AP
In a numbing setback sure to set off a national debate over the future of the space program, NASA has grounded all future shuttle flights because of a large chunk of foam that broke off Discovery’s fuel tank in hauntingly similar fashion to Columbia’s doomed mission.
This time, engineers believe, the foam tumbled harmlessly away during liftoff and Discovery was spared.
“Until we’re ready, we won’t go fly again,” shuttle program manager Bill Parsons said Wednesday evening at a grim news conference. “I don’t know when that might be, so I’ll just state that right up front. We’re just in the beginning of this process of understanding.”
NASA Administrator Michael Griffin promised the space agency would make any needed modifications before shuttles lift off again. He stressed that this is a test flight and “among the things we are testing are the integrity of the foam insulation and the performance of new camera equipment installed to detect problems.”
Peejz,
PLease check your inbox- you have mail.
Ted
It is resent. Thank Peezj.
Ted
I am glad they are grounding these! We need new shuttles. As far as I am concerned, these people were sent up too quickly!
The foam issue is one where Political Correctness direcctly endangered lives. If we build new spacecraft, and I sincerely pray we do, the politics and PC has to be eliminated from the design else there will be more failures causing people to die.
5-I guess I am not understanding the rush to get up there.
6, political pressure. If NASA doesn’t keep the current fleet flying, spendaholics in Congress will kill the entire agency to funnel those funds to their favorite home pork projects.
7: Bush was the one who wanted to get up their right away.
Can someone explain to me how a piece of foam can damage a metal shuttle.
Sabor, basic physics, mass, hardness, plus velocity. That foam is as hard as a rock being cooled by the liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen.
8-I don’t think it is as light as a syrofoam cooler. Many people get the impression that we are talking about that kind of foam. I would think the force with which it strikes is what causes it. JMO
Thanks, PCD. I could only picture the insulating foam that is used in buildings and that’s as light as a feather and easily crushed.
It is also traveling pretty fast and the shuttle is built to be lightweight, rather than overly strong.
I don’t see the problem with them taking off after two and a half years, I appreciate that no one wants to see harm coming to the astronauts, but theres is an inherently dangerous job, they are pioneers. How many people died in those early new world colonies? how many died on he great plains while heading west, where would we be now if it was not for those people taking risks in the name of exploration. As in all matters we have become so obsessed with the preservation of life we are scared to try anything. Take this war, shock horror 1800 casualties, show me a war of this magnitude with anywhere close to that low a number of casualties. compare it to Vietnam (60,000 deaths) Korea (40K) WWII (400K) Civil (550K) Mexican (13000) 1812 (3K) Revolutionary (5K).
imho-this nasa debacle with the schuttle is and has been a total waste of life. the old application of a now banned freon adhesive for tiles should have also banned the entire fleet from flying. but what are seven astronauts-they know its high risk. but managers ready for retirement dont care to have a no-fly on their watch; might affect their pensions. hopefully some nasa heads roll. my GOD keep the others safe.