Space Shuttle's Left Wing May Be Damaged

nbc4.com ^ | 20070612 | NBC News space correspondent Jay Barbree

[XBob]

Space Shuttle's Left Wing May Be Damaged Meteorite, Space Junk May Have Struck Panels

POSTED: 5:13 pm EDT June 12, 2007 UPDATED: 7:00 pm EDT June 12, 2007 Email This Story | Print This Story Sign Up for Breaking News Alerts WASHINGTON -- A meteorite or space junk may have struck Space Shuttle Atlantis' left wing, according to NBC News space correspondent Jay Barbree.

NASA recorded a hit on reinforced carbon panels 7 and 8 on the left wing. The panels keep heat from re-entry from burning the spacecraft.

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This is the same area where foam damaged Columbia's left wing and caused it to break up, killing its crew on Feb. 1, 2003.

[2Jedismom]

Thank you kindly for the ping. Please keep me advised.

[IslandJeff]

You’re teasing. Have any links? Even Richard Hoaglund stuff. I’d love to see it.

[ReignOfError]

Are the Russians using 40-year-old designs, or 40-year-old equipment? Nothing wrong with old designs. Nor even necessarily with old equipment if it's well-maintained and kept in a suitable environment. The Space Shuttles, though, are subjected to considerable stress and are apt to suffer from the effects thereof.

The primary heavy bomber in the USAF inventory is the B-52 Stratofortress. The first one was deployed in 1955. The newest one was built in 1962. They are rigorously maintained and refurbished, to the point that most of them probably have few of their original parts left, but they keep on truckin'. I can't say for certain, but my best bet is that there is not a single current B-52 crew member who is older than his airframe.

[Army Air Corps]

That is an image that I will never ever forget. School was cancelled for the day when that happened. The next day, we had a moment of silence for the crew and their families.

[P-40]

Thanks! That is the information I was thinking of. So many common items we use every day came from NASA. Just think how many more we would have if we expanded the program.

[X-FID]

Hubble telescope has given us great insight into the Universe, things we could only speculate on, and it's still out there.

I'm a big fan of the Hubble and other projects.

[maine-iac7]

You say: “manned space flight is a waste of money that takes away funds for real missions that come up with real discoveries.”

geeze - where have you been for the past 30 years?
I double dare you to read about all the spin-off technology that we use, benefit from and ‘couldn't do without’ that are a DIRECT result of the space industry.

http://www.thespaceplace.com/nasa/spinoffs.html

[G8 Diplomat]

Space Shuttle's Left Wing May Be Damaged

I can think of a Left Wing that IS damaged...

[Army Air Corps]

NASA also has a thick book on their spin-offs. It covers everything from medicine to materials processing to communications and lots in between. Some really surprising stuff in there. It was a serial that was updated, IIRC, on an annual basis.

[RDTF]

definately one of those ‘I remember where I was when I heard’ moments

[P-40]

School was cancelled for the day when that happened.

We all rushed to the school of communications because they had....satellite TV. We wanted to know as much as we could right away. Now there is CNN...so you can know nothing right away.

[Army Air Corps]

Now there is CNN...so you can know nothing right away.

That is one of the funniest posts that I have seen in a while. Thanks for the laugh!

[Mogger]

We need to stop putting people up there.

It’s expensive, worthless and most of all, dangerous.

Good thing our ancestors weren't such pussies!

Look at history and see how many of the pilgrims from the Mayflower died the first year.

Also how many ships were lost in the crossing over the first 100 or so years after 1620.

[maine-iac7]

ping I've had family working in the space industry since the Mercury astronauts - lived in Cocoa Beach then - then a sleepy little town - you say it well:

We can either project our vision of the future of space exploration or allow some other nation to project theirs. Our choice is simple, Lead or Follow.

[IslandJeff]

They’re all going over to the ISS for a dance party. Hopefully someone remembered to tie the load down.

[tricky_k_1972]

Actually NASA has been making squawks to that effect, apparently they would love a US based alternative to Russian resupply of the ISS during the end of Shuttle Flights and the begging of CEV flights.

The new NASA administrator has made several speeches about NASA’s willingness to utilize and support civilian infrastructure and even co development of hardware.

[advertising guy]

the hammer was in case an alien showed up looking for lunch......lol

[P-40]

A friend was on a commercial flight and the pilot announced on the PA that for the remainder of the flight he would be flying the plane. He said it was pretty rough. When they were safely on the ground he asked the pilot what the deal was and the pilot explained to him about all the technology that makes a plane ride so smooth these days....and where the technology came from....and how unpleasant the trip is when it fails.

[advertising guy]

so how bout a space salvage yard you know some cigar chewin sweaty sleeveless t-shirt toothless type
hustling to retreive the junk.

[Army Air Corps]

They’re all going over to the ISS for a dance party.

That reminds of a question that I have had in mind. If one gets hammered in micro-g or zero-g, are the effects worse or less?