Astronauts uncover long line of nicks on shuttle

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

[Pyro7480]

The Atlantis astronauts have uncovered a long stretch of nicks on their space shuttle, the result of launch debris.

They were inspecting their ship Tuesday for signs of launch damage when they came across the nicks. Mission Control informed the crew that it's a 21-inch stretch of nicks over four to five thermal tiles on the right side of Atlantis. The damage is where the right wing joins the fuselage.

Mission Control says it could be related to debris that came off the fuel tank almost two minutes after liftoff.

NASA says the damage does not appear to be serious, but more analysis is needed.

Atlantis blasted off Monday on a risky repair mission to the Hubble Space Telescope....

[mwilli20]

Not sure if this is a current picture or a file photo.

That picture was taken from the Space Station on an earlier mission. 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.

[Aglooka]

Columbia had an outright hole in the leading edge of the wing. This looks more like “normal” nicks and dings.

[Mmogamer]

Uh that was Khan not Klingons..

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

If it does wind up being that, any real chance for easy frequent access and turn around to space will be thwarted for another 30 years.

Don't worry, we can always pay the Chinese to let us on their missions.

[Mmogamer]

Child? hmmm

[ElkGroveDan]

I can’t believe we keep sending them up knowing the tile problem is so acute.

Actually the tiles while a concern have NEVER been a "problem."

[rvoitier]

Wedged between tiles and assumed to be the cause were files marked, Rose Law Firm.

[fanfan]

Actually the tiles while a concern have NEVER been a "problem."

Damage to the tiles caused the Columbia disaster.

[sionnsar]

"Mission Control says it could be related to debris that came off the fuel tank almost two minutes after liftoff. "

Bet that debris is from the Politically-Correct structurally-deficient insulation on the tank.

[sionnsar]

Since the Germans retired - NASA has become the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac of space. Privatize space.

I was working at NASA when, one day ca. 1975, one of the researchers I worked with gloomily announced that NASA had just reached a notable milestone: one administrator for every researcher.

34 years later...

[dools007]

My goodness, but aren’t you the little pessimist. There’s not enough info avaiable yet to make that conclusion.

[sionnsar]

Second, what makes you think the Shuttles are at the end of their life expectancy? Each Orbiter only has a few dozen missions. The avionics and computers have all been upgraded, and the Shuttle still carries a lot of prestige.

As one who worked on the project (I saw it "flying" in wind tunnels long before the first one was ever built), I can say they were expected to be replaced by *something* long before now. That we're still using them speaks only to the cutbacks in the space program -- and maybe to the skills of the 60s & 70s designers.

[Frantzie]

Yup. It is like the Post Office for space. The Dems turn everything into a big jobs program for illiterates.

[NoPrisoners]

Now THAT'S a NICK! lol

Scotty: "Aye Captain! It'll be takin' 6 weeks to fix, but you don't have 6 weeks. So I'll be gettin' her done in about 20 minutes. Got some old tuna cans around here somewhere..."

[ParityErr]

A few rolls of this should work

[DoughtyOne]

My exact concern. LOL

You know how to hurt a guy don’t you.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

Heck, I was building model rockets in the 1950’s, and originally majored in Aeronautical Engineering (before Calculus got me). We are now eight years past 2001, when, if you remember, we were supposed to have Space Stations (run by Pan Am), passenger flights to moon colonies, and space odysseys to Jupiter. Most depressing!

[DoughtyOne]

That’s how I see it. We’re of the same mind on this.

[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]

Live long and prosper!