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Columbia Discussion thread
Feb 1, 2003

Posted on 02/01/2003 8:41:00 AM PST by Admin Moderator

Edited on 02/01/2003 9:11:45 AM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]

'

On behalf of posters on Free Republic, I post this with deepest sympathy for the crew and their families.

Mission - sts107


This is a continuation of the original thread.

Shuttle Contact LOST-No Tracking Data During RE-Entry!

ANY DU LINKS OR POSTS WILL BE REMOVED IMMEDIATELY. Keep them on the original thread.


TOPICS: Breaking News
KEYWORDS: columbia; columbiatragedy; feb12003; india; israel; nasa; shuttle; spaceshuttle; sts107; unitedstates
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To: Sacajaweau
<
Michelin tires are out of this world ... literally. Michelin is the sole tire supplier for the Space Shuttle program since the first launch in 1981.

Michelin Aircraft Tire Corporation equips the shuttle with Michelin Air brand tires, a line of tires first introduced for the general aviation market in 1992. A lot of work goes into being the sole supplier for NASA. Shuttle tires undergo extensive testing to ensure they can support a shuttle landing at speeds up to 250 miles per hour. In addition to the routine checks for aircraft tires, space shuttle tires must also be checked by X-ray analysis, and be further tested against NASA's own standards before being mounted on the shuttle.

Surprisingly, a space shuttle tire is not much larger than a truck tire, but a main landing gear tire can carry three times the load of a Boeing 747 tire or the entire starting line-up of a NASCAR race -- 40 race cars - all hitting the pavement at up to 250 miles per hour. Michelin Aircraft Tire is a leading tire supplier for commercial and regional airlines, the military and general aviation. Space Shuttle tires are manufactured exclusively in Norwood, North Carolina.

Interesting facts and figures:


0 Space Shuttle Tire Truck Tire Earthmover Tire

Size/Dimension

44.5x16.0-21 MLG

425x65R22.5 XZA

425/75R20 XM27

Outside Diameter

44.9 inches

44.4 inches

45.0 inches

Section Width

16 inches

16.5 inches

16.5 inches

Wheel Rim Diameter

21 inches

22.5 inches

20 inches

Approx. Weight

205 pounds

194 pounds

165 pounds

Max. Inflation Pressure

340 PSI

125 PSI

55 PSI

Max. Operating Load

142,000 pounds

22,050 pounds

12,100 pounds

Max. Speed

259 mph

69 mph

30 mph

Load per lb. of Tire

695 pounds

114 pounds

73 pounds

 

copyright © 1999-2001 MICHELIN
Photos Copyright : Michelin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


841 posted on 02/01/2003 12:09:22 PM PST by GRRRRR (God Bless America)
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To: Admin Moderator
"High Flight"

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew -
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God.

John Gillespie Magee, Jr.


High Flight was composed by Pilot Officer John Gillespie Magee, Jr., an American serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force. He was born in Shanghai, China in 1922, the son of missionary parents, Reverend and Mrs. John Gillespie Magee; his father was an American and his mother was originally a British citizen.

He came to the U.S. in 1939 and earned a scholarship to Yale, but in September 1940 he enlisted in the RCAF and was graduated as a pilot. He was sent to England for combat duty in July 1941.

In August or September 1941, Pilot Officer Magee composed High Flight and sent a copy to his parents. Several months later, on December 11, 1941 his Spitfire collided with another plane over England and Magee, only 19 years of age, crashed to his death.

His remains are buried in the churchyard cemetery at Scopwick, Lincolnshire.

http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/history/prewwii/jgm.htm
842 posted on 02/01/2003 12:09:27 PM PST by Bubba_Leroy
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To: Peach; All
Thanks Peach - I sure need those hugs today - {{{hugs}}} to everyone!!
843 posted on 02/01/2003 12:10:29 PM PST by CyberAnt ( Syracuse where are you?)
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To: The Right Stuff
I too, live near the Space Coast and we saw Columbia launch. Excuse my ignorance, but could the shuttle have been brought down by a device triggered by radio? (defective tiles, planted onboard ahead of time)

Again, not likely. A radio would have to have a range of at least 38 miles to make it up there (probably closer to 45 to 50 miles considering that one cannot be assured of being almost directly underneath the flight path), and with the small size of an antenna that would not have attracted the attention of a security sweep, it would have taken a powerful transmitter (at least in the 10-kilowatt range).

844 posted on 02/01/2003 12:10:37 PM PST by steveegg
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To: TeleStraightShooter
I would alter your list only in putting 9-11 first and Pearl Harbor second. The gov't wasn't totally caught off guard with Pearl harbor and the world was already in a state of war (since Sept.1, 1939). While there were some people in the gov't who knew that we were vulnerable to terroristic organizations, even in the wildest dreams they didn't foresee this. Just MHO.
845 posted on 02/01/2003 12:12:40 PM PST by gracex7 (If it's not worth dying for, it's not worth living for)
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To: mlmr
Is the Indian an American Citizen?

YES

846 posted on 02/01/2003 12:13:11 PM PST by Dave S
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To: Dave S
Re: Hell scan this thread, youve got idiots on here that are every bit as bad as any muslims dancing in the streets.

Sadly all too true.

847 posted on 02/01/2003 12:14:11 PM PST by sonofatpatcher2 (God Speed Columbia Seven)
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I don't know if this has been mentioned, but KFI Los Angeles was interviewing a former shuttle pilot. He said Houston was telling Columbia about the tire pressure reading. The pilot on board would not know of the change otherwise.

Unfortunately, it looks like while Houston was making that transmission, they missed something the shuttle commander was saying to them.
848 posted on 02/01/2003 12:14:22 PM PST by lainie
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To: Sacajaweau
Tire pressure change...Could the area where the tires were tucked have overheated causing a tire to blow? The heat might not have caused a problem for metal, but could it cause a tire to expand and blow?
849 posted on 02/01/2003 12:15:57 PM PST by mewzilla
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To: Dave S
I didn't have a point in quoting as closely as possible the comments of Brian Williams re the president preparing to address the nation. There were Freepers without access to a television in their computer rooms and I was just giving some text.
850 posted on 02/01/2003 12:16:55 PM PST by Peach
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To: Carolinamom
I completely agree. I just sent my, I hope, monthly donation today to Free Republic since my car is running okay now.
Blessings to all,
Brad
851 posted on 02/01/2003 12:18:08 PM PST by bradactor
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To: Dave S
I agree. There are examples of idiocy on FR, and in the DUh crowd that are just as bad as muslims dancing in the streets. But I'm interested in the reaction of idiots of a particular segment of foreign populations that has great animosty toward this country.

We are about to go to war in a matter of weeks, and I believe that my query is justified and reasonable for the purpose of understanding the geopolitical implications.

852 posted on 02/01/2003 12:19:45 PM PST by PokeyJoe (Act with Courage, Support Promethius)
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To: mewzilla
'Could the area where the tires were tucked have overheated causing a tire to blow? The heat might not
have caused a problem for metal, but could it cause a tire to expand and blow?'
>>>>>>>>>>>
They have speculated that the insulation which came loose during takeoff - was from one of the landing gear doors.
A loss of insulation from this area was deemed to not be dangerous for the continuation of the flight. Unfortunately, they may have been wrong.
853 posted on 02/01/2003 12:19:56 PM PST by Route66 (America's Mainstreet)
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To: Ichneumon
Imagine how I feel -- I remember the JFK assassination

So do I. And I remember Walter Chronkite broadcasting out of the back of his station wagon for our earliest, pre-Mercury, rocket liftoffs.

854 posted on 02/01/2003 12:21:47 PM PST by Catspaw
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To: Ima Lurker
Thank you. It makes it difficult to follow sometimes when people don't explain what they are saying. It also doesn't help that I am rather shaken up by the events of today. It was a hell of a way to wake up this morning...Our front door was open about an inch with a heavy object behind it and when the shockwave hit it sounded like the door was going to fly off the hinges.

Sorry if I sounded short in my last message. It was not intentional.

Thanks again.
855 posted on 02/01/2003 12:22:21 PM PST by Karsus (TrueFacts=GOOD, GoodFacts=BAD))
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To: Route66
Oh, I thought the insulation came off the external fuel tank. In any case, according to NBC's Jay Barbree earlier, a number of sensors either went on the fritz or registered something before communication was lost. That could narrow the possibilities for investigators hopefully.
856 posted on 02/01/2003 12:22:33 PM PST by mewzilla
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To: mewzilla
Tire pressure change...Could the area where the tires were tucked have overheated causing a tire to blow? The heat might not have caused a problem for metal, but could it cause a tire to expand and blow?

While overheating of the area could have caused a tire to blow, it is unlikely that the tire fragments would have caused catastrophic damage. It is more likely that the same time the tires were heating up, so was the wing structure in the area and forward toward the leading edge and both let go basically simultaneously.

857 posted on 02/01/2003 12:23:01 PM PST by steveegg
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To: steveegg
Right -- the tires heating would have been the first indication of extreme heat, goes the theory so far.
858 posted on 02/01/2003 12:24:23 PM PST by lainie
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To: Catspaw
I remember sitting in front of the radio listening to the Lone Ranger. (We didn't have TV). This is making me sad!!
859 posted on 02/01/2003 12:25:36 PM PST by Sacajaweau
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To: mewzilla
Heard speculation about both ideas of where the insulation - if it was insulation [maybe it was only ice]- came from.
860 posted on 02/01/2003 12:25:59 PM PST by Route66 (America's Mainstreet)
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