Posted on 03/02/2003 2:08:28 PM PST by TrappedInLiberalHell
HOUSTON, Feb. 28 — The dramatic video from the flight deck of the space shuttle Columbia, shot just minutes before it was destroyed, has sparked new interest in a nagging question: What could NASA have dreamed up to save the astronauts?
THE “WHAT-IFS” all assume an early realization that the shuttle’s thermal protection system — its tiles — had been mortally wounded. Perhaps, if program managers had been alarmed enough by the debris impacts noted after Columbia’s launch on Jan. 16, they would have wanted more information before deciding it was no big deal. In that case, again “perhaps,” the damage could have been seen by military telescopes or spy satellites, or by a daring free-floating spacewalk.
But then what? If a landing looks suicidal, and refuge at the international space station is out of reach because of incompatible orbits, how can the crew be rescued before their limited stock of supplies runs out? Just after the tragedy on Feb. 1, shuttle program manager Ron Dittemore said “there’s nothing that we can do about tile damage once we get to orbit.” NASA has not yet figured out a way to perform repairs on damaged or missing tiles in space.
But that doesn’t mean the situation would have been hopeless, NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe insisted Friday.
“To suggest that we would have done nothing is fallacious,” O’Keefe said in a meeting with reporters. “If there had been a clear indication (of problems) there would have been no end to the efforts.”
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.com ...
Makes sense to me.
Also a robot "droid" to inspect the outside of the shuttle in orbit.
Both could be done quickly at a minimal added expense.
I find it appalling that they never asked themselves about this stuff before lift-offs.
The article was not only interesting but also balanced.
No pie in the sky, but an honest assessment of some risky but plausible alternatives if the situation had been publically acknowledged at launch.
Correct. But now that the remaining fleet all have ISS orbit capability, NASA should use ISS orbit inclination on all non-ISS missions when possible (Hubble is probably in a different orbit, however)
True. But giving cautious attention to this kind of speculation, educated or ignorant, can , at times, bring valuable insight to a really sharp quarterbacks for the next Sunday afternoon.
I think all of the after-the-fact speculation may prevent another similar incident in the future. If there is a workable rescue plan in place before future launches, then NASA can have the option of leaving a questionable (possibly damaged) shuttle in orbit rather than chancing a landing. Obviously such a rescue will add millions of dollars to the cost of the mission. But perhaps not as much extra as the cost (both in dollars and national psyche) to investigate a crash.
So they can facilitate a space walk, just not to observe if there's been tile damage. Hint, if these guys could latch down this rescue pod, fore and aft, they could most certainly look over the side in front of the cargo bay door to see if any tile damage had occurred. They should be able to traverse out and down relative to the wing, and observe the underside as well.
The scenario in the article seems plausible. It also seem plausible that only a management team so incapable as to not develop such a back-up plan over twenty-five years, is a management team in need of replacement from top to bottom.
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