Sierra Hotel Blog
When Space Shuttle Columbia touched down at Edwards AFB on April 14, 1981 after her STS-1 maiden flight, nobody knew how close disaster had come. An overpressure wave from the solid rocket booster had damaged the heat shield and forced the body flap 5° beyond safe limits — a hydraulic rupture would have made controlled descent impossible. Commander John Young later admitted they would have ejected had they known.
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General Joe Henry Engle earned astronaut wings in the X-15 at just 32 years old, flew 17 X-15 missions, and commanded two Space Shuttle missions including STS-2 aboard Columbia. He also flew Space Shuttle Enterprise on multiple unpowered Approach and Landing Tests, releasing from NASA's 747 at 25,000 feet. Joe flew over 185 aircraft types and logged more than 15,400 hours. He flew west on July 10, 2024, at the age of 91.
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