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  Coastal Discovery Museum: X-37B fairing

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Author Topic:   Coastal Discovery Museum: X-37B fairing
Robert Pearlman
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Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 07-31-2010 06:01 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
WIS News 10 (Columbia, South Carolina) reports on a recovered fairing fragment from the Atlas V that launched the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV-1) spaceplane.
A large piece of a Atlas V rocket washed up at Palmetto Dunes on May 22.

On Tuesday, [July 27, 2010] that piece of rocket was unveiled at the Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn on Hilton Head.

It turns out this rocket was launched April 22 from Cape Canaveral in Florida. Michael Rein from United Launch Alliance, the company that owns the rocket, drove up to Hilton Head to try to explain how part of the rocket's faring ended up on the beach.

"The plan was for the faring to come back, hit the water with such a force that they break up and the pieces sink to the bottom. This is the way it's been done for 50 years. Somehow this piece got caught in the current, 550-575 miles later it washed up on your shore," Rein said.

Rein said having rocket debris wash ashore is rare. He is excited to see this piece of space junk has become a real treasure.

"I think the neatest thing about it is if we can introduce any new community to science and technology and take the mystery out of it, it think it's a great thing," said Rein.

For more about the X-37B, see Secret spaceplane's not so secret past

space4u
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Posts: 323
From: Cleveland, OH USA
Registered: Aug 2006

posted 08-09-2010 05:25 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for space4u   Click Here to Email space4u     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
I happen to be with my family on vacation at Hilton Head, SC and was able to go to see the rocket fairing on display at the Coastal Discovery Museum here.

There is a nice display inside the Discovery House with a video getting the rocket ready for launch and a nice display of pins.

The fairing is housed outside under an open sided barn which can be reached by walking on a short path.

space4u
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Posts: 323
From: Cleveland, OH USA
Registered: Aug 2006

posted 08-09-2010 05:26 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for space4u   Click Here to Email space4u     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote

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