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Space Shuttle Fleet Grounded!
NASA sources | MB26

Posted on 07/27/2005 3:25:59 PM PDT by 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.


TOPICS: Breaking News; Government
KEYWORDS: deadlyfoam; enviromentalists; governmentprogram; grounded; nasa; rutan; shuttlediscovery; spaceprogram; spaceshuttle
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To: AxelPaulsenJr
Von Braun was well known but not considered a Nazi, it was the mission chief engineer and his staff that were considered Nazis. I think in total, the number of scientists and engineers totaled around a hundred. It was determined that the Saturn would never fly again. It was ordered that the spares be destroyed and the plans shredded or archived in such a way that they would be irrecoverable. The tragedy is that the detailed calculations, without the aid of digital computers, were lost. This was the holy grail of getting a man to the moon and back. The incompetence of the space program was demonstrated about ten years ago, that even with the aid of modern technology, the folks at JPL and in Houston couldn't land a probe on Mars because of a calculation mistake. They said if was in the conversion of quantities from the English system to Metric, which is probably just an excuse. I suspect it was caused by a misunderstanding of the complex problems which the Germans solved in the '60s using mechanical slide rules and mechanical calculators.
501 posted on 07/28/2005 7:47:29 AM PDT by Final Authority
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To: ReignOfError

I sure hope we get some Shuttle replacements soon.

As for the safety record, 17 out of 700 is pretty bad in comparison to airline records. Having two aircraft blow up out of a tiny fleet of under 10 would bankrupt any airline.


502 posted on 07/28/2005 7:49:30 AM PDT by rwfromkansas (http://www.xanga.com/home.aspx?user=rwfromkansas)
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To: jdm

and drudge should not be used since it launches spyware.


503 posted on 07/28/2005 7:57:35 AM PDT by freebird5850 ("Tell the truth, there's less to remember!")
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To: ReignOfError

"I have high hopes for private space ventures, but they're not ready for prime time yet. At best, Rutan can put three people and no cargo into space, but not into orbit. It's a promising first step, but it's just a first step. "
***This whole episode reminds me of a sci fi book by Kurt Vonnegut, "The Sirens of Titan". Rutan is the Winston Niles Rumfoord of today, except that he's not a wealthy playboy. Rumfoord flew his privately funded spaceship straight into a "chrono-synclastic infundibulum", just to see what will happen. I think there was a line in the book where NASA announces that it couldn't engage in any further flights and on the same day, Rumford announces his plans. "That was class."

Today is Rutan's well-deserved day in the sun. It's more than just the standard 15 minutes of fame -- he's been an icon for more than 20 years. Unfortunately, today it seems to be at the expense of NASA, but our history with privately funded aero ventures is a strong one -- the Wright brothers vs. Langley comes to mind.

I'll be posting this on the Rutan thread as well.


504 posted on 07/28/2005 8:16:41 AM PDT by Kevin OMalley (No, not Freeper#95235, Freeper #1165: Charter member, What Was My Login Club.)
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To: Final Authority
... It was ordered that the spares be destroyed and the plans shredded or archived in such a way that they would be irrecoverable...

THE MYTH OF HEAVY LIFT

BLUEPRINTS SAFELY IN STORAGE

505 posted on 07/28/2005 8:26:17 AM PDT by FReepaholic (When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading)
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To: tscislaw
The myth of heavy lift article sounds like a trade sponsored piece. True, the Saturn V was not cheap but I doubt the numbers will be less for a launch vehicle with the same capabilities if designed and constructed today.

The beauty of the Saturn was that it was a heavy lift rocket but also one designed to eject a payload out of Earth's orbit. The Shuttle can't do that alone.

With respect to the documentation, then I guess all of the folks who retired from the space program out of Huntsville that I have known are just telling stories then. If the documentation exists in some kind of recoverable form, ie, it is cataloged, filed, etc, then I would love to have a look, wouldn't you?
506 posted on 07/28/2005 8:40:14 AM PDT by Final Authority
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To: Kevin OMalley; A. Pole; Destro; ninenot; oceanview; neutrino; snowsislander; Zartan

Another job American aren't "willing" to do. Just hire some Mexicans.


507 posted on 07/28/2005 8:41:02 AM PDT by jb6 ( Free Haghai Sophia! Crusade!)
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To: MindBender26

Couldn't they just add a layer of plastic mesh and another on top of that to smooth it out if necessary. Sorta like duct taping up a window so that when it breaks the pieces don't go everywhere.

Or just wrap the whole thing up in plastic wrap.


508 posted on 07/28/2005 8:45:14 AM PDT by PropheticZero
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To: Tiger Smack

My un-named source can beat up your un-named source...


509 posted on 07/28/2005 9:38:05 AM PDT by gogeo (Often wrong but seldom in doubt.)
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To: Doohickey
On one of the cable news channels, NASA said that they spent a billion dollars to fix the safety hazard but later on, I heard NASA say that they did not do anything about the foam problem.

So what did they do with the one billion dollars then?

510 posted on 07/28/2005 9:50:51 AM PDT by floriduh voter (www.conservative-spirit.org)
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To: Halls

The female Commander did a fine job of steering the shuttle around the ISS. Wow, I have a new female role model. Women drivers rock!


511 posted on 07/28/2005 9:53:40 AM PDT by floriduh voter (www.conservative-spirit.org)
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To: Calpernia

How can we ever proceed to a Mission to Mars? If I was up there, I'd be concentrating on my duties and PRAYING.


512 posted on 07/28/2005 9:58:40 AM PDT by floriduh voter (www.conservative-spirit.org)
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To: ReignOfError

A bird hit the nose cone of the shuttle. Did that pierce anything? Poor bird - wrong place, wrong time.


513 posted on 07/28/2005 9:59:51 AM PDT by floriduh voter (www.conservative-spirit.org)
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To: Halls
NASA: We were wrong to launch.

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=45483

514 posted on 07/28/2005 10:05:27 AM PDT by floriduh voter (www.conservative-spirit.org)
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To: RightWhale
it isn't only Dodge products?

It's all three of the Big Three. Just the other day a guy passed me in a mid-90's Lincoln Towncar with the windows down and the headliner flapping in the breeze. It's amazing that the automakers could continue for decades to make headliners that come loose and hang down on your head after a few years.

BTW, I read recently that headliner installation was the last assembly operation that Detroit did totally by hand. Prior to the 70s, when they started gluing them in, headliners were installed with a system of wire rods suspended across the inside of the roof with the headliner fabric stretched between them. Apparently it was an extremely tedious, time-consuming operation that took a lot of training to perfect. When the guys who did it retired, they were never replaced.

515 posted on 07/28/2005 10:58:31 AM PDT by Yardstick
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To: Yardstick

Yeah, the wires were strong, but it was a custom fit. Not exactly high tech, some craftsmanship involved.


516 posted on 07/28/2005 11:24:53 AM PDT by RightWhale (Substance is essentially the relationship of accidents to itself)
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To: floriduh voter
...A bird hit the nose cone of the shuttle. Did that pierce anything? Poor bird - wrong place, wrong time. ...


517 posted on 07/28/2005 11:48:35 AM PDT by FReepaholic (When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading)
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To: RightWhale

Exactly -- each one was kind of a custom installation.


518 posted on 07/28/2005 11:52:36 AM PDT by Yardstick
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To: tscislaw

A buzzard. Six foor wingspan.


519 posted on 07/28/2005 11:53:55 AM PDT by RightWhale (Substance is essentially the relationship of accidents to itself)
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To: MinorityRepublican
do you really think we will follow the plan? Yes, we already are, and I hope we continue to.
520 posted on 07/28/2005 12:54:27 PM PDT by cabojoe
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