NASA Press Conference LIVE THREAD

Fox, CNN, networks, NASA TV | February 2, 2003 | NASA

[snopercod]

Any time now...

[sonofatpatcher2]

A suggestion to Karsus to make things easy to understand:

Re: Cut & Paste the comment you are repling to here

Make your comment here.

Just making your comment without any reference many times does not make any sense.

Such as Apollo 8 being lost.

[codder too]

Gentleman on Coast to Coast show last night 2-01-03 stated that NASA had requested and had received satelite pics at their request(NASA'S) They had been watching and evaluating via this method since the blastoff noted the insulation and possible wing damage problem. I cannot recall this gentlemans name but he was very concerned when he heard NASA spokesman deny that this had been done.

He also noted that there had been work done on a plan to repair lost tiles while in orbit, if the need arose. This was years ago he noted and there had been no followup...funding concerns.....

He had a great deal of knowledge, and concern.

[snopercod]

Thanks. I finally got it. Doh! He is bringing honor to himself and NASA with this press conference.

Switching to Lufkin, Texas.

"1200 items of debris found. Local volunteers are guarding it. When do you [NASA] anticipate the removal of the debris?

[fooman]

Is Ron a good guy in real life? He comes off ok on the tube.

[don-o]

it's DittEmore. No problem. He used to be my boss at NASA so I always spell his name correctly.

I am very impressed by his handling of two press conferences. Stand up guy.

[_Jim]

Well, doesn't NASA have most of the SR-71's now for high alt research?

Maybe next time ... this horse is clean out of the barn ...

[snopercod]

I don't think the robot arm was even aboard the flight this time.

You are correct. No arm on lab missions. Not needed and the weight penalty.

[Magnum44]

I thought spy satellites could read license plates from orbit. Why not the other way around? (This sounds like ass-covering to me.)

I sure that it has to do with the spy camera designed to focus on a spot hundreds on mile away, and through the atmosphere. Kind of like near or far sighted for a human

It is extremely difficult to point a precision instrument moving in one direction at kilometers per sec at another another object moving in a different direction at kilometers per sec.

And the whole license plate thing, well, without saying what we can and cant see, even on a good day in perfect conditions, that would be a challenge. Many people have seen too many movies that tend to assume capabilities beyond those actually in place.

[The Great Satan]

I am very impressed by his handling of two press conferences.

Me too. You better be good, to hold the position he holds.

[Semper911]

dittemore just body-slammed some idiot asking about mothballing Columbia:

True, but I got the sense that it hit a sensitive area. Dittermore was visibly upset by the question, and I didn't get the sense that it was because he thought it was a stupid question.

It seemed like there is more there--perhaps there was a group at Nasa who wanted it mothballed. Time will tell.

[Rain-maker]

His name is Richard Hoagland.

http://www.enterprisemission.com/

[The Great Satan]

They have found remains of all seven astronauts.

[Timesink]

Remains found from all astronauts!

[Torie]

Yes he is very effective. But that does not mean he has closed the deal. He hasn't, at least with me as to what I posted.

[Semper911]

Remains from ALL the astronauts!

[_Jim]

I don't think the robot arm was even aboard the flight this time.

Im believe you're right. This was a fully packed mission and that arm just takes up much-needed space in the CG bay ...

[bvw]

Deny deny deny.

[Judith Anne]

Dittemore said that there were future missions already scheduled for this particular shuttle.

[DoughtyOne]

Tell you what Jim, at this stage of the game I'd sure like to be able to point to a review process, that indicated even a modicum of effort expended to verify the wing was not damaged.  If the wing were checked out and looked okay, at least we could say that all measures were taken.

I'm not convinced at all that a crash program couldn't have put a shuttle into ourbit early enough to bring this crew back safely, if the wing had been seen to be damaged in the first day or two of it's mission.

Would someone describe for us the event where the insulation came off?  How big a piece was it?  Did it look large enough to do any damage?  What the impact with the wing look like?

I've installed the macromedia and it doesn't want to operate.