Space Shuttle Damaged After Lift-Off

NBC New York ^ | 20 May09 | NA

[buccaneer81]

Space Shuttle Damaged After Lift-Off

Updated 2:47 PM EDT, Tue, 12, 20 May09

The space shuttle Atlantis suffered damage to the exterior two minutes after take-off.

Astronauts discovered a 21-inch stretch of nicks over four or give of thermal times on the right side of Atlantis.

[buccaneer81]

Nothing follows.

[Jet Jaguar]

They are gonna have to sent the other one up to rescue?

[buccaneer81]

They are gonna have to sent the other one up to rescue?

Too soon to tell.

[libertarian27]

A ‘two-fer-poster’ on the exact second - that’s got to be something :)

[Squidpup]

wow we posted at the same exact second:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2249429/posts

[buccaneer81]

I saw that. First time ever that I have seen.

[buccaneer81]

Pretty amazing!

[paulycy]

No prognosis yet?

[Adder]

They DO carry duct tape for that sort of thing, right?

[buccaneer81]

Ping to possible shuttle damage.

[anniegetyourgun]

I swear, NASA is gonna get people killed on this mission.

[edcoil]

Duct tape can fix anything. Even a broken heart.

[buccaneer81]

They DO carry duct tape for that sort of thing, right?

Some kind of glue and filler, I believe.

[buccaneer81]

I swear, NASA is gonna get people killed on this mission.

I'll admit, I thought this mission was a bad idea. The Webb telescope is going up in two years. We really didn't need to fix Hubble. We should have had another mission to finish the ISS.

[bondjamesbond]

The other thread got pulled. I wonder what AM used as a tiebreaker...

[ravingnutter]

They DO carry duct tape for that sort of thing, right?

That and a bigger hammer.

[Izzy Dunne]

a 21-inch stretch of nicks over four or give of thermal times.

“four or five thermal tiles” is what I guess you mean.

[buccaneer81]

No prognosis yet?

Not yet. Story broke at 2:50 Eastern.

[MyTwoCopperCoins]

Ha ha!

I have to admit, that line drove me nuts.

[NormsRevenge]

they have a couple patch options available, haven’t gotten to use any yet on a mission.

any pics yet? curious the location and depth and breadth of knicks or gouges.

[buccaneer81]

“four or five thermal tiles” is what I guess you mean.

Yep. That's a typo from NBC.

[Mojave]

[Izzy Dunne]

NASA TV

[DAC21]

I believe they have the capability to make in-flight repairs. If for what ever reason that is not doable, I believe they have capability to go to the Space station to ride it out.

[RexBeach]

Well, the shuttle is a 29 year vehicle. Would you take a 29-year-old Chevy on a long, long road trip? As much as I love Chevys, I would not.

I hope this is not serious damage.

I share your concern.

[WVKayaker]

[dfwgator]

Nothing a little duct tape can’t fix.

[NormsRevenge]

up on spaceflightnow

at first glance.. It's just a flesh wound, they probably won't need to even patch.. jmho. :-)

[Alex Murphy]

Duct tape can fix anything. Even a broken heart.

Duct tape can cure warts, too.

[a fool in paradise]

I'll admit, I thought this mission was a bad idea. The Webb telescope is going up in two years. We really didn't need to fix Hubble. We should have had another mission to finish the ISS.

Webb Hubble has two telescopes named after him?

I do hope that the crew is safe on their journey and mission.

I also question NASA's naming conventions (I hear they named something on the space station after Stephen Collbert).

[Mojave]

They have some.

[dragnet2]

Bookmark

[cyclotic]

Got some on the bottom of my foot right now.

[buccaneer81]

Webb Hubble has two telescopes named after him?

Good one!

[NormsRevenge]

http://www.spaceflightnowplus.com/index.php?k=0512debris&s=date&t=Shuttle+Mission+STS-125

STS-125: Launch debris event
Date: May 12, 2009
Duration: 9 sec

The camera mounted on the external fuel tank captures this footage showing a small piece of debris breaking away from the shuttle. The object apparently caused minor tile damage found on Atlantis’ starboard wing. The video is presented here in slow-motion.

[Big_Monkey]

'They DO carry duct tape for that sort of thing, right?

We call it duct tape and pay $2.75 a roll. NASA calls it "Metalized Self Adhesive Bonding Cloth" at it costs them $2,750 a roll.

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

[NormsRevenge]

STS-125 Flight Plan
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts125/fdf/125flightplan.html

[buccaneer81]

I also question NASA's naming conventions (I hear they named something on the space station after Stephen Collbert).

Well, the individuals Webb and Hubble were around before(and contributed far more to humanity than) Chelsea's dad.

As for Colbert, NASA is trying to weasel out of that debacle. They should have known this would happen. Too bad Rush didn't try to have it named for him.

[WakeUpAndVote]

Nah, they have the same stuff McCoy used to patch up the Horta in Star Trek.

[Adder]

Umm...I have some I can sell them that I got at Big Lots....
I’ll even cut the price to an even $2000.

[buccaneer81]

at first glance.. It's just a flesh wound, they probably won't need to even patch.. jmho. :-)

Yeah, that doesn't look bad at all.

[Cheetahcat]

NASA is nothing but another example of our inefficient brain dead Government at work! the Gross Stupidity exhibited here is astounding!!

Just recall the Columbia launch;the all is well, now roll back to the Challenger when Engineers on the pad said do not fly! Now this !!!!! what the hell is going on here?? The place needs closed down until sanity returns.

[a fool in paradise]

The Webb and Hubble names WERE an unfortunate coincidence...

[Bulwinkle]

“Well, the shuttle is a 29 year vehicle....”

Technical term is: Clunker

Obama want so cancel the Ares replacement and keep the Shuttles going LONGER!!!

goggle Obama Ares

[Lancey Howard]

I believe the telescope is named after the old time left-handed pitcher, Carl Hubbell.

They named the telescope the same day they installed the mis-cut mirror. It was a bad day.

[buccaneer81]

It’s what happens when politicians make engineering decisions. And one politician who bears a ton of the blame for Challenger is Richard Nixon.

[dragnet2]

I don't understand some of the humor here. Did we not witness one of our spacecraft breakup upon reentry over the U.S. and scatter the bodies of our astronauts all over Texas?

I don't see any humor in this story, and I have a really good sense of humor.

[buccaneer81]

Obama want so cancel the Ares replacement and keep the Shuttles going LONGER!!!

I'm convinced he wants to shut down the entire manned space program.

[buccaneer81]

Dark humor.