{"id":168355,"date":"2021-11-04T12:54:00","date_gmt":"2021-11-04T16:54:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?migration=converted-node-475123"},"modified":"2023-09-16T10:36:00","modified_gmt":"2023-09-16T14:36:00","slug":"40-years-ago-one-week-before-columbias-return-to-space-sts-2-launch-scrub","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/40-years-ago-one-week-before-columbias-return-to-space-sts-2-launch-scrub\/","title":{"rendered":"40 Years Ago: One Week Before Columbia\u2019s Return to Space \u2013 STS-2 Launch Scrub"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Space shuttle Columbia\u2019s much-anticipated return to space would have to wait another few days. The countdown for the Nov. 4, 1981 launch of STS-2 proceeded smoothly until the final few minutes when mission managers scrubbed the liftoff after a technical issue halted the count in the final few seconds. Astronauts <a href=\"https:\/\/historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov\/JSCHistoryPortal\/history\/oral_histories\/EngleJH\/englejh.htm\" rel=\"noopener\">Joe H. Engle<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov\/JSCHistoryPortal\/history\/oral_histories\/NASA_HQ\/Administrators\/TrulyRH\/trulyrh.htm\" rel=\"noopener\">Richard H. Truly<\/a> had arrived at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida two days earlier and climbed into Columbia\u2019s cockpit for the launch attempt. Managers rescheduled the launch for Nov. 12, giving Engle and Truly time to return to Houston for additional simulator training as ground crews at KSC recycled Columbia for its next attempt at returning to space. A launch on that day would provide Truly with an out-of-this-world birthday present.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"sts 2 l-2 week\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/sts_2_l-1_week_1_sts2-0199-19811102-02_ksc-81p-504-11.2.81.jpg\" width=\"316\" height=\"250\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"sts 2 l-2 week ksc nov 4 1981\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/sts_2_l-1_week_2_ksc-81pc-891_nov_4_1981.jpg\" width=\"316\" height=\"250\"><br>\n<em>Left: STS-2 astronauts Joe H. Engle, left, and Richard H. Truly arrive at NASA\u2019s Kennedy<br>\nSpace Center in Florida for the Nov. 4 launch attempt. Right: Space shuttle<br>\nColumbia on Launch Pad 39A.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The 73-hour countdown for STS-2 began on schedule on Oct. 31. With built-in holds to provide ground crews with extra time to catch up on activities if needed, the countdown actually took 102.5 hours until the planned 7:30 a.m. EST Nov. 4 liftoff time. Engle and Truly arrived at KSC on Nov. 2 to prepare for their launch, that included flying practice landings in the Shuttle Training Aircraft and reviewing flight plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"sts 2 l-2 week\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/sts_2_l-1_week_3_sts2-0207-81p-512-11.4.81.jpg\" width=\"315\" height=\"250\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"sts 2 l-2 week\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/sts_2_l-1_week_4_sts2-0211-81p-517-11.4.81.jpg\" width=\"316\" height=\"250\"><br>\n<em>Left: In Crew Quarters in the Operations and Checkout (O&C) Building, STS-2 astronauts<br>\nRichard H. Truly, left, and Joe H. Engle sit down for the traditional prelaunch breakfast.<br>\nRight: Truly, left, and Engle suiting up in the O&C Building.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On launch day, ground teams at KSC\u2019s Launch Pad 39A filled the shuttle\u2019s large external tank with super-cold liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen and prepared Columbia for its second trip into space. In the Crew Quarters of KSC\u2019s Operations and Checkout (O&C) Building, Engle and Truly ate the traditional prelaunch breakfast, donned their pressure suits, and took the astronaut van to Launch Pad 39A where they climbed aboard Columbia for the final two hours of the countdown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"315\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/sts_2_l-1_week_5_sts2-0214-81pc-910-11.4.81.jpg\" alt=\"sts 2 l-2 week\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"316\" height=\"250\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/sts_2_l-1_week_6_sts2-0215-81p-521-11.4.81.jpg\" alt=\"sts 2 l-2 week\"><br><em>Left: Outside the Operations and Checkout (O&C) Building, STS-2 astronauts Joe H. Engle, front, and Richard H. Truly prepare to board the astronaut van for the ride to Launch Pad 39A. Right: After the launch scrub, Truly, left, and Engle return to the O&C Building, accompanied by George W.S. Abbey, Chief of Flight Crew Operations at NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center in Houston.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The countdown proceeded smoothly until it reached a planned hold at T-minus nine minutes. An indication of lower than allowable pressure in the external tank\u2019s oxygen tank caused the hold to be extended. Engineers quickly resolved the issue and the countdown resumed, proceeding until T-minus 31 seconds, when the automated ground launch sequencer commanded a hold. Engineers traced the problem to low pressure readings in the oxygen tanks feeding Columbia\u2019s three power-generating fuel cells. They attempted to override the launch sequencer as the pressures were low but still within acceptable levels to allow a safe launch, but were successful for only two of the fuel cells. Meanwhile, engineers also noticed slightly higher than expected oil pressures in the Auxiliary Power Units, used to move Columbia\u2019s aerodynamic surfaces, that, although not a concern for launch, may have caused a problem later in the mission. Faced with these technical issues and deteriorating weather conditions at KSC, managers decided to call off the launch attempt. Engle and Truly, disappointed by the scrub, climbed out of Columbia and returned to Crew Quarters in the O&C Building. To allow engineers enough time to assess the problem and implement the necessary maintenance, mission managers reset the launch for Nov. 12.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"engle truly at ellington after scrub nov 5 1981\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/sts_2_l-1_week_7_engle_truly_at_ellington_after_scrub_nov_5_1981_s81-39413.jpg\" width=\"331\" height=\"220\"> <img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"truly engle w birthday card nov 10 1981\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/sts_2_l-1_week_8_truly_engle_w_birthday_card_nov_10_1981_s81-39425.jpg\" width=\"288\" height=\"220\"><br>\n<em>Left: Astronauts Joe H. Engle, left, and Richard H. Truly talk to the media following<br>\ntheir arrival back at Ellington Air Force Base in Houston after the Nov. 4 launch scrub.<br>\nRight: Back again at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center for the next launch attempt, Engle,<br>\nleft, helps Truly opens an oversize birthday card.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Following the launch scrub, Engle and Truly returned to Houston for a few days and completed last-minute simulator runs. Knowing that on Nov. 12 Truly would celebrate his 44th birthday, students in Shirley Dynum\u2019s art class at Carver-Jones Elementary School in Baytown, Texas, prepared a custom-made oversized birthday card. They delivered the card to JSC on Nov. 10, just before Engle and Truly departed to return to KSC for the next launch attempt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>To be continued\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Space shuttle Columbia\u2019s much-anticipated return to space would have to wait another few days. The countdown for the Nov. 4, 1981 launch of STS-2 proceeded smoothly until the final few minutes when mission managers scrubbed the liftoff after a technical issue halted the count in the final few seconds. Astronauts Joe H. Engle and Richard […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":74,"featured_media":169664,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nasa_hds_core_meta_l10n":"en-US","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_editor":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_contacts":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_topic":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_linked_locations":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_related_articles":[],"hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_id":"","hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_type":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_x":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_y":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_gallery_images":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[2671,2725,3030],"news-tags":[],"internal-terms":[12664,11995],"coauthors":[11996],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"40 Years Ago: One Week Before Columbia\u2019s Return to Space \u2013 STS-2 Launch Scrub","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/40-years-ago-one-week-before-columbias-return-to-space-sts-2-launch-scrub\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/40-years-ago-one-week-before-columbias-return-to-space-sts-2-launch-scrub\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/sts_2_l-1_week_1_sts2-0199-19811102-02_ksc-81p-504-11.2.81.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/sts_2_l-1_week_1_sts2-0199-19811102-02_ksc-81p-504-11.2.81.jpg"},"articleSection":"NASA History","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"John Uri"}],"creator":["John Uri"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["Missions","Space Shuttle","STS-2","NASA History"],"dateCreated":"2021-11-04T16:54:00Z","datePublished":"2021-11-04T16:54:00Z","dateModified":"2023-09-16T14:36:00Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"40 Years Ago: One Week Before Columbia\u2019s Return to Space \u2013 STS-2 Launch Scrub\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/40-years-ago-one-week-before-columbias-return-to-space-sts-2-launch-scrub\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/sts_2_l-1_week_1_sts2-0199-19811102-02_ksc-81p-504-11.2.81.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2021-11-04T16:54:00Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"NASA History\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"Missions,Space Shuttle,STS-2,NASA History\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"John Uri\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":4,"time_ago":"3 years","featured_image":{"id":169664,"file":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/sts_2_l-1_week_1_sts2-0199-19811102-02_ksc-81p-504-11.2.81.jpg","title":"sts_2_l-1_week_1_sts2-0199-19811102-02_ksc-81p-504-11.2.81","alt":"sts 2 l-2 week","caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168355"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/74"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=168355"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168355\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":509307,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168355\/revisions\/509307"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/169664"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=168355"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=168355"},{"taxonomy":"news-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-tags?post=168355"},{"taxonomy":"internal-terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-terms?post=168355"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=168355"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}