NASA decides no shuttle repairs needed

AP on Yahoo ^ | 8/16/07 | Marcia Dunn - ap

[NormsRevenge]

NASA: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov

[wastedyears]

I wouldn’t agree.

[cripplecreek]

But a Nobel Prize-winning physicist who served on the Columbia investigation board four years ago, Stanford University's Douglas Osheroff, questioned NASA's hesitancy to perform the repairs since they "can only increase their chances of making it down."

I don't see why NASA is going to invent a fix and not use it,"

Mr prize winning physicist apparently isn't trained in risk assessment. Unneeded spacewalks are an unnecessary risk to fix a tile in that area. After all, the loss of whole tiles on the underbelly of the shuttle were once common.

[MediaMole]

I’ve got a bad feeling about this.

[cripplecreek]

This should make you feel better or at least put it into perspective.

[Lancer_N3502A]

You and me both brother.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

Those d-mned tiles have been a nightmare since before the first shuttle launch?

[Jaysun]

Great. God help that Tom Jode sh*twagon get back safely. I’m still waiting to hear from NASA on who sabotaged the computer before launch.

[G Larry]

I think they’re wrong!

I pray that I am!

[lexington minuteman 1775]

If this shuttle burns up on re-entry fire NASA executives and charge them with murder. How hard would it be to send them out to put that goo stuff in the hole? I know EVA’s are dangerous..but so is a ship coming in with damaged heat tiles.

[NormsRevenge]

I am sure they have agonized and perhaps gone toe to toe in coming to this decision.

We have an opportunity to provide an additional level of confidence by putting some epoxy on it,, the main concern is that were they to actually cause more damage by accidentally hitting some other tiles, they could actually make it worse... the teacher is running the arm or is one of the main operators, If I am not mistaken.

The location is not in an area that will be subjected to as much heat in the areodynamic flow as it is on some spots on the shuttle on re-entry.

Touch call.

They are on an aggressive launch program, having this thing offline for repairs either way is bad enough, that’s why they get paid the big bucks.

[NormsRevenge]

They’ll be fine.

[NormsRevenge]

Thanks, Yes , there is lots of crud in that big blue sky they fly off into and then plummet down back thru, I reckun.. as the picture shows. ;-)

[GRRRRR]

[ricks_place]

NASA cannot afford Space Shuttle repair costs. The administrators have spent their funds on bogus Global Warming research!

[BerryDingle]

This all started right after they quit using the politically incorrect freon to apply the foam on the external tank. Their inability to go back to that method (political correctness) is going to shut them down, but not until they kill a few more.

[vigilante2]

Aluminum melts at 1220 degrees F

The reentry temperatures to the bottom side of the shuttle exceeds 2000 degrees

[9422WMR]

Don’t forget diapers for sex depraved fly girls.....
Every dollar counts!

[Erasmus]

I don’t think there is any real alternative to the tiles.

The external tank insulation, on the other hand, has been a PITA from about day one.