Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

The link brings you to the "Gallery" section of NASA's site.
You can get a High Resolution look at the left wing from about midway outboard. Other that some old scorch marks it looks fine.
From what I can gather this is the only view the crew could have had to evaluate any damage to the wing.
Posted for your comments and research.

Sorry I don't know how to set this up as a link and get the HI-RES photo....I'll leave that to the experts

ROBE

1 posted on 02/02/2003 12:51:56 PM PST by Robe
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies ]


To: Robe
The "NASA" link works fine... just select HI or LOW resolution
2 posted on 02/02/2003 12:54:17 PM PST by Robe
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies ]

To: Robe
That's a nice photograph, particularly in the high-res. You can see part of the leading edge of the left wing, but you can't see it head-on, nor the part that is closest to the shuttle, since it is hidden by the cargo bay door. The leading edge of the wing is made of reenforced carbon-carbon because the leading edges of the wings and the front tip of the shuttle are exposed to the highest stresses and temperatures. These edges are made up of segments that are much larger than individual tiles, so if it was nicked, it could have been fine. Perhaps tiles above or underneath the edges were damaged by the falling insulation. It was above, it would have been fine. If it was below, then there could be a lot of trouble. Other things may have been the cause though, obviously.
4 posted on 02/02/2003 1:12:38 PM PST by Pyro7480 (+ Vive Jesus! (Live Jesus!) +)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies ]

To: Robe
They can use one of numerous imaging satellites to look at the shuttle. They have done it before.

Thing is did they do it this time?
7 posted on 02/02/2003 1:22:44 PM PST by Rain-maker
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies ]

To: Robe
Is this the image and links ya need?

STS-107 Shuttle Mission Imagery

STS107-E-05359 (22 January 2003) --- SPACEHAB Research Double Module as seen from Columbia's aft flight deck.



high res (0.9 M) low res (59 K)


8 posted on 02/02/2003 1:25:14 PM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies ]

To: Robe; *all
AEDC Performs Shuttle Materials Test for NASA/Lockheed Martin

ARNOLD AFB, Tenn.
-Arnold Engineering Development Center is assisting the National Aeronautics Space Administration with improvements in existing Space Shuttle materials. According to NASA, during several previous Space Shuttle flights, including the shuttle launched Nov. 29, 1998, the shuttle external tank experienced a significant loss of foam from the intertank. The material lost caused damage to the thermal protection high-temperature tiles on the lower surface of the shuttle orbiter.
The loss of external tank foam material and subsequent damage to reentry tiles is a concern because it causes tile replacement costs to significantly increase,,u. however, it is not a flight safety issue. As a result, NASA-Marshall Space Flight Center selected AEDC to perform flight hardware materials tests on the shuttle's external tank panels in the center's von Karman Facility Supersonic Tunnel A.

The purpose was to establish the cause of failure for the tank thermal protection materials at specified simulated flight conditions. "NASA chose AEDC due to its technical expertise and historical program successes," Steve Holmes, a NASA-MSFC technical coordinator, said





(From another article)
A review of the records of the STS-86 records revealed that a change to the type of foam was used on the external tank.
This event is significant because the pattern of damage on this flight was similar to STS-87 but to a much lesser degree. The reason for the change in the type of foam is due to the desire of NASA to use "environmentally friendly" materials in the space program.
Freon was used in the production of the previous foam. This method was eliminated in favor of foam that did not require freon for its production. MSFC is investigating the consideration that some characteristics of the new foam may not be known for the ascent environment."

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/834139/posts?page=54#54
9 posted on 02/02/2003 1:26:36 PM PST by Jael
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies ]

To: Robe
The best evidence is visible on the engine nacelles.

Both nacelles show evidence of some sort of impact and the port nacelle appears to have two tiles that have lost significant parts, leaving jagged, black areas.

I would be very interested in comparing this view to one from an earlier flight of Columbia.
11 posted on 02/02/2003 1:38:06 PM PST by MediaMole
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies ]

To: Robe
Here is a link to the video of the impact.

http://www.floridatoday.com/columbia/debrisvideo.htm

The last few frames CLEARLY show an OBJECT that has deflected off the wing.

The size and acceleration of the object before it impacts will give you the mass of the object, and the angle of deflection and velocity before and after the impact will give you an idea of how much work (damage) was done on the wing. I presume NASA has already done this and seen haw foolish they were. That would explain the shameful obfuscation in their briefings.

I am sensing GROSS NEGLIGENCE.

First point of negligence:
If this video had been analyzed by a competent engineer, they would have freaked. The alarm would have been rung.

Second point of negligence:
Tile inspection should have been a standard operation for all flights. All they would have needed to do is place an off the shelf video camera out the payload bay, and turn the shuttle in front of it. God! A $50 X-10 camera with eight double "A" batteries would have worked!

The Congressmen, who are ultimatly responsible, should be publicly chastised.
12 posted on 02/02/2003 1:47:36 PM PST by Born to Conserve
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies ]

To: Robe
- NASA did not attempt to examine Columbia's left wing with high-powered telescopes on the ground, 180 miles below, or with spy satellites. The last time NASA tried that, to check Discovery's drag-chute compartment during John Glenn's shuttle flight in 1998, the pictures were of little use, Dittemore said. Besides, he said, "there was zero we could have done about it."

- Similarly, NASA did not ask the crew of international space station to use its cameras to examine the wing when the two ships passed within a few hundred miles of each other several times over the past two weeks.

- NASA did not consider a spacewalk by the crew to inspect the left wing. The astronauts are not trained or equipped to repair tile damage anywhere on the shuttle, least of all on a relatively inaccessible area like the underside of a wing, Dittemore said.

Could NASA have sent another shuttle to rescue Columbia's five men and two women?

In theory, yes.

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAV4BIIPBD.html

13 posted on 02/02/2003 2:04:53 PM PST by Rain-maker
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies ]

To: Robe
That is not the wing. It is the rear stabilizer.
20 posted on 02/02/2003 11:06:00 PM PST by P-Marlowe
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson