Jun 17 1986
From The Space Library
Astronaut James Van Hoften announced his resignation from NASA to enter private industry. His past achievements include two Space Shuttle Flights and the position of Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Houston. He was the fifth astronaut to leave NASA since the January 28 accident. (NASA Release 86-78; USA Today, Jun 18/86; LA Times, Jul 29/86)
The $3 billion launch site at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California was deemed unsafe according to a Senate report released on this date. The salient feature cited was the closed exhaust ducts that could fill with hydrogen gas in the event that a Shuttle's main engines were shut down to abort liftoff or at the end of a flight-readiness test-firing. The report also noted that fog, high winds, and cool temperatures were common to the area and that the proximity of the launch pad to the control center put support personnel at risk. Because the Department of Defense required the California site to achieve polar orbit for reconnaissance satellites, it was recommended that they adopt the "new" Titan missiles. (W Times, Jun 18/86; LA Times, Jun 18/86; Jul 9/86)
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