I vaguely remember hearing about that foam breaking away after liftoff during the Shuttle flight last year and then the story just died. Does anybody else remember that?
I also remember the mention of the foam at the beginning of the mission. I have also heard that the powers that be at NASA had changed the foams composition to a more "Environmentally Friendly" kind. If this is so, I would like to know.
However, one part of the shuttle disaster, that bothers me to this day, is the continued retention of Sean O'Keefe , the head of NASA. He may be a wonderful guy. He may contribute to charity. He may go to church often. But loosing a shuttle on your watch means you resign or you are asked to leave by the President. He can keep his retirement and benefits and have a pleasant post NASA life. But watching this Bozo toast the Mars landings on TV has given me fits that he has not resigned or been fired. He is, to me, the worst example of a government bureaucrat. He can fail at his job, good people die, expensive machinery lost and yet keep his position in spite of his shortcomings. IMHO, Sean O'Keefe is a disgusting human being.
BTW, the article was excellent. Great post. I remember being online on FR, as those who could see the events relayed them to those of us without view.
Yes, vividly.