Space Shuttle (NASA)
National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Space Shuttle Columbia
Operator: NASA
Location: Kennedy Space Center, Florida (USA)
Timeframe: 1995-1999

Personal Interest:
This model represents the Space Shuttle Columbia with the older NASA markings (pre-1998), the oldest of the four space shuttles. I selected Columbia for this model because it was the orbiter I supported the most frequently. There were 27 Space Shuttle launches from Kennedy Space Center LC-39A/B during my tour of duty: 9 Columbia, 7 Atlantis, 6 Discovery, and 5 Endeavour. Interestingly, my unit (45th WS) provided launch weather briefings for all types except the Space Shuttle, for which launch weather was provided from the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Even so, I provided meteorological support for safety; local thunderstorms posed a significant risk to pre-launch support activities.