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Manny, you might want to check this article out.
Dozens of the tiles are routinely damaged or lost during every shuttle flight, apparently without causing problems.
I am sure that in-air and microscopic debris is a very real design consideration for many parts of the spacecraft, probably most critically the leading edges of the wings.
Manny, you might want to check this article out.
Dozens of the tiles are routinely damaged or lost during every shuttle flight, apparently without causing problems.
Good find. Refresh my memory as to why the Columbia diaster happend? I wasn't aware that tile damage was so frequent.
And yeah, I think they prepare for dust in the design stage especially for micro-meteorites.
The main problem concerning the shuttle disaster wasn't so much the presence of the debris...it was that no one had previously thought the foam debris that did shed would be a danger to tiles.
The dust content of the air is hardly enough to damage the shuttle.
I think the main concern here is debris falling onto the heat tiles.
All kinds of debris is shed from the shuttle during launch. It's inevitable. The designers have gone back through to redesign areas that would produce "critical" debris.
Here's a rather technical report from NASA: http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/111156main_R...th_changes.pdf
It's not the "every flight" confirmation you're looking for, but the treatment of debris within the report is one of expectation, rather than surprise. Mitigation and minimization, rather than complete source removal, is what is done.
I was never involved in the shuttle program...but I did spend many years in the flight test community (I actually met Col. Husband when he was a major and a "mere" line pilot at Edwards). like that is devastating and you never want it to happen...but those who live/have lived in that community also understand that " happens". I'm not minimizing anything...just telling you how it is in that community.
Columbia was lost (I believe this is true) due to damage/loss of tile/tiles around one of the wheel well doors. Hot gas rushed into the unprotected well causing a chain of events that ultimately caused the shuttle to break apart.
I was up feeding my young daughter a bottle that morning and had the NASA channel on and I distinctly remember talk over the communications system about an elevated temperature reading in one of the wheel housings.
Thats right. OK, both of those posts make complete sense. Thanks for the clarification.
That was what I was alluding to.
Yeah, way to run your mouth and come back after someone posted information which was much more indepth than what you posted.
We may very well have no internet if there was no space program and you would not have this foum to ....you would actually have to do it in person.
Here are a few from NASA's homepage.
http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/1...tion1_5002.jpg
http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/1...tion2_5002.jpg
http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/1...4e5070_low.jpg
S114-E-5002 (26 July 2005) --- Handheld still image taken by Discovery's crew of the external fuel tank as it was jettisoned after launch on July 26 were transmitted to the ground early July 27. Initial analysis of the imagery shows a large piece of foam that separated from the tank during the Shuttle's ascent to orbit. The foam detached from an area of the tank called the Protuberance Air Load (PAL) Ramp. This debris also was identified during ascent from a live video camera mounted on the external tank. The television view indicated the debris did not impact Discovery. In this still image, the area of missing foam on the tank is indicated by a light spot near the upper edge of the tank just below the liquid oxygen feedline. (Image Credit: NASA)
They grounded them once again. This will be the last launch for awhile, once again.
Damn, I didn't know I had to spell it out for you. Sorry your "google" talents are not up to par but I see your mouth is.
Yeah, way to run your mouth and come back after someone posted information which was much more indepth than what you posted.
there is live streaming video on nasa website for the whole mission you can hear mission control talking back and forth to the shuttle way cool
sorry i dont have a link just go to nasa click on live tv the realplayer one has the audio check it out
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