STS-118: Astronauts zoom in on shuttle gash

AP on Yahoo ^ | 8/12/07 | Marcia Dunn - ap

[NormsRevenge]

NASA: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov

[NormsRevenge]

The Space Shuttle Endeavour's damaged thermal tiles are shown in this image of the computer software screen controlling the orbital boom sensor system's thermal camera in this view from NASA TV August 12, 2007. (NASA TV/Reuters)

[NormsRevenge]

The Space Shuttle Endeavour's damaged thermal tiles are shown in a box in this image of the computer software screen controlling the orbital boom sensor system's thermal camera in this view from NASA TV August 12, 2007. This is believed to be the largest of the four gouges on the shuttles's protective tiles. REUTERS/NASA TV (UNITED STATES)

[cripplecreek]

Just fer contex.

[RightWhale]

The mission is extended three days so they can go ahead and make the repair without time pressure.

[NormsRevenge]

Thanks, the pattern looks like the chickenpox and the measles at the same time. lol

[stinkerpot65]

Another murder by environmentalist in the making.

http://www.capmag.com/article.asp?ID=2942

In response to an edict from the EPA, NASA was required to change the design of the thermal insulating foam on the shuttle’s external tank.

[the invisib1e hand]

hope they get it right.

[NormsRevenge]

They have a kit or two of stuff they can apply so they have options, should be just fine.

[spanalot]

Criminal!

[Don Corleone]

They have a kit or two of stuff they can apply so they have options, should be just fine.

Duct Tape???

[brownsfan]

“Another murder by environmentalist in the making.”

Thanks for posting. That was my first thought when I heard of the damage.

I was raised in the late 60s, early 70s. Indoctrinated in the beauty of simple living, not polluting, etc.
Screw the environmentalists!!!
They are communists with an agenda, and part of that agenda is stiffling progress wherever it happens.

[GoforBroke]

I was going to remind of the “environmental damage” er. I mean “damage by environmentalists”

[BikerJoe]

Another murder by environmentalist in the making.

Yeah, and if our President had any guts, right after Columbia he would've said "Enough is enough" and ordered a return to the original insulation for "National Security" reasons. He could have used an Executive Order to do it.

[cripplecreek]

Just wondering if you can spot where the foam problems spiked after the change?

[norton]

"We have spent a lot of money in the program and a lot of time and a lot of people's efforts to be ready to handle exactly this case."

I and the crew of the shuttle are more inerested in results than good intentions. Or in NASA's investments - I invested ten years of my own.

Fill hole, cross fingers, go forward, come home.

Then go back to the nasty old foam and scr@w the enviroweenies.

[skimask]

A couple rolls of duct tape and some bondo and it should be good as new.

[xcamel]

“damage by environmentalists”

"Green on the outside, RED on the inside"

[Names Ash Housewares]

“green” foam is not to blame.
This is a myth that seems to die hard and keeps coming up over and over again....

http://www.sts107.info/kooks%20and%20myths/kooks.htm#EPA

Myth - Left wing environmental policies doomed the shuttle
According to some claims, EPA regulations that eliminated Freon caused the foam to fall off.
CFC-11 Freon was used to apply the Spray On Foam Insulation (SOFI) to the ET, and the formula was changed because of EPA regulations. The new method did result in more foam falling off and hitting the shuttle, most notably STS-87, which had 308 damaged tiles, but that was not the type of foam which doomed Columbia.

In the mid-1990s, the EPA banned CFC-11 Freon. NASA has many waivers from the EPA for critical items. In each case a commercial supplier is licensed to produce the limited quantities NASA needs, but it’s incredibly expensive to manufacture the relatively small quantities just for one customer. Lockheed-Martin went through a major effort to find a more environmentally friendly propellant. (It wasn’t something they wanted to do, but a necessity.) They selected HCFC 141b (Dichlorofluoroethane). HCFC 141b is only used to spray acreage foam –applied to the large cylindrical surfaces with a giant robotic sprayer.

The bipod foam which doomed Columbia was BX-250 foam, which was excluded from that EPA mandate. Technicians built the bipod by hand, layer by layer, and carved it into shape. The manufacturing process for the bipod and its chemical composition did not change and still used CFC-11. No changes to environmental regulations caused the Columbia accident.