http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/space/08/10/space.shuttle.ap/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

Wonder what they'll do

8/10/2007 10:14:45 PM

figure out a ways to fix it and come back to earth

8/10/2007 10:17:17 PM

This is why we need to get back to capsules instead of overly complicated machines like the space shuttle.

8/10/2007 10:23:10 PM

^

really? that's a great idea

YOU SHOULD WRITE THEM

8/10/2007 10:28:54 PM

I already did...who do you think gave them the idea for the new CEV?

8/10/2007 10:29:55 PM

They better replace what they can/ patch it or fix it. Knowing this could lead to a heap of trouble if anything happened if they don't fix it.


Does the bottom of the space shuttle use Tiles just like the wings and such do?

8/10/2007 10:46:27 PM

Yes

8/10/2007 10:54:58 PM

Yeah, its all tiles.

All I know, that if anything happens, it'll be the death of the space shuttle.

8/10/2007 10:54:59 PM

You would think they would have learned after taking the last teacher on a mission.

8/10/2007 11:06:07 PM

8/10/2007 11:08:12 PM

Part of me would love to see a rescue mission sent up and be successful, because that would be one of NASA's finest moments. However, unless Endeavour can be landed safely, there goes the shuttle program

8/10/2007 11:25:36 PM

Shuttle program is already going on the window in three years anyway.

8/10/2007 11:59:10 PM

3 years with little heavy launch capability and playing bitch to the russians...fun

8/11/2007 1:27:25 AM

3 years til a massive debt-funded project that builds something outlandish for NASA. The start of the project, anyway. Either a space elevator or a nifty assisted-takeoff ramjet spacecraft that proves to be 1/10 the cost to use as the old space shuttle and safer for astronauts.

Or something...

Maybe Burt Rattan will own up on a bitch and have Virgin-branded spacecraft doing tourist flights by then.

8/11/2007 1:53:29 AM

space elevators are a pipe dream

8/11/2007 1:55:54 AM

It's only a dream if they don't design and build it.

There's already more noise headed towards that way, but I need not defend the subject. As more competitions and research grants are awarded, the technology will become more feasible and, ultimately, become a reality.

8/11/2007 2:12:41 AM

there's a whole lot of stupid in this thread, especially in regards to the shuttle program.

8/11/2007 2:30:16 AM

do tell

8/11/2007 2:33:34 AM

i hereby pledge to eat every hat on the face of the earth the day a space elevator is finished

8/11/2007 8:25:53 AM

God does not want teachers in space

8/11/2007 9:01:21 AM

it is 3 years with the possibility of the shuttle program being extended 5 times for one year each

8/11/2007 9:37:21 AM

this story came through my rss feeds and i thought it said "Google found on Shuttle Endeavour's Underside"

8/11/2007 8:08:33 PM

Quote :

"i hereby pledge to eat every hat on the face of the earth the day a space elevator is finished"

You ready?

http://www.liftport.com/

Quote :

"COUNTDOWN TO LIFT: October 27, 2031 24 years, 76 days, 18 hours, 21 minutes, 20 seconds"

And you know, there will be a whole lot more hats in 2031!!! Well I guess, you might also be a whole lot bigger by then


Guys, once you read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_elevator you will believe this is doable in the next 20-30 years. It won't cost much either. Just some feasibility issues to overcome.

8/11/2007 8:40:30 PM

Quote :

"If the gouge is deep enough, the shuttle astronauts may have to patch it during a spacewalk"

Doesn't seem like they are very concerned

8/11/2007 8:57:06 PM

The internet can relegate things like that into the "not yet able" category

check out some time travel, perpetual motion and anti gravity articles and do a quick scan for similarities thx

I'm warming up my hat fork right now

8/11/2007 9:09:29 PM

I guarantee that the black guy is the first one to die

8/11/2007 9:21:43 PM

Quote :

"check out some time travel, perpetual motion and anti gravity articles and do a quick scan for similarities thx"

these cannot be compared with a space elevator!!!

a space elevator just has logistical feasibility issues. whereas the 3 you quoted are still sci-fi. actually, the 2nd one is impossible in the universe as we know it. the 1st and 3rd i guess are doable on paper using equations only, but still sci-fi.

8/11/2007 10:11:19 PM

Looks like it's no big deal. chatter has switched to the ISS components.

[Edited on August 12, 2007 at 9:11 AM. Reason : SPACE LASERS]

8/12/2007 9:09:20 AM

Quote :

"Wonder what they'll do"

theyll go downtown and buy a mercury or two

8/12/2007 10:00:08 AM

LOL

Quote :

"Radar images show a white spray or streak coming off Endeavour 58 seconds after liftoff."

Since when could radar distinguish color?

8/12/2007 3:26:15 PM

[Edited on August 12, 2007 at 6:19 PM. Reason : .]

8/12/2007 6:16:58 PM

picture i took when endeavour took off

8/12/2007 8:28:33 PM

http://blogs.zdnet.com/emergingtech/?p=662

8/15/2007 1:26:49 PM

picture I took when endeavour reentered

8/15/2007 1:36:21 PM

Nasa says no repairs are necessary

8/17/2007 1:58:46 PM

a similar thing happened on a few other missions, and this one is not quite as bad as the others

however they alrady do have a way of fixing tiles if need be, (I've seen where they train for tile repair) its basically just some space Bond-o. The problem is that it is very difficult to do an EVA on the bottom side of the vehicle, since the Orbiter arm and station arm cannot reach down there. So they are basically weighing if it is worth it to risk trying to fix that little bit of tile while damaging more tile. Its kind of a damned if you do and damned if you dont situation. From what I've heard the tile damage is under a structural member that will serve as a heat sink, but they dont expect elevated temperatures under there anyway.

All I know is that I would want to be in the group of people that made that decision

Also, they are talking about shortening the flight by a day due to Huricane Dean.

So stay tuned cause shit might hit the fan

8/17/2007 5:22:46 PM

i swear

you don't race nascar with cars from the 70s or play pro football in outdated equipment

yet here we are with the space shuttle

richard branson needs to speed his shit up...too bad about the accident his people recently had, tho...

8/17/2007 5:38:40 PM

but driving a nascar requires much lesson man power in planning, building, and training how to use

8/17/2007 5:46:49 PM

Quote :

"you don't race nascar with cars from the 70s or play pro football in outdated equipment"

horrible logic. As long as equipment is maintained and upgraded, its fine. Prime examples would be the C-130 and B-52

8/17/2007 9:28:31 PM

Quote :

"yet here we are with the space shuttle"

not for long

they're replacing it, they know it's a bad design

8/17/2007 9:36:38 PM

^^^,^^

we should have moon bases by now

[Edited on August 17, 2007 at 10:50 PM. Reason : +]

8/17/2007 10:49:36 PM

Oh don't get me wrong marko, the shuttle was a mistake and should be replaced as quickly as possible, but your logic that just because something is old makes its outdated is flawed. What do you think the CEV is, its essentially the Apollo program Mark II

8/17/2007 10:52:10 PM

aha i understand

i just feel like we should have made more than one type of manned spacecraft

8/17/2007 11:05:33 PM

2 things 1) Who is going to fund all these moon bases you speak of, everyone already bitches about the space program now

2) although most consider the shuttle a terrible design, most of the astronaut commanders/pilots ive talked too like the shuttle, and are not very happy about changing over to a capsule.

But whatever i guess wolfwebers understand the the shuttle better than experienced combat pilots and highly trained astronauts


Also, the shuttle is way better/younger than Russia's Soyuz

[Edited on August 18, 2007 at 1:22 AM. Reason : ]

8/18/2007 1:21:13 AM

Out of curiosity, what reasons do they give for not liking the capsule?

8/18/2007 1:22:54 AM

they like the capability of actually landing the vehicle, instead of just falling

maybe because without having to actually fly they might be out of jobs

also, astronauts dont get hazard pay, WTF?

8/18/2007 1:25:07 AM

Ah, so they're just pissed because they might be out of their jobs...how do the non-pilots feel about the switch ie mission specialists, engineers, flight controllers, etc

8/18/2007 1:27:20 AM

It doesnt matter if they are a pilot or not for the capsule, but its not like the Pilot astronauts will just be fired. The ones who havent flown yet are anxious to get their chance, they dont really care about what they are flying in. but the problem is, most of them have been in training for 10 years. the latest group of ascans was in like 2000 (or maybe 2003) so they have already learned the shuttle, but now they are going to have to learn a whole new vehicle. So most of the older astronauts will be retiring with the shuttle, Which means they will prob bring in a whole new bunch of Ascans. So all you astronaut hopefully's better be getting your resume ready, and start the application process now


[Edited on August 18, 2007 at 1:37 AM. Reason : ]

8/18/2007 1:35:01 AM

^ 2004

8/18/2007 2:38:08 AM

i like the fact that we're going back to simpler technology (capsules) and that we'll have basically a people mover and a cargo mover as two separate things. the shuttle was trying to be too many things at once.

8/18/2007 11:18:57 AM