Community | August 13, 2007 | 3 comments

Endeavor: to repair or not to repair?

source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/12/AR2007081200128.html?hpid=se...

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Tori
To be honest, I am not sure why you wouldn't at least try to repair the shuttle. It was damaged when a chunk of insulating foam smacked the belly on lift-off and penetrated the thermal sheilding on the ship. Now, NASA is trying to decide whether repairs are necessary for the ship to be able to re-enter the atomosphere. Since this is what caused the Columbia to explode...I vote for fix it, even if you think it doesn't HAVE to be fixed. Better safe than sorry, right??
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    NASA,  Space Travel,  Space Shuttle Endeavor
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3 comments // Endeavor: to repair or not to repair?

  • Danny
    • 0
      Danny  

    • All good questions. Here are some answers.
      The Shuttle was built in the 70s...the Nixon Administration. Nixon hated Kennedy, space was a "Kennedy-Thing". We were just finishing landing a person on the moon so Nixon had to let NASA live, but not live well. He also was trying to pay for a war.

      Know many cars still on the road built in the 70's? It's a testament to NASA this thing they are stuck with still works at all. You want better foam? Better tiles? So do the people who fly in the thing. No money. We are paying for a war.

      NASA is dumping the shuttle in 2010. At that point, we will need to beg rides from Russia to our Space Station.

      About this repair. As of this writing, they haven't decided yet. Unfortunately, thats not now media presents it. They also overstate the problem. Like doctors, the first thing is to do no harm. Will fixing things make it worse? NASA looks at data, not CNN. They will decide by the facts whether it's worth the risk of an EVA to fix it and do what they think is right. Remember, they see astronauts faces every day. They have skin in the game. They will do what they think is right, not what the AP thinks it right.

    • 4 years ago
  • Tori
    • 0
      Tori  

    • I agree!! Why the heck is crap flying off shuttles every time they launch???? They aren't ok when airplanes have stuff falling off, but a space shuttle? No biggie! It's part of the design! HUH?!

    • 4 years ago
  • curleysound
    • 0
      curleysound  

    • This debate has been going on with NASA for a while. I'm at a loss to explain it myself. You would think that a couple of items would be priority one for something like this, namely:
      1) Using better foam that won't come off
      2) Protecting the foam during launch
      3) better tiles that can resist a foam impact
      4) A whole new shuttle that's not Solid/liquid fuelled, negating the entire issue in the first place

    • 4 years ago
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