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.

...

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.

[yield 2 the right]

do they have extra panels just in case; or is it on the ground work order kind of deal?

[P-40]

As I see it, it's considerable risk at enormous expense for zero gain.

They are learning. They are taking the first step. They are opening doors for the rest of us.

[IslandJeff]

Could the ISS hold five more folks for a couple months?

[P-40]

Why, are we planning to colonize the moon? Mars?

Why not?

[don-o]

More from the link I posted above...

"In a situation in which a micrometeorite struck the wing, sensors around the one initially recording the impact also would record measurements. A graphical chart of the readings would look like a rock plopping into a lake with ripples receding in a ring. "But that wasn't the case with the singular sensor reading."

[RDTF]

the landings are super cool

[Army Air Corps]

Colonisation is done by people. That is what makes it a colony. Some exploitation of resources can be done by machine, but there will be some need for humans in the process. Earth is mankind’s cradle, but who wants to remain an infant who never learns to walk?

[RDTF]

ever think maybe they are doing something you don’t need to know about?

[XBob]

7. “Hope they can fix it. They can.”

SO SORRY, IIRC panels 7 and 8 cannot be fixed, period, anwhere, they must be replaced, IRRC.

We posted that info here on FR on our looooong thread on the Colombia disaster in FEB 2003.

---

NASA Kennedy Space Center—Space Shuttle Orbiter Systems .... Instruct students to label and shade in the Shuttle tile positions. ...
http://media.nasaexplores.com/lessons/04-030/9-12_1.pdf

---

Tile damage from foam impact was famil-. iar to 1990s-era shuttle crews; we saw the .... struction hangar at Kennedy Space Center on March 3, 2003.
http://www.aiaa.org/aerospace/images/articleimages/pdf/AA_Oct05_VFH.pdf

[GeorgiaDawg32]

that was AFTER a 3 minute communication outage when no one knew whether you made it back or not..I remember those days..

[Brakeman]

At least the people crossing the oceans had a place to go.

Currently, manned space flight is a waste of money that takes away funds for real missions that come up with real discoveries.

[mikrofon]

That’s the way they may be coming back from the ISS now (a few at a time) using Russian craft.

[null and void]

Nothing to see here move along folks...non-event!!!

Minor scratch is all....

It's just a flesh wound...

[jedward]

The fact that their even saying something about it already doesn’t sound too good :(

[tricky_k_1972]

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.
Space Ping! If you want on or off this list please Freepmail me. My Home Page

[magellan]

Aren’t they currently docked at the International Space Station? If so, they can determine for sure if there is a problem, and if there is, they can hang out at the ISS until the they can get a ride home.

[cabojoe]

Thank you don-o.

[GonzoGOP]

"Wonder how long they can stay on the space station"

Oddly enough if they can get all three solar panels up and working they could stay there almost forever, at least so long as they can keep sending progress cargo ships up with food and CO2 scrubbers. In theory we could just let the shuttle up there and bring the crew down 2 at a time aboard that paragon of 1950s technology Soyuz. Of course it's going to be short of food, water and living space until they can get the supply problem straightened out. Think Apollo 13 but without the quick return.

[Kozak]

Damn. If a piece of foam trashed Colombia, what would a piece of nickel-iron do...

[Wheee The People]

super glue?