Columbia

Launch Debris Hit Statistics

Columbia Challenger Discovery Atlantis
Sequence Designation Date Major Debris Hits (>1") Total Debris Hits Major Debris Hits (>1") Total Debris Hits Major Debris Hits (>1") Total Debris Hits Major Debris Hits (>1") Total Debris Hits
6 STS-6 4/4/1983 36 120
7 STS-7 6/18/1983 48 253
8 STS-8 8/30/1983 7 56
9 41H 11/28/1983 14 58
10 41B 2/3/1984 34 63
11 41C 4/6/1984 8 36
12 41D 8/30/1984 30 111
13 41G 10/5/1984 36 154
14 51A 11/8/1984 20 87
15 51C 1/24/1985 28 81
16 51D 4/12/1985 46 152
17 51B 4/29/1985 63 140
18 51G 6/17/1985 144 315
19 51F 7/29/1985 226 553
20 51I 8/27/1985 33 141
21 51J 10/3/1985 17 111
22 61A 10/30/1985 34 183
23 61B 11/26/1985 55 257
24 61C 1/12/1986 39 193
26 26R 9/29/1988 55 411
27 27R 12/2/1988 250 707
28 29R 3/11/1989 23 132
29 30R 5/4/1989 56 151
30 28R 8/8/1989 20 76
31 34R 10/18/1989 18 53
32 33R 11/22/1989 21 118
33 32R 1/9/1990 15 120
Total Hits: 338 1154 492 1558 400 1548 146 572
29.3% 31.6% 25.8% 25.5%
Flights 5 9 9 4
Hits/flight 230.8 173.1111 172 143

 

Source: Safety of the Thermal Protection System of the Space Shuttle Orbiter: Quantitative Analysis and Organizational Factors, page 30

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