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I WAS IN THE FUTURE, IT WAS TOO LATE TO RSVP
Member # 709
posted
if the fuel residue is immediately a toxic or caustic irritant, im sure its probably carcinogenic. people should follow the instructions, call for authorities.
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Registered: Sep 2001
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posted
This is terrible. I certainly hope that it doesn't signal the beginning of severe cutbacks in the manned space program. I'm inclined to think that it won't but I suppose I'm (and most of the other peole who can see the 'vision') inclined to be optomistic where that is concerned.
-------------------- "I am an almost extinct breed, an old-fashioned gentleman, which means I can be a cast-iron son-of-a-bitch when it suits me." --Jubal Harshaw
Registered: Feb 2002
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posted
I was watching Peter Jennings on ABC during lunch early this afternoon. He interviewed a few people in Washington about the possible reactions... basically it boils down to (1) immediately start work on a Space Shuttle replacement, or (2) abandon the manned space program.
The shuttles haven't been the most efficient system, but as pointed out, a 2-in-113 failure rate for such a massive program in which so many things can go wrong is extraordinary. Despite the fact that two of the five space shuttles that have made it into space have been lost, I am more than certain that NASA has done everything humanly possible to ensure that the flights are as safe as they can make it.
But as we've seen, space travel at this stage can never be routine. Even in the world of "Star Trek," it's never completely routine.
I can only hope that this disaster gives everyone the motivation to learn from the mistakes and push forward rather than to pull back and abandon manned space travel completely. I barely remember the Challenger disaster in 1986 (I wasn't even 5 years old at the time), but I do remember the big deal when it took three whole years to resume shuttle flights, and the huge relief when the next shuttle launched successfully. I sincerely hope that nothing like that happens this time.
As I'm typing, CNN is airing the NASA press conference and Colonel Bill Reedy, a space shuttle veteran is emphasizing NASA's position about keeping the program going. I only hope that the various Congressmen don't react to this by cutting funding. I won't suggest increasing funding because I know what kind of problem that would involve, especially in the context of the other problems the country (and the world) are facing... but we have come to far to pull back now. The courage and heroism of people like John Glenn, Neil Armstrong, not to mention the three men killed in the fire aboard Apollo 1 and the seven men and women aboard Challenger would mean nothing if we simply abandon the goal that they gave their lives in attempting to reach.
"We will find the cause, we will fix it, and we will move on." -- NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe
"Risk is our business. That's what this starship is about. That's why we're aboard her." -- Captain James Kirk
-------------------- “Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.” — Isaac Asimov Star Trek Minutiae | Memory Alpha
Registered: Nov 2000
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OnToMars
Now on to the making of films!
Member # 621
posted
This morning, my friend from across the hall came knocking at the door. My roommate had locked it the previous evening, something we never do, because two of our drunk suitemates were being loud and generally extraordinarily obnoxious. So he knocks on the door and says he needs to talk to Brian. My roommate (sleeping closer to the door than I) asks why he can't just tell him through the door, but he doesn't offer an explanation.
Slightly irritated I get up and open it.
"You should come look at this." He says.
We walk across the hall to his room and I see for the first time the multiple contrails across the Texas sky.
Later on, another of my suitemates comes in as I'm watching the news in my room. At the bottom of the screen they scroll different facts concerning the event, including that the shuttle apparently broke up over the miniscule town of Palestine, Texas. Palestine is where another suitemate of mine and my best friend is from.
We go in and wake him up, tell him the news. He comes out in a daze to the living room, and begins attempting to call home. All land line circuts are busy, so he tries his cell phone, and gets through. His parents heard a tremendous boom that shook their whole house and windows while they were sleeping, and woke them up.
About a week ago, I was in my Human Factors class. Columbia was due to lift off towards the end of class. Our professor had put on the webcast that NASA always has and announced that she would dismiss us early, after it started it's ascent to go outside and see it, but we would watch the first minute or two in the classroom.
We begged and pleaded to see the whole thing from outside, and to dismiss us that much earlier. Not that we cared so much, but it was a golden opportunity to convince our teacher to let us out as early as possible.
We did. I walked out of the room and outside the building as fast as I could without making it look like I cared at all. Outside, every student on campus who was outside stopped and turned south, in the direction of Kennedy Space Center, and we watched a plume of orange climb the sky, producing the most extraordinary contrail we had ever seen.
After she had climbed beyond sight, we went about our business, without a word or further care. I was glad to have gotten out of class early. It was the third time I had ever seen a shuttle launch. It may very well have been my last.
-------------------- If God didn't want us to fly, he wouldn't have given us Bernoulli's Principle.
Registered: Jun 2001
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posted
Grisly as it may be, the loss of an orbiter will probably only help the shuttle program financially, if secondary, psychological effects can be ignored. One less piece of equipment to worry about, more spares for the rest. The missions never turned profit anyway, so the fewer, the better. And as said, the ISS flights will not be affected much. Provided that the cause of the loss can be established, that is.
But this does nothing to lessen the human tragedy. My sympathies are on the families and the coworkers. While this probably spells the end of both the more reasonable teachers-in-space and the more frivorous tourists-in-space programs, manned spaceflight will survive. It has to, as nobody can afford to call it quits now.
What did go wrong? Apart from the possibility of heat tiles failing, the Columbia carried a potentially explosive EDO package, and was at the stage of return where RCS systems would be firing in rather extreme conditions. Plus the guidance software was in something of a flux, between upgrades - perhaps attitude control was lost due to a software glitch?
posted
I was in the first grade when Challenger exploded. I remember being in class watching it on a television. I can't recall for certain if I was watching it live or if we watching the news. It was horrible, as this is now.
It looks like the remains of the shuttle and her cres is concentrated in East Texas, stretching from about the small towns of Corsicana to San Augustine. I can't even believe right now that I'm watching this on the news. The first I heard of it was in my car driving to my parents' house an hour ago. I heard a brief ad for the news radio station to tune in for more on the Columbia tragedy.
I just can't believe this. Just last week there were remembrances for Challenger and Apollo 1. Now there's Columbia.
-------------------- The philosopher's stone. Those who possess it are no longer bound by the laws of equivalent exchange in alchemy. They gain without sacrifice and create without equal exchange. We searched for it, and we found it.
Registered: Mar 1999
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quote:Originally posted by Timo: What did go wrong? Apart from the possibility of heat tiles failing, the Columbia carried a potentially explosive EDO package, and was at the stage of return where RCS systems would be firing in rather extreme conditions. Plus the guidance software was in something of a flux, between upgrades - perhaps attitude control was lost due to a software glitch?
My guess is merely that damaged tiles allowed the wing to heat up too much, and be ripped off. At Mach 18, losing a wing would just twist Columbia apart from the G-force and it just, literally, disintigrated. Crew most likely dead before they knew anything was wrong.
-------------------- "Lotta people go through life doing things badly. Racing's important to men who do it well. When you're racing, it's life. Anything that happens before or after is just waiting."
-Steve McQueen as Michael Delaney, LeMans
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
Well, they have been working on replacement designs for about twenty years now, but none of them are up to scratch yet. One things certain, though... The fleet can't stay grounded for too long. We've got a manned space station up there.
--Jonah
-------------------- "That's what I like about these high school girls, I keep getting older, they stay the same age."
--David "Woody" Wooderson, Dazed and Confused
Registered: Feb 2001
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posted
CNN.com has an article (actually at Time.com) about three basic scenarios that have been proposed as the cause of the disaster. Of course, there's little data at this point, but the expert in that article believes that the oft-mentioned damage to the heat-resistant tiles probably wasn't enough to cause a complete breakup, but was instead some kind of loss of aerodynamic control.
But at this point, who knows? It's really all just speculation.
-------------------- “Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.” — Isaac Asimov Star Trek Minutiae | Memory Alpha
Registered: Nov 2000
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posted
Has anyone else seen President Bush's speech in reaction to the shuttle's destruction? Surprisingly enough, it seemed quite heartfelt and effective. He specifically emphasized the point that the U.S. space program will continue, and that this is as it should be, as otherwise the loss of the shuttle's crew would be for no purpose.
Personally, I am not hugely concerned that this occurrence will furnish any great setbacks to the program. Not simply because of the President's assurances, but because---as others have said---the United States has far too much invested in the space program to even consider abandoning it, and the loss of one shuttle in no way changes this.
And, at this point, the work of human astronauts aboard shuttles and the ISS is still quite indispensable, as it surely will be (IMO) when we take further steps into space. You simply can't do with machines what you can do with thinking individuals. So while this may deepen the convictions of those who would call for the cessation of manned space missions, I doubt it will do much to convince NASA or the government of this point of view.
Nonetheless, it is indeed a tragic event, and it certainly holds a great deal of emotional and psychological impact.
-MMoM
-------------------- The flaws we find most objectionable in others are often those we recognize in ourselves.
Registered: Jun 2001
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posted
NASA's news conference has now stated that they received data of excessive heat in the left wing along with a change in the pressure of the landing gear in that wing, and they also lost control of the aerolons on that wing a second before they lost contact.
I think this tells us what exactly happened.
-------------------- "Lotta people go through life doing things badly. Racing's important to men who do it well. When you're racing, it's life. Anything that happens before or after is just waiting."
-Steve McQueen as Michael Delaney, LeMans
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
To make a skiing analogy, looks like they caught an edge.
-------------------- "I was surprised by the matter-of-factness of Kafka's narration, and the subtle humor present as a result." (Sizer 2005)
Registered: Mar 1999
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Cartman
just made by the Presbyterian Church
Member # 256
posted
Damn. Cause of the disaster: one or more ceramic tiles were dislodged at liftoff (as was known and previously pointed out), taking others with them during re-entry in a cascade "zipper" effect. There will be many a gnashing of teeth over this... and a rolling of heads.
Registered: Nov 1999
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OnToMars
Now on to the making of films!
Member # 621
posted
Ailerons.
-------------------- If God didn't want us to fly, he wouldn't have given us Bernoulli's Principle.
Registered: Jun 2001
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