Debris falling off the shuttle Discovery.

Check out news.bbc.co.uk...

Originally posted by Scylding

Originally posted by puppet
Did anyone else see that bird hit the fuel tank during lift off?

HE HE HE HILARIOUS!!!

Originally posted by GEORGE

The Apollo program launched 10 manned Saturn 5's from 1968 to 1972 with no loss of life...

I think Grissom, White and Chaffee should count as deaths in that program whether it happened in space or in a groundbased test, don't you?

Just heard on CNN there is significant tile damage. Let hope not. Looked like a little spot to me but guess it wouldn't take much. They can repair this now can't they?

Originally posted by valkeryie
Just heard on CNN there is significant tile damage. Let hope not. Looked like a little spot to me but guess it wouldn't take much. They can repair this now can't they?

Are they saying that because of what has been discovered in the on-orbit inspection? Do you have a link to any printed story yet?

Cannot find link yet but story on CNN right now. Seems like O'brien was stretching the truth, there is some damage but not like he said in the lead up to the story. But they are checking it now. Sorry if i caused any freaking out to anyone else.

Valhall...I wasn't trying to detract from the deaths of Grissom, White and Chaffee...
But I was refering only to Saturn 5's. I do believe the fatal Apollo fire was a Saturn 1B.If we include all none spaceflight fatalities then we should include Astronauts who have died flying aircraft too!... My main point being the Space Shuttle doesn't have a good track record for safety....Only two left now!

Originally posted by TheShroudOfMemphis
What's the significance of this flight?

This is the first flight in almost 2 1/2 years, since the Columbia disaster!
NASA's whole reputation depended on this flight being a success!

What are they up to while they are out in space?

Their testing repair techniques ont the TPS and testing the boom!

They will also dock with the ISS on Thursday to replace the Control Moment Gyroscope, which helps keep the station oriented properly.

The final part of the mission will see the crew install the External Stowage Platform, a sort of space shelf for holding spare parts during Station construction.

I haven't been following it at all but i've seen news reports that they were having some troubles before launch and then because of that the launch was live on TV around the world and the news are sticking with it.

NASA scrubbed the launch last week due to a faulty fuel sensor, so yes they did have a bit of trouble, but the launch was already going to be live around the world because it was the Return To Flight mission!

Is it just me, or does this feel like the media want another explosion?

God NO!!!!!

Maybe having another failure could change the space industry and lead into the new technology they suppose to have? More funding, new technology, bit of excitement and the space industry is reborn?

If there was another accident involving the shuttle public confidence in NASA would go down the drain instantly.....
Shuttle launches would be scrubbed and NASA would have to rely on the Russians to complete the ISS and get their men into orbit until 2010 when the CEV will hopefully be ready!

bit of excitement and the space industry is reborn

You consider another space disaster 'A bit of excitment'???

Originally Posted By Oswald
...and how much is this "test" costing us? While I dig watching the Shuttle and would love to see NASA/JPL probe deeper into space, these missions don't hold much value any longer. The equipment is outdated, regardless of the "upgrades" and amount of money that is sunk into the orbiter to make it "safe" and ready to fly.

This isnt just a test.....

It was a mission to restore faith in the minds of the public and everyone involved in the space program!
Yes the shuttle is an antique but its all we have to complete the ISS!

Believe me, as soon as the CEV is ready it will be in use!


Mic

Originally posted by MickeyDee
NASA's whole reputation depended on this flight being a success

If there was another accident involving the shuttle public confidence in NASA would go down the drain instantly.....

It was a mission to restore faith in the minds of the public and everyone involved in the space program!

- I don't doubt the truth of what you are saying MD but IMO it really is just an indication of how dumbed-down and childish this whole 'area' is......as well as high-lighting the ridiculous nature of our 24hr 'rolling news' type programming we now have to suffer.

Was it ice that fell off the shuttle on launch? Was it paper? Is the 'tile damage' significant or as inconsequential as any of the many other examples which caused no fuss at all on many flights previously?
Any old speculation and gassing off (fixated on the 'spectacular disasters') to fill the dreary endless news 'shows'......and not one of them prepared to make much of the (boring old) examinations with the new cameras and the extending robotic arm and maybe the spacewalks which will happen over the next few days etc etc.

It's like showbizz, presented as showbizz and talked about like showbizz when it is so obviously incredibly difficult, complex and dangerous 'work'.

Sadly the 'die' for this was cast some time ago but for as long as the public are 'schooled' into this idiotic mindset regarding space exploration it will always be dogged by this absurd mentality IMO.

I don't doubt that there are Russians who question the resources they invest in space too but I'd bet the house that they don't run their program like an absurd extension of their TV ratings!



[edit on 27-7-2005 by sminkeypinkey]

Originally posted by sminkeypinkey
I don't doubt that there are Russians who question the resources they invest in space too but I'd bet the house that they don't run their program like an absurd extension of their TV ratings!

You're funny sminkey...actually Russians sell advertising space in their mission control centers that can be seen on TV to raise money for their program.

Originally posted by djohnsto77

You're funny sminkey.

- One tries, one tries.

actually Russians sell advertising space in their mission control centers that can be seen on TV to raise money for their program.

- Yes I was aware of this......but you cannot deny this is a world away from what I was talking about.

The American space program is so skewed towards the superficial (public approval/popularity etc etc) I think it is deeply unhealthy for it's future and that must change.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

&

www.abovetopsecret.com...


Mic

The shutte tiles are basically intact still. The two tiles that were damaged, suffered about 1 1/2 inches of damage, and shuttles have returned with worse than that. The "significant damage" was to the tank. It was a huge chunk of foam that came off it. They released pics today from the shuttle and it's obvious where the foam came off from in them. From what I heard on CNN they've already been inspecting the tiles on the orbiter with the arm and haven't found anything to worry about as far as damage. They've inspected the wings, where the Columbia was damaged, and much of the underside, and found nothing.

Nasa is looking into two debris events. There are video frames apparently showing a piece of heatshield tile breaking off from the underside of the shuttle.
It was this that left the 4cm-wide white spot near the nose landing-gear doors.

Could that not be a fatal area for damage when reentering the earths atmosphear though? I've heard several reports from various news agencys that the damage is severe.

There have been something like 15000 heatshield tiles that were either damaged, or completely fell off during shuttle flights over the years. The pictures and news stories I've seen so far today have all said that the shuttle tiles only have minor damage of less than 2 inches on two tiles.

"He said, however, that there were no signs the crew was in danger. "All indications are that there is no damage to the orbiter," he said."

"The other piece that fell off was a piece of tile from the underside of the orbiter, near a door covering the nose landing gear.

Hale noted that the area holding the tile has a redundant thermal barrier."

www.cnn.com...

Check this ifo out this is about what REALY happened to Columbia back in 03 homepage.ntlworld.com...

Thanks for the laugh. I wasn't aware that putting a big hole in the left wing causing more air resistance on the LEFT side would have caused the RIGHT wing to have more drag on it. To put it in very simple terms, the big hole in the left wing let air into the wing, pushing against the structure inside the wing, thereby causing more drag on the LEFT side. There was less on the right because the right wing wasn't damaged.

[edit on 28-7-2005 by Zaphod58]

Originally posted by SiberianTiger
Check this ifo out this is about what REALY happened to Columbia back in 03 homepage.ntlworld.com...

Come on...does every thread need to be turned into some massive conspiracy theory.

I doubt anyone would "buy" the stuff they have on that site...but what the hell, maybe at least I can open your eyes.

The site looses all credability after the first paragraph.

Claims by NASA that a ten-pound chunk of soft water-resistant foam caused “severe damage to the heat tiles on Columbia’s port [left] wing" are absurd. At the time the foam broke away from the main fuel tank, shortly after launch, Columbia had a velocity of only 513-mph, rendering the oblique glancing impact of the soft foam completely insignificant.

Actually Nasa use a modified chicken gun to shoot a peice of foam 531 mph at the reinforced carbon carbon leading edge of the wing...the 1.6 pound piece of foam blew a hole in it.

The heat tiles are even designed in such a way that if you lose a few [and some have been lost in the past], the Shuttle will easily survive to fly another day.

true.....But the foam didn't hit the heat tiles, it struck the wings leading edge.

Ask yourself what happens to a car tire if it gets way too hot. It explodes, doesn’t it? And when one or more steel-reinforced tires explode, they hurl large chunks of debris all over the place.

no. Tires dont explode when they get hot. not a car tire or an air/spacecrafts tire. now if the shuttle lands and the tire blows you will see a lot of sparks and probably a fire, but thats because of the rim, which creates the sparks which then ignite the rubber which is a key ingrediant of rocket fuel. anyway...the tire on the space shuttle wouldn't blow up if that area was on fire, so it wouldn't throw shrapnel all over the place, which that by itself debunks this nut case.

the whole site is crazy, this guy take some of nasa's figures and uses them, but them other ones that dont fit into his 'plan' he disregaurds.

I just cant believe how gulable some people are.

You guys better get the shuttle fleet "flight ready " again quick..
Remember....Oct. 2005.. China twin manned mission(Shenzhou).. don't want em' to be smirking up there now..

I have found a way to fix this problem with the ice and foam. I have sent NASA umpteen e-mails about a solution to this problem and cannot seem to get their attention. I have even tried to contact them and could not find anyone who would listen. If anyone here has any ideas as to how to get them to reckonize what I have been making I would be gratefull for the 411. u2u me if need be.

I think this should be the end for nasa 15billion a year for what one dodgy launch of a 25yo craft.
Im sure there's a host of private companies willing the shuttle to fail not to mension china,Im interested to see how nasa will cope with all the pressure