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) (note the exhaust nozzle has swirled to the vertical)—U.S. Navy photo courtesy of Lockheed Martin

Super Carrier—only in the U.S. Navy

 

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) transiting the strategic Strait of Hormuz—U.S. Navy photo/Mass Comm Spec 3rd Class John Grandin

Occasionally, as other countries field a new or revamped aircraft carrier, much of the press (though we love them) oversimplify and speculate that the U.S. Navy is losing dominance. Hardly. Other countries field aircraft carriers. The U.S. Navy fields super carriers which have 1.5x to 2x times the number of aircraft and of greater variety for enhanced mission flexibility. No other navy has shipborne aviation assets which can perform aerial refueling. No other navy can project force with an alpha strike like the U.S. Navy. The USN super carriers, nuclear powered as they are, are limited only in aviation fuel, munitions and food—which of course can be resupplied while at sea and on the move. Aircraft carriers require support with many ships for antiaircraft, antimissile and ASW duties. As the board game Harpoon teaches us, though: the only problem greater than having an aircraft carrier is not having an aircraft carrier. And the USN has eleven super carriers—quite the advantage and most difficult for adversaries to overcome.

The only safe USN aircraft carrier if opposing the U.S. or her allies: Newport News Shipbuilding floods Dry Dock 12 to float the first in class aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78)—U.S. Navy/Mass Comm Spec 1st Class Joshua J. Wahl

USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) transiting the Atlantic Ocean —U.S. Navy photo/ Mass Comm Specialist 3rd Class Shane Bryan

USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) in the Strait of Malacca showing 46 of 80+ aircraft compliment—U.S. Navy photo by Mass Comm Spec 3rd Class Anthony J. Rivera

Aircraft performing a fly-by (interesting, with aircraft as well as helicopters) over the USS Nimitz (CVN 68)—U.S. Navy photo by Mass Comm Spec Seaman Aiyana S. Paschal

No other country can deploy a super carrier much less multiple super carriers: Nimitz-class aircraft carriers USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) and USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75); the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mason (DDG 87) from Destroyer Squadron 2; the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Forrest Sherman (DDG 98) and USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) from Destroyer Squadron 28; and the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60) while transiting the Atlantic Ocean—U.S. Navy photo by Mass Comm Spec 1st Class Brian M. Brooks

USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) underway during aviation training—U.S. Navy photo by Mass Comm Spec 3rd Class Brooke Macchietto

USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) at sea in the Atlantic Ocean during aviator training—U.S. Navy photo by Mass Comm Spec 3rd Class Brooke Macchietto

All HALE-D—stratospheric eye in the sky

HALE-D (High Altitude Long Endurance–Demonstrator) is a proof of concept airship for the U.S. Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command’s High Altitude Airship (HAA)—Lockheed Martin image

The High Altitude Long Endurance–Demonstrator (HALE-D) is a small version of the intended ultimate design for an airship with the mission of monitoring and observation. Powered by solar film and electric thrusting motors a HALE-D should take up and maintain position at an altitude of 12 miles which would give it the capability of observing 600 square miles and millions of cubic miles of airspace. HALE-Ds have the potential to cost and operate at a fraction of satellite recce.

HALE-D (High Altitude Long Endurance–Demonstrator) is a proof of concept airship for the U.S. Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command’s High Altitude Airship (HAA)—Lockheed Martin image

HALE-D (High Altitude Long Endurance–Demonstrator) is a proof of concept airship for the U.S. Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command’s High Altitude Airship (HAA)—Lockheed Martin image

HALE-D (High Altitude Long Endurance–Demonstrator) is a proof of concept airship for the U.S. Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command’s High Altitude Airship (HAA)—Lockheed Martin image