posted 04-29-2018 08:46 AM               

Space Cover #465: STS-107 foam impact tests

After the disintegration of the space shuttle Columbia on February 1, 2003, suspicions pointed strongly at foam insulation peeling off from the main fuel tank, causing a fracture in the wing. NASA ran a foam impact gun test on June 6, 2003 at the facilities of the Southwest Research Institute, which had a nitrogen gun. NASA removed leading edge wing panels from the shuttle "Discovery" and sent it to this facility in San Antonio testing. A piece of foam was fired at the leading edge, causing a 3 inch crack.

Bob Boyd and I learned of the test on the day after and I quickly called a postmistress in San Antonio, ZIP Code 78234, to find out if she could back date 10 covers for June 6th. She told us that normally she could not do that but, they had a special cancellation on that date for the Military Order of the Purple Heart (Alamo Chapter) and if we would accept that, she would apply that cancel to our covers.

I quickly went out and bought a sheet of the Purple Heart Stamps and applied them to 10 covers, sending them to the attention of the postmistress on that same day. I created the cachet on the top cover once we received them back. Bob, Terry Chamberlin, Rick Emshoff and I each got a cover and I think that I traded a couple and sold one on eBay, leaving me with just the one shown.

A month later, Terry Chamberlin learned that a second test was going to occur on July 7, 2003, and he quickly sent 10 covers down to ZIP Code 78284. Terry made up a cachet, later learning that the second test with the gun had a totally unexpected result. A huge 16 inch hole was blown into the carbon-carbon reinforced panel that had been removed from the space shuttle Atlantis. I received one of the few covers that Terry created showing the gaping hole in the wing, and that is pictured above.

These covers can be seen by any of you who may come to the Space Unit meeting at the APS/ATA Stamp Show in Columbus, Ohio on Aug. 9 through 12 as I will be exhibiting my single frame exhibit, "The Life and Death of the Space Shuttle – Columbia" at that show, along with a second single-frame exhibit on "The Venerable WWII B-24 Bomber." If you are planning on coming to that show, bring covers to trade or sell.