Observation on TPS damage on Orbiter

NASA photos | 2-3-03 | BoneMccoy

[computermechanic]

I was discussing this with a friend... has anyone thought about this simply being a piece of the shuttle falling off and trailing the shuttle? This could also explain the brightening of the shuttle's trail.

The fact that the corkscrew trail appears "above" the shuttle's trail could only be an illusion.

If this is the case, it should be possible to estimate the location of where this piece of debris fell derived from the debris' path shown in the photo.

[Cold Heat]

I was discussing this with a friend... has anyone thought about this simply being a piece of the shuttle falling off and trailing the shuttle? This could also explain the brightening of the shuttle's trail.

Fits my line of thinking.

I was apparently reading your mind, or you were reading mine. In any case, I note the picture was taken in California apparently.

At the time of the shuttle accident, a couple kids were filming it when it flew over some place along the Utah, New Mexico area. Their vid, (I only saw it once) showed a similar event when something came off and the plasma plume got brighter. I even thought that I saw something spinning off. (I believe I notated it somewhere on this thread, under the handle of Wirestripper)

Any how, it seems plausible.

[computermechanic]

The bright trail of the debris could indicate a steep rate-of-decent, which might place the debris' location on the ground, in the vicinity of where the photo was taken(?)

This could also help explain the brightness in spots on the debris' path, these bright spots could be times when the debris was vectored in the general direction of the observer, making prolonged, brighter exposures, as brighter spots on the film.

The brightening of the shuttle's trail could be the debris and the shuttle's path being overlapped for awhile, but the debris's path would be quickly losing altitude, directly below the trail of the shuttle at this viewing angle.

[computermechanic]

Following this same line, I think it likely that the debris' trail, ending in a bright spot, coincides with the end of the photo's exposure-time.

This assumption could give the time that the debris was travelling separated from the shuttle and possibly some speed information of the debris, and in order to aid in the location of the debris on the ground.

[Cold Heat]

which might place the debris' location on the ground, in the vicinity of where the photo was taken(?)

It seems a large part of the shuttle simply burned up completely when it reentered.

All efforts to find anything have thus far been futile. Groups of folks with GPS gear have looked.

Perhaps one day, a piece of interest will show up. They have since found a bit more in Texas, but that debris is of little further interest.

There are pieces that are missing from the wing that still could be interesting, depending on where it is found,but I think we now have a good idea as to the sequence of the events.

[Budge]

Yes, that was on the video that survived.

[XBob]

According to the story with the photo, the orbiter was at 63 kilometers altitude when taken.

The Colombia (If I did my calculations right) was passing east of Abilene, TX at that altitude.

And the corkscrew contrails are much like those I saw at cape canaveral, from un-aerodynamic pieces of exploded rockets.

So, I think that there is notihing unusual here, other than the orbiter breaking up, pieces buring up, and the orbiter burning even more brightly, as a large piece broke off and it became even less aerodynamic.

[XBob]

ping the last post

[XBob]

ping

[Cold Heat]

Yes, I suspect the photo is also either reversed or upside down to achieve a controversy.

I am so tired of being screwed with these days.

[computermechanic]

Steve's Woven In Time CD, carried aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia found in debris field in east Texas .

http://www.stevegreenministries.org/pages/col2.html

Before Steve's latest CD, Woven In Time was released, he gave a pre-release copy to commander Rick Husband. In an email from space, Rick mentioned that he had been listening to the CD while exercising. At a memorial concert for Rick and Michael Anderson on January 25 th , Evelyn Husband presented the recovered CD to Steve as a gift. Apparently, Rick had also taken Steve's Morning Light CD on the mission and NASA mistakenly labeled the package as such. As can be seen from the photos, the CD is the pre-release of Woven In Time.

http://www.stevegreenministries.org/pages/news.html#040404

[XBob]

ROTFLMAO - NASA has just formally announced an amazing new concept, much safer and cheaper - mounting a capsule on top of a rocket to send it to the moon. This revolutionary new concept, for the first time in 30+ years, has a reusable capsule, shich wont be subject to damage from an external tank, and which can land on the ground, and actually gives the crew a chance of escape in case of problems on liftoff.

Hardy, har har har.

our space program is now going forwards by going backwards 40 years, to the early 60's.

I wonder if they will get Marty McFly - "Back to the Future (1985)"
or perhaps - Buckaroo Banzai will be the astronaut to fly it.

[null and void]

Laugh while-a you can monkey boy!

[XBob]

F___s such as you not worth responding to, so I leave you with some sound advice for your kind - - cool off and sober up - go soak your head in a bucket full of ice water for an hour or so, making sure too keep your whole head underwater for the entire time.
.

[SlowBoat407]

That's okay, null: I got the Buckaroo Banzai reference.

"That's Big boo-TAY!"

[SlowBoat407]

That's okay, null: I got the Buckaroo Banzai reference.

"That's Big boo-TAY!"

[null and void]

I guess he didn't...

[SlowBoat407]

Trust me, Bob, it's funny!

[LilDarlin]

I wonder if I could afford to get some of these tiles for my roof...to replace those lousy asphalt shingles!

[null and void]

*shrug* It was supposed to be, anyway. Sorry.