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The speedbrakes oscillated and forced Columbia to stop by inches

An astronaut crew fights to stop Columbia on a White Sands runway as speedbrakes oscillate during a high-speed landing - did they make it in time?

The speedbrakes oscillated and forced Columbia to stop by inches

In this episode, we follow the final minutes of STS-3’s landing at White Sands where the shuttle’s systems, the incomplete autoland software, and the crew’s split roles collide. What choices and improvisations did Jack Lousma and Gordon Fullerton make as the approach became the only shot at bringing Columbia safely to a stop?

Person: Jack Lousma

Person: Gordon Fullerton

Event: Landing…

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