To: yonif
One by One:
Point One:
There was no effective way to view the underside of the shuttle wing from Earth or any space-based vantage point.
Point 2:
There was no fuel on board to take the shuttle to the ISS. The orbits of the shuttle and the ISS were not compatible. If the shuttle were to be able to rondevoux with the ISS it would have had to be programmed to do so from the start.
Even if the shuttle could have flown to the ISS, it could not link up since the docking module was not carried aboard, as it was not needed and was unusable for this mission.
Point 3:
The Columbia crew had no ability to either investigate or fix. Information would hvve been useless to them. They do not carry aboard the thoushands of different tile shapes and sizes needed to replace any given broken tile. Nor do they carry along the EVA suits unless the mission contemplates such activity. The crew could not go out into the vacuum of space, did not carry repair materials, and could not see the underside of the wing.
Point 4:
I cannot tell exactly what is depicted in this photograph. But I can tell you that it is not the wing. The left shuttle wing is not visible from the cockpit.
This entire article is written with a disregard for research into the facts. It is in the class of "3,000 year old mummy gives birth to healty baby boy," and is deserving of no more credence.
To: John Valentine
So you are saying that NASA did the right thing to "leave their fate up to God" in trying to land them?
42 posted on
02/02/2003 9:19:10 PM PST by
yonif
To: John Valentine
157 posted on
02/02/2003 11:10:58 PM PST by
Jael
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson