This NASA image highlights areas of suspected foam insulation loss from the shuttle Endeaovur's external tank after its July 15, 2009 launch. Credit: NASA.
Posted on 07/16/2009 4:03:04 PM PDT by Snickering Hound
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., July 16 (Reuters) - NASA will suspend flights of its space shuttle fleet until it understands why strips of insulating foam peeled off the fuel tank used by shuttle Endeavour, officials said on Thursday.
Translation: Space Shuttle flights are finished.
I thought this was the last flight.
They aren’t allowed to use quality materials because Mother Earth is crying.
Check the “freon-free” foam manufacturing process. Thanks, Al Gore.
Look at it this way...the Shuttle is the “Medicare” of the space program. Originally promised to make about a launch every few days at god-knows-how-ridiculously-lower cost than experienced. Plagued with absolescene, overly restrictive acquisition and maintenance requirements, bloated useless management —— the whole gamut of useless oversight of a few brilliant and brave people...the comparisons are staggering...
Like everyone was surprised, right.
The environuts made 'em stop using good glue is the problem.
This NASA image highlights areas of suspected foam insulation loss from the shuttle Endeaovur's external tank after its July 15, 2009 launch. Credit: NASA.
You got that right! They have used some very gooooood gooooy stuff in the past but the Greenies decided it would pollute inner space and the rest of the universe! DuH?
A close-up of the shuttle Endeavour's external tank reveals small strips of lost foam insulation on the intertank, a region between the vessel's liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen tanks. Credit: NASA.
There are seven more planned.
The shuttle was on the launch pad for days. Exposed to storms, lightning, and technical delays.
It is no surprise that some small piece of the boosters would come loose.
The following is directed to Freepers who haven't donated or signed up for monthlies yet...
The astronauts ought to think twice about climbing in one of these worn out shuttles. These things are just accidents looking for a place to happen.
I heard it was the same reason the vertical stabilizer on the Airbus keeps ripping loose.
They just don't make good glue anymore.
This is what happened on Columbia. They had years to figure out this problem. Are they just plain idiots over there?
So is driving a car. Or a boat.
Just going out past the atmosphere, and into orbit is an accident waiting to happen.
In order to fix the current problems, we must invest more money.
Maybe further along into this Presidency, most people will be willing to spend the nation's money on improving space travel, just to be able to send Obama 'to the moon'.
Thanks for posting the article.
Oh, I think they understand exactly why pieces break off.
Rapid and massive temperature changes.
Extreme vibration from millions of pounds of force on the airframe.
Expansion and contraction of the mounting surface as temperature and pressure change.
It’s frickin styrofoam.
It peels off because of the EPA ban on tolulene based contact cement. This water based glue just doesn't hold.
Environmentalists have killed more people in the last 50 years than Stalin, Hitler and Pol Pot combined.
Isn't the Shuttle too old for this?
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