The Complete Book of Spaceflight: From Apollo 1 to Zero Gravity

oughly triangular blades, was to be carried into a nearcircular
850 km orbit, with an inclination of 78°, aboard
a 100-kg spacecraft in late 2002. Imaging systems aboard
the spacecraft are designed to show if the sail deploys,
using an inflatable tube system to which the sail material
will be attached, as planned.
COSPAR (Committee on Space Research)
An organization within the International Council of Scientific
Unions, to which the United States belongs
through the National Academy of Sciences. COSPAR
was formed in 1958 to continue the cooperative research
program in space science begun during the International
Geophysical Year. It has its headquarters in Paris and
holds scientific assemblies every two years.
countdown
The step-by-step process leading to a launch. It runs
according to a prearranged schedule, measured in terms
of T-time (T minus time before the engine start sequence
begins, and T plus time thereafter). T − 0:00:00 is not
necessarily the liftoff point, however; the Space Shuttle,
for example, typically lifts off at T + 0:00:03.
Courier
A U.S. Army experimental communications satellite that
followed SCORE. (See table, “Courier Satellites.”)
course correction
The controlled firing of a rocket engine during the coasting
phase of a flight to place a spacecraft on a new heading
so that it can arrive successfully at its mission
destination.
CRAF (Comet Rendezvous/Asteroid Flyby)
A canceled NASA probe. It was intended to be launched
in 1995 and to fly by asteroid Hamburga in June 1998
and comet Kopff in August 2000.
crawler-transporter
An immense vehicle, adapted from earthmoving machinery,
that carries the Space Shuttle, and previously the Saturn
V, on a crawlerway from the Vertical Assembly
Courier Satellites
Crippen, Robert Laurel 91
Building to one or the other of launch pads 39A and 39B
at Cape Canaveral. The crawler-transporter is 40 m long
and 35 m wide, weighs 2,721 tons, and contains two
diesel generators that provide 5,600 hp for the electric
drive motor system. It moves on four double-tracked
crawlers with hydraulic jacking pads on 27-m centers.
Traveling at a mere 1.5 km/hr, it guzzles fuel at the rate of
one liter every 1.6 m (one gallon every 20 feet).
crawlerway
A specially prepared dual roadway providing access for
the crawler-transporter to the launch pads, arming tower
parking areas, and the Vertical Assembly Building. The
roadway is designed to support 7.9 million kg. The two
lanes, each 12 m wide, are spaced on 27-m centers to
match the tractor units. The crawlerway has a 5% grade to
take the transporter to the raised level of each pad.
crew safety system (CSS)
The necessary sensors, test equipment, and displays
aboard a spacecraft that detect and diagnose malfunctions
and that allow the crew to make a reasonable assessment
of the contingency. For emergency conditions, the
CSS is capable of initiating an abort automatically.
Crippen, Robert Laurel (1937–)
An American astronaut and a copilot, alongside John
Young, on the maiden voyage of the Space Shuttle on
April 12, 1981. Crippen earned a B.S. in aerospace engineering
from the University of Texas at Austin in 1960
and went on to become a Navy captain. In 1966, he
entered the Manned Orbiting Laboratory program of
the Department of Defense, and in 1969 was recruited
by NASA. Subsequently, he became commander of the
Skylab Medical Experiments Altitude Test and was a
member of the support crew for the Skylab 2, Skylab 3,
Skylab 4, and Apollo-Soyuz Test Project missions. After
the historic first flight, Crippen flew the Shuttle again,
this time as commander, on three more missions, STS-7,
STS-41C, and STS-41G, in 1983 and 1984. He then
became deputy director of NASA Space Transportation
System Operations, before leaving the space agency for
the private sector.
Launch vehicle: Thor-Able Star; launch site: Cape Canaveral
Spacecraft Launch Date Orbit Mass (kg)
Courier 1A Aug. 18, 1960 Exploded 2.5 minutes after launch 225
Courier 1B Oct. 4, 1960 967 × 1,214 km × 28.3° 230