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There isn't a photo of the crew for this flight? I've been going through the shuttle missions, and this is the first without a crew photo that I've found. -OOPSIE-06:07, 3 February 2007 (UTC)[reply]
"Following STS-9, the flight numbering system for the Space Shuttle program was changed. Thus, the next flight, instead of being designated STS-11, became STS-41-B; the original successor to STS-9, STS-10, was cancelled due to payload delays. This was done due to fears that a flight numbered STS-13 could suffer a mishap as Apollo 13 did."
This seriously needs to be sourced and sounds like a possible prank entry. It's ludicrous to think that NASA scientists and engineers had superstitious feelings about the number 13. --The Vital One (talk) 16:47, 23 December 2017 (UTC)[reply]
I'm looking for more information regarding this incident, after seeing this photo in a Space Shuttle history "iceberg" video - it seems legitimate that it could come from an actual paper, and the markings on Challenger match the ones from the official landing video, but I couldn't find the article/report where that screenshot came from, nor any of the text on Google - I've only been able to find related sources that I've added here and there (see my last edit to the page). Has anyone seen the source of this photo and knows where it can be found and cited? SpacePod9 (talk) 11:21, 21 December 2023 (UTC)
(Found a related source here: [1], not what I'm looking for however) SpacePod9 (talk) 11:59, 21 December 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Another source from Ben Evans, tertiary however: " Other work performed on Challenger between her missions included replacing her left-hand Orbital Manoeuvring System (OMS) pod with one from sister ship Discovery. Significant damage had been identified during inspections after STS-41B. This was caused, apparently, by ice from the potable and waste water dump nozzles. Although these nozzles are situated close to the side hatch in the Shuttle's forward fuselage, the ice apparently detached 22 minutes after re-entry interface and hit the OMS pod as Challenger flew at Mach 4.5 - some 5,500 km/h! Tile damage had also been caused by debris falling from the External Tank during ascent." p. 117
Interesting source I found - it's not currently mentioned in this wiki page at all. Cross-check with the mission summary, and it should be added soon. SpacePod9 (talk) 08:08, 2 February 2024 (UTC)[reply]
Info on this should also be added to this article soon. STS-41-B didn't have the first instance of issues with the SRB's o-rings, but it seems this was the point where engineers and managers started to raise concerns, and where the O-ring distresses and erosions got worse until 51-L.
