Space Shuttle Fleet Grounded!

NASA sources | MB26

[MindBender26]

NASA realizes debris that fell of external fuel tank yesterday came close to causing irrepairable damage to shuttle now in orbit.

Fleet GROUNDED. More later

Chances to return to flight again, no better than 50/50.

[IronMan04]

If we lose this ship and crew heads from top to bottom will roll and NASA will have to be replaced with a PRIVATE SPACE CORP.

[djf]

If I ask a question, how exactly do I cite a source?

[RightWhale]

The only way to get private industry into outer space is to withdraw from the 1967 UN Outer Space Treaty.

This isn't a technical problem, but a legal one.

[BurbankKarl]

What are you talking about...Atlantis is in the assembly building...

[michigander]

Questions Arise Over Ingredient of Columbia Shuttle Insulation

[Thinkin' Gal]

Slap on the duct tape and bring her on home...

[Fitzcarraldo]

IMHO, this means that if they decide to keep the Columbia docked to the Space Station, rescue using Atlantis or Endeavor IS NOT AN OPTION.

[Nowhere Man]

Yep, and the steam engine, horse and buggy, vacuum tubes, etc...

Actually, I think the idea of a steam engine for cars is a good idea if we used flash boilers, one guy called into Rush about it but the substitute host, can't recall his name, cut him off before he could explain his idea. Shame really, I was very interested in it. Horse and buggy, I'll give you that one although I plead guilty to being "half-assed Amish" at times (my newest main TV set is from 1982) B-) The vacuum tube, all I can say is "real radios glow in the dark" and "long live the compactron tube!" B-)

[Nowhere Man]

Yep, and the steam engine, horse and buggy, vacuum tubes, etc...

Actually, I think the idea of a steam engine for cars is a good idea if we used flash boilers, one guy called into Rush about it but the substitute host, can't recall his name, cut him off before he could explain his idea. Shame really, I was very interested in it. Horse and buggy, I'll give you that one although I plead guilty to being "half-assed Amish" at times (my newest main TV set is from 1982) B-) The vacuum tube, all I can say is "real radios glow in the dark" and "long live the compactron tube!" B-)

[MindBender26]

>The next generation shuttle will have the ship on top of the launcher as God intended, not hanging off the side where stuff flies off and always will.

And it will be a one shot, with ablatives. Probably land in Kansas somewhere. The idea of a "fly in space / fly in atmosphere" is stupid!

[Cboldt]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/835773/posts
Michoud External Tanks May Hold Clue About Columbia Accident.

[Kevin OMalley]

The shuttle is still an experimental vehicle. It is not a scheduled airliner and it does not carry paying passengers.
***So far, 14 passengers have paid with their lives.

[You Dirty Rats]

Hey, Mr. Rocket Scientist, do you have the first idea what you are talking about? The shuttle is NOT separate from a "launcher" -- the shuttle uses two solid rocket motors to augment its own liquid-fueled engines. Therefore, placing the shuttle on top of the SRBs would make it pretty difficult to use the Shuttle's engines.

Then again, you have inside information on God's blueprints, so maybe bringing up facts is a waste of my time.

[Normal4me]

Are you willing to support the government spending an additional 10-25 BILLION for a new spacecraft? Most American's aren't and I KNOW the dems won't support anymore deficit spending..

[FreedomCalls]

The next generation shuttle will have the ship on top of the launcher as God intended,

As Von Braun (a god among spacecraft designers for sure) intended way back in the 1950s.

[DoughtyOne]

Let's pray the former doesn't happen and the latter does.

[buccaneer81]

Why use the phrase "grounded"? It's not like they are planning more launches while Discovery is up there!

Atlantis was scheduled for lift-off September 9.

[TalonDJ]

So they are getting double the expected loss rate?

[COEXERJ145]

http://news.yahoo.com/fc/science/space_shuttle

"A sizable chunk of foam insulation that came flying off the shuttle Discovery's fuel tank during Tuesday's liftoff did not hit the orbiter and does not pose a risk to the seven astronauts."