NASA celebrates 40 years of Discovery, the longest-serving Space Shuttle

Never one to ignore a bit of history, NASA this week marked the 40th anniversary of Space Shuttle Discovery's public debut during a rollout at the Palmdale manufacturing plant in California on October 16, 1983. Discovery had been under construction by Rockwell International since 1979 and its maiden flight took place in 1984 …

[Ol'Peculier]

It's very grubby when you see it close up, but I guess I would be too if I'd been round the world that many times...

[Ashentaine]

Not to mention all those atmospheric re-entries. That'll do a number on your paint job that no amount of washing and waxing will protect from.

[Marty McFly]

No references to cite....but I seem to recall a documentary about Discovery's retirement. The Smithsonian specifically requested Discovery be donated & displayed in a fresh-from-orbit state. The other retired shuttles got a fluff & buff, but Discovery was intentionally left as-is.

(Of course, aside from removing any unsafe substances - propellants, etc.)

[wiggers]

Spaceship

...designed by a committee.

[Yet Another Anonymous coward]

Re: Spaceship

Design by a committee is OK, there are very few space programs entirely designed by a lone bloke in a shed

The problem was that it's requirements were created by a bunch of competing agencies, some of which later dropped out once their compromises had been implemented. (see also any European fighter program involving the French)

[Gene Cash]

Re: Spaceship

Yes. The big one was the USAF. The Air Force insisted on a huge one-orbit cross-range capability, which incurred the large & heavy delta wings, as opposed to smaller straight wings... and of course this capability was never needed.

The other one was President Nixon.

He absolutely insisted on the cheapest, most bare-bone option, which was the SRBs & Orbiter on an expendable tank, and specifically vetoed the flyback booster that would have made it truly reusable, long before SpaceX.

This of course was the configuration that killed 14 people.

So in addition to being a thief and a liar, he was a murderer.

[Yet Another Anonymous coward]

Re: Spaceship

And the Nasa director from Utah who wanted Morton Thiokol to make the giant fireworks which meant they needed joints, which needed O rings....

[PRR]

Re: Spaceship

> President Nixon...... killed 14 people.

A few space-folk is the least of it. That Quaker escalated Viet Nam, knowing that many in my generation would die or be maimed for no good reason.

[Yet Another Anonymous coward]

Re: Spaceship

But if he hadn't we wouldn't have a cheap source of labor to undercut China

[MyffyW]

Re: Spaceship

Well ... Nixon also curtailed the Apollo programme, which given it's experimental nature (and if left to run for long enough) would possibly have had further casualties. Space is dangerous. Nixon was an autocratic old fsck who was rightly removed from high office. But his culpability in Astronaut-hazing is not quite so clear cut.

[TM™]

It stopped the spread of democracy and self determination throughout central Asia. I guess those in charge considered the escalation a price worth paying.