[RossA]

Listening to Mr. Dittemore, as a scientist-engineer, I vote for "an early pension."

He RUNS away from the question of why he didn't ask for telescopic investigation of possbile left-wing damage on ascent - mainly because, IMO, he doesn't want to deal with the problem of what to do if damage is shown. This is a $5,000,0000,0000 vehicle and he doesn't want to consider it's endangerment. Sure, delaying descent would have been awkward, particularly for NASA. But, I submit, it would have been easier than Apoolo XIII (where the cover page of a manual was essential to preserving breathable oxygen). And we'd still have 4 orbiters.

[honorable schoolboy]

The burning question which I cannot believe has not been asked. "If you knew for certain that due to tile damage that safe re-entry was not possible, what are the contingency plans for such a scenario?" There have to be solutions to save the crew that do not require repair of the vehicle.

[Hooodahell]

Question for those more in the know than I am. With all the talk of heat near the left wheel on the wing, could this be at all significant? Hopefully, I haven't flubbed up the link.

[verity]

So many all-star 'Monday-morning' quarterbacks with nothing better to do!

[Lx]

I have a question for some of the aviation engineers I've seen post here.

On the broadcasts they're saying that when the computer detected increasing drag on the left wing, the right elerons (sp) tried to compensate.

At that altitude, I though normal control surfaces were useless.

So do they mean to say that the computers compensated by using the reaction control rockets? I think that's what they're called?

Since the telemetry data stream for the left side of the spacecraft gradually trickled down to zero, I'm not trying to imply that there was an explosion in the reaction systems if that's what they use at that altitude. I'm just curious in how they control the spacecraft at that point in descent

Many prayers for the astronauts and their families.

[sonofatpatcher2]

A very interesting shuttle tile is Here.

I can only post on Geocities and have little bandwidth to post, so perhaps someone can post it for me.

I inverted the photo on my computer and the writing reads:
V070-1911
-076 (or G) MN00

With these numbers, the tile should be traced to its exact location. It came from Kerens, Texas, 65 miles SE of Dallas and another tile is in Rice, Texas, 45 miles S of Dallas on I-45. If these tile came from under the left wing, that would place its failure at the top of the debris field.

[sneakypete]

NASA (news - web sites) officials said Sunday that space shuttle Columbia experienced a sudden and extreme rise in temperature on the fuselage moments before the craft broke apart.

If it took actual rocket scientists to come to this conclusion,they ain't making rocket scientists like they used to.

[HardStarboard]

Yesterday there was a link or a thread (I forget which) which took you to a blow-up slow-motion video of the Columbia launch, and the insallation hitting the wing and a white cloud of debris showering off the hit area. I think it was a CNN or Fox video (similar screen formats).

Can anyone give me a link back to that video - Its very graphic and in my mind does much to explain the final minutes of Columbia.

Thanks in advance for any help.....

[Merdoug]

Reading these posts about tiles, I thought of a repair that maybe hasn't been considered. Instead of trying to attach a tile to a possible damaged section, why not have like a big "belt" with tile sections that bend. The whole belt, maybe three feet wide, could be floated out the cargo door and moved (maybe with a remote controlled rocket thingy) around the outside of the shuttle and then the belt secured to the cargo area on either side. This would give at least something of a "patch" over the damaged area.

[ladyinred]

The live sightings by freepers in California did indicate that there may have been a problem while the shuttle was passing over here.

[RightOnline]

I've learned more about the unfortunate "antiquity" of the space shuttle over the last two days than I've learned in the last ten years.

Time to chuck this p.o.s. and go back to the drawing board.

Hear that, Congress? Pony up. It's worth it.......as you just found out.

[HighWheeler]

There should have been accelerometers on board somewhere that could have assessed the impact energy and signature of the ice/insulation that hit the wing.

Based on calibration tests that should have been done in the early 80's, they would be able to determine if the impact put the shuttle at high risk. If so, then the RTLS scenario would be immediately executed.

[ScottinSacto]

On any other subject than this sad one, the San Jose Mercury News headline would be a welcom admission we've all been waiting for:

Left wing problem is prime suspect

http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/special_packages/shuttle/5087890.htm

[StopGlobalWhining]

...that caused the shuttle's computerized flight control system to try to make an adjustment to the flight pattern.

Has it been determined for sure that the flight control software codes that were active during re-entry were identical to the ones that were originally installed or uploaded by NASA? Are there hashes or keys that must be verified before being executed by the on-board computers?

Has there been any indication that any individual or group attempted to hack the onboard control systems or threatened to do so? Has anyone claimed credit?

[tubebender]

I would not be surprised to learn that this diaster was 16 days late.

[Will_Zurmacht]

I enjoy reading these threads because there are people here at FR who obviously know what they are talking about. I am not one of them. That being said, from my amateurish take on the situation, couldn't this vehicle have been designed better?

Using thousands of extremely fragile tiles to dissipate heat and protect an extremely fragile aluminium body seems very odd to me, but I am surely no scientist. I figure it all has to do with weight and cost, but it strikes me like we built a balsa wood car with pillows for bumpers. Granted, it's a stupid analogy, but riding a rocket is dangerous enough, why increase the risk to save a few bucks?

Prayers for the crew and folks on the ground....

[SerpentDove]

>> NASA: Shuttle Temperature Rose Suddenly<<

Imagine that.

[SerpentDove]

>> NASA: Shuttle Temperature Rose Suddenly<<

Imagine that.

[Fiddlstix]

Bump