Jan 12 1996
From The Space Library
G. Porter Bridwell retired after nearly 40 years of service at MSFC in Huntsville, Alabama. Bridwell had served as Director of MSFC from 1994 until his retirement. He left the Center with an annual operating budget of US$2.5 billion and more than 3,000 employees. Bridwell had spent most of his career at MSFC, serving briefly as Acting Director of Stennis Space Center in 1987, and at NASA Headquarters from 1993 to 1994. Bridwell had also been a member of the space station redesign team. During his tenure, Bridwell had received NASA's Exceptional Service Medal, the Outstanding Leadership Medal, and the Exceptional Achievement Medal, attaining the rank of Meritorious Executive. NASA announced that J. Wayne Littles would take over as the new Director of MSFC.
Republican presidential candidate Patrick J. Buchanan announced that he would cancel a controversial political advertisement using images of the Space Shuttle Challenger accident. Responding to harsh criticism from New Hampshire residents, Buchanan removed the footage of Challenger from the television spot. Buchanan stated that the purpose of the advertisement, his first in the crucial primary state of New Hampshire, was to demonstrate his service to President Ronald Reagan during difficult times. However, in the home state of teacher-astronaut Christa McAuliffe, who had died in the accident, many residents felt that the campaign's use of the images exploited the event for political gain. The political controversy brought to the foreground the lingering public dismay over the lost Challenger, even as the 10-year anniversary of the tragedy neared.
Shuttle Endeavour lifted off from Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Cape Canaveral, Florida, beginning a mission focused primarily on plucking the Japanese Space Flying Unit from orbit for analysis. Commander Brian Duffy led a six-person crew, which included Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata. Endeavour also carried a small satellite to deploy. KSC officials delayed Endeavour's launch for 23 minutes because of a series of communications problems between the Shuttle crew and the flight-control team. Endeavour's flight was the first of eight Shuttle missions planned by NASA for 1996.
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