Astronauts uncover long line of nicks on shuttle

Google News (AP) ^ | 5/12/2009 | n/a

[DoughtyOne]

That actually makes more sense. I should have realized what you were trying to say. At altitude (after the SRBs are jettisoned), the shuttle engines do the rest. That works out to be 50% of the job. Thanks.

[mwilli20]

They could float a camera out of the cargo bay

Easier said than done. If they impart any speed to the camera at all, it would continue to float away from the shuttle and potentially rotate away from view. So the only way to do what you are suggesting is to build a mini self-guided jet propelled camera enclosure...

Remember there are always telescopes and/or military reconnaissance satellites. For all we know they may already have other options that they cannot disclose...

[Born to Conserve]

“Easier said than done. If they impart any speed to the camera at all, it would continue to float away from the shuttle and potentially rotate away from view. So the only way to do what you are suggesting is to build a mini self-guided jet propelled camera enclosure...”

Wrong.
It would be easy. The more spinning the camera does, the better. The spinning would guarantee shots of what they want. A fast shutter (digital of course) would preclude blurring. As for recovery, a string would work.

You should work on your naysaying.

[tanknetter]

“For this mission (far away from the Space Station) they can only take pictures with the Canada arm. That arm is incapable of reaching this vantage point.”

I'm not sure that's true about the vantage point. Since Columbia the shuttles go up with a camera and laser-equipped boom the length of the cargo bay that attaches to the side of the shuttle opposite the Canadarm. After orbit is reached the Canadarm grabs the boom and uses it to survey, in very minute detail, the underside of the Orbiter. My understanding is that it can reach *everywhere* that damage to the TPS could endanger the craft and crew during reentry.

The backflip the Orbiters now do prior to docking to the space station is redundant.

[tanknetter]

Thinking back the SRBs provide the main thrust to get the shuttle off the pad and fire for the first two minutes of flight. Other than the SRBs the shuttle only has it's own main engines which are feed from the external tank (source of many of the issues) that supplement the SRBs and then finish the rest of the 5-8 minute flight into space.

The SSMEs boost the entire weight of the shuttle plus some of the ET. The SRBs boost the rest of the ET, and are separated once the SSMEs can, on their own, carry the weight of the Orbiter and the ET and remaining fuel into orbit.

[BradyLS]

The Hubble repair will probably be aborted. The crew will probably focus on repair of shuttle via space walks. If not successful, the rescue shuttle will be sent up. Transfer of crew to rescue shuttle and back home. Atlantis will be left as a museum piece in space.

They can't do both? And if they have to, effect what repairs (to Hubble and Atlantis) they can, rescue the crew (maybe do another round of patching on Atlantis), and bring Atlantis down on auto pilot?

[GreyMountainReagan]

Shuttle. Poster boy for government boondogle.

[ejonesie22]

I thought that too but never did the math, but the SRBs do the bulk of the initial lifting, had it confirmed via NASA web site.

http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/technology/sts-newsref/srb.html

I should have realized the SRBs did the heavy hauling, each is rated at 2.3 million lbs of thrust with a max of 3.1 million during flight. The SSMEs are only rated at 400,000 LBs of thrust each so even combined all 3 don't equal one SRB in power.

[Taxman]

The real problem is Environmental Whackos.

As I understand the problem, a number of years ago, someone decreed that the foam insulation on the liquid fuel tank was somehow “damaging” the environment.

So, NASA changed the formula, and pieces of foam began to shed off of the tank at launch.

Lo! And Behold! Every Shuttle incurred some damage at launch FRom improperly formulated and attached foam insulation — one, you will recall, fatally.

The USA has paid, and continues to pay, a much too high a price for Environmental Whackos.

And, don’t get me started about solid booster segment seals!

[TomasUSMC]

thermal tiles
Thermal tiles
THERMAL tiles
THERMAL TILES

So apparently this Country can’t figure out another way to protect during re-entry besides using stinking T H E R M A L freaking T I L E S!!!!

hOOOOW Long have we had this problem? How many yearrrrrs?

NASA needs to start retiring the entire TILE department. Time for a new way of dealing with this problem.

[TomasUSMC]

I can’t believe we keep sending them up knowing the tile problem is so acute.
//////////////////////
x Act LEE!!!

[Taxman]

It is not a tile problem.

It is a foam insulation problem.

See my post #109.

[Taxman]

One could certainly make the case that the problem (with you name the “program”) is politicians.

[DoughtyOne]

No doubt about it. That’s why our founders framed a society where the politicians would have very little to do with our daily existence.

Look at how many ways the government touches us constantly today. You can’t turn on the lights without the government coming into play. You can’t take a job, without the government coming into play. You can’t travel without the government coming into play. You can’t buy anything without the government coming into play. You can’t raise your kids without the government coming in to play on day one. You can’t education your kids without the government coming into play, even if you home school.

If we could some way eliminate 75% of the government’s daily intrusion into our lives, it would still be a very different life than our founders envisioned.

[TomasUSMC]

Yeah I remember ....something about asbestos.....just reading the Russians used fiberglass and asbestos.

[mwilli20]

The more spinning the camera does, the better. The spinning would guarantee shots of what they want. A fast shutter (digital of course) would preclude blurring. As for recovery, a string would work.

To quote Rush, "Sometimes it just doesn't pay to get out of bed in the morning"