Comments on: Minor Shuttle damage? http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/09/minor-shuttle-damage/ I am an astronomer, writer, and skeptic. I likes reality the way it is, and I aims to keep it that way. My real name is Phil Plait, and I run the Bad Astronomy blog. Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:32:47 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Spiv http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/09/minor-shuttle-damage/comment-page-1/#comment-69626 Spiv Mon, 11 Feb 2008 16:40:08 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/09/minor-shuttle-damage/#comment-69626 oh yeah, I have pictures from the launch: http://pigeonfish.info/pics/launch2-7-08/ Hope this is just a minor hitch, nothing big for the mission. According to this: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?cid=5354 it looks like the tile damage is minimal, and they're still determining whether it's worth the EVA to stick down the blanket. oh yeah, I have pictures from the launch:

http://pigeonfish.info/pics/launch2-7-08/

Hope this is just a minor hitch, nothing big for the mission.

According to this: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?cid=5354 it looks like the tile damage is minimal, and they’re still determining whether it’s worth the EVA to stick down the blanket.

]]> By: Pop http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/09/minor-shuttle-damage/comment-page-1/#comment-69625 Pop Mon, 11 Feb 2008 16:13:33 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/09/minor-shuttle-damage/#comment-69625 Duct tape! Just put some duct tape on the tear. Another term for duct tape is/was 200MPH tape. Seems it was used to patch and repair airplanes and would stick at speeds of 200MPH. Actually, it was used to cover minor holes in jet aircraft during Vietnam hostilities. So, I guess it could be called 500MPH tape or some such. If it stuck during re-entry, the speed rating could be upped. Great selling point for 3M. Duct tape! Just put some duct tape on the tear. Another term for duct tape is/was 200MPH tape. Seems it was used to patch and repair airplanes and would stick at speeds of 200MPH. Actually, it was used to cover minor holes in jet aircraft during Vietnam hostilities. So, I guess it could be called 500MPH tape or some such. If it stuck during re-entry, the speed rating could be upped. Great selling point for 3M.

]]> By: John http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/09/minor-shuttle-damage/comment-page-1/#comment-69624 John Mon, 11 Feb 2008 14:16:37 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/09/minor-shuttle-damage/#comment-69624 So let me get this straight - the outer layer of the shuttle in those areas is a blanket???? Soft, as opposed to a hard shell? I understand the leading edges are the heat tiles for re-entry, I guess I assumed all of the exterior surfaces were a hard shell of some sort, like, oh, an airplane. I am gobsmacked. So let me get this straight – the outer layer of the shuttle in those areas is a blanket???? Soft, as opposed to a hard shell? I understand the leading edges are the heat tiles for re-entry, I guess I assumed all of the exterior surfaces were a hard shell of some sort, like, oh, an airplane.

I am gobsmacked.

]]> By: The Bad Astronomer http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/09/minor-shuttle-damage/comment-page-1/#comment-69621 The Bad Astronomer Sun, 10 Feb 2008 14:21:19 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/09/minor-shuttle-damage/#comment-69621 Hmmm, right. OK, I fixed it. Thanks for the correction. Hmmm, right. OK, I fixed it. Thanks for the correction.

]]> By: Tom http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/09/minor-shuttle-damage/comment-page-1/#comment-69623 Tom Sun, 10 Feb 2008 11:30:48 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/09/minor-shuttle-damage/#comment-69623 Thanks for pointing that out, Igor. I was going to do it. Thanks for pointing that out, Igor. I was going to do it.

]]> By: Igor Carron http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/09/minor-shuttle-damage/comment-page-1/#comment-69622 Igor Carron Sun, 10 Feb 2008 10:29:05 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/09/minor-shuttle-damage/#comment-69622 Phil, Damaris is not an astronaut trainee. She wants to be an astronaut, there is a difference. She obviously has the will and capabilities to be one. It would be very nice if you could make that correction. Thanks in advance, Igor. Phil,

Damaris is not an astronaut trainee. She wants to be an astronaut, there is a difference. She obviously has the will and capabilities to be one. It would be very nice if you could make that correction. Thanks in advance,

Igor.

]]> By: Lugosi http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/09/minor-shuttle-damage/comment-page-1/#comment-69620 Lugosi Sun, 10 Feb 2008 04:47:27 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/09/minor-shuttle-damage/#comment-69620 Considering what's at stake, someone needs to make damn sure that thing is safe before re-entry. Not to minimize the lives of the astronauts themselves, but the loss of another orbiter would end America's manned space program for at least the next decade, doom the Hubble Telescope (without the scheduled repair mission, it probably won't last another two years), and end any future expansions or major repairs to the ISS. Considering what’s at stake, someone needs to make damn sure that thing is safe before re-entry. Not to minimize the lives of the astronauts themselves, but the loss of another orbiter would end America’s manned space program for at least the next decade, doom the Hubble Telescope (without the scheduled repair mission, it probably won’t last another two years), and end any future expansions or major repairs to the ISS.

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