Debris Strikes Endeavour During Liftoff

nytimes ^ | 07/15/09 | Kenneth Chang

[winoneforthegipper]

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — As the space shuttle Endeavour lifted off into orbit Monday evening, several pieces of debris fell off the external fuel tank and at least one hit the orbiter.

[winoneforthegipper]

Prayers up for a non issue, issue!

[Yo-Yo]

Why don’t they eat the couple of thousand pounds and shrink wrap the damn ET.

[IGOTMINE]

That beast needs retired.

[Snickering Hound]

Could go back to CFC-11 to insulate the tank and tell the EPA to stuff it, but what’s another 1/2 dozen lives anyway?

[Rodebrecht]

Next year it will be. The Ares rockets should be a lot more reliable and safer what with the cargo and crew sections set atop as opposed to the side of the rocket. The Russians have been using similar designs for 40+ years with very few mishaps.

[buccaneer81]

That beast needs retired.

Seven more flights. And they may have to do them with only Atlantis and Endeavour. Discovery was damaged last mission due to (get this) a control panel knob lodging against the front window. The shuttle expands upon de-orbit and this knob is jammed tight. They estimate six months and many millions to repair. Not worth it now.

[Crazieman]

Its the damn environmentalists. There was none of this insulation crap until NASA was forced to change it for environmental reasons.

[martinidon]

you would think as much money they spend on the program, they should be able to fix this issue by this time

[IMissPresidentReagan]

Prayers up. I was living in Florida, and my 2nd grade class watched the Challenger lift off and explode. I will never forget that.

[Truth29]

"Next year it will be. The Ares rockets should be a lot more reliable and safer what with the cargo and crew sections set atop as opposed to the side of the rocket. The Russians have been using similar designs for 40+ years with very few mishaps."

If it gets built. I think there is a large potential that the 5 year gap planned in US manned space flight capability will stretch indefinitely into the future. Obama will be looking for every dime to pay for his socialist schemes and reward his supporters. It will be so easy for him to simply allow the shuttle to be retired and not fund any follow on capability. The Russians, Chinese and the Indians will then become the leaders in space.

[Rodebrecht]

I still think scrapping the shuttle is the best bet. Once completed the Ares V will be the most powerful rocket ever built, able to launch 188 tons. The Constellation Program seems pretty impressive.

[southernnorthcarolina]

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — As the space shuttle Endeavour lifted off into orbit Monday evening, several pieces of debris fell off the external fuel tank and at least one hit the orbiter.

We already knew, of course, that the New York Times doesn't know its ••• from first base. But you'd think it at least knows what day it is.

[bennowens]

“Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result.” Albert Einstein

[theDentist]

Looks like proof they’d already written the story before the planned liftoff on Monday.

[Mannaggia l'America]

[Rodebrecht]

Big if.

[Doe Eyes]

There was none of this insulation crap until NASA was forced to change it for environmental reasons.

Wrong. Insulation pieces of the Bipod Ramp (the part that struck the wing on the shuttle Columbia) had come off on four missions prior to the change in the insulation.

[thecabal]

Money and know-how are not the issue. As crazieman said, it’s stupid frakking environmental regulations.

[thecabal]

Joss Whedon was right. We’ll all be speaking Mandarin in space.

[Islander7]

Prayers up. I was living in Florida, and my 2nd grade class watched the Challenger lift off and explode. I will never forget that.

I had a vivid dream of a shuttle explosion about 2 months before the event. It was so upsetting, I told friends about it. When Challenger exploded, it was exactly as I had dreamed. I was in shock for weeks. I still can't bear to watch the replay. (My friends are still freaked out by my 'fore knowledge'.)