A window fell out of the space shuttle?

Watching last nights news | 13 July 2005 | Edcoil

[edcoil]

So I heard on the news last night a window fell our of the shuttle and hit the tail while on the launch pad - so they had to check to see if it did any damage.

1) how does a window fall out of an aircraft

2) how long and how many times has the equipment been checked??

What is going on that something can fall off the aircraft while on the launch pad.

[cvq3842]

Thanks for the reply.

I do feel SOMETHING has always been wrong with the Shuttle program.

And you are right, we can deal with the technology.

I would hate to think we let the astronauts down . . .

[b4its2late]

A plastic window cover was knocked off by a large cover that protects the shuttle from the elements. As they were lifting that large cover off, it knocked the plastic window cover that was taped to the shuttle windows. Then gravity took over....

[Young Werther]

My best man is a purchasing officer for Lockheed at the Michoud facility where external tank is manufactured.

Before that he worked at the Lockheed division that was to manufacture the Advanced Solid Motor (ASM) which was designed to fix the problems which had brought down the Challenger! He moved to an abandoned nuclear plant site in Tennesse where the infrastructure for the nuc plant was built and then abandoned when nuclear power plants fell out of fashion. After two years they had refurbished the plant site and were ready to go on-line and Congress eliminated the funding, so no ASM!!

Thank God that Rutan and today's visionaries are going to set things straight vis commerical activities in space.

I co-authored the updated Boy Scout Space Exploration Handbook and am a life long space geek. alot of know nothings pooh poohed Rutans efforts since they duplicated the X-15 program. The X-15 program was over $250 Million in 1960 dollars and he did it for less than $20 Million 2000 dollars. Between, Rutan, Bigelow, and the Ansari family we will eventually go where no man has gone before!!

[melt]

Yes. Rutan et al are the greatest. They prove that nothing can compete with private enterprise.

[cvq3842]

Sounds good to me!

I, too, have always been interested in the program, but am lacking in scientific expertise.

[Phsstpok]

I read once that the Shuttle has 2 million parts. So if they are operating 99.9% flawlessly, there are still, what, 2000 parts not working . . .

There are lots of variations to these quotes, but you both forgot to include the punch line:

2 million parts that all have to work perfectly and were all built by the lowest bidder!

[cvq3842]

Yes!

[sharktrager]

Sir, take that back. Duct tape is not responsible. It is an amazing product and the greatest invention of the last century.

Scared Bunny Blog
Not for the easily offended

[RobRoy]

I was thinking they used fake, Chinese made duct tape.

Red Green would have made sure that window covering was good to go...