[jarsbars]

That looks like quite a nasty bit of damage [surrender]



http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/08/13/space_station/

[BruceQW]

They can replace the broken tiles. They have found the damage so they should be able to replace the tiles and re-enter earth with no worries. [thumbup]

Unless there is a problem with replacement... then worry.

[Anakattawl]

They have lots of possibilities at this point:

1. It's not a problem and they return with the vehicle in its current state
2. They can try a repair (with some kind of paste - compare it with filling a tooth) during an EVA and re-assess the repaired tiles with the OBSS.
3. Replace the broken tiles with new ones.
4. Start mission STS-300: a rescue mission with another space shuttle (in this case Discovery as it's almost ready to go from the Orbiter Processing Facility to the Vehicle Assembly Building) to get the STS-118 astronauts to earth and let Endeavour re-enter on autopilot.

There's certainly no reason to panic

IIRC, early assesment estimated the depth of the damage to be equal to the thickness of the tiles there (around 1.2 inches I believe).

[Impariclainna]

They did a mission a while back to learn more about fixing damaged tiles in space, so they can probably either repair it or replace it entirely.

Not nice though!

[JackieC]

Duct Tape!

[pooncophy]

The space shuttle IS in trouble, but more in the sense that the program should have been grounded and replaced at least 10 years ago. What's the point in putting a shuttle in space if they spend the whole mission checking for and repairing damage just so that they can get home alive?

[eFDMBwKH]

The funny thing here is that there has been even bigger holes in the tiles before. It "became" issue when Columbia blewup. The crew was just unlucky that their heatshield failed.

Anyway. That really isn't a problem since they have trained a lot of tile replacing. [yes]

[bushomeworkk]

The funny thing here is that there has been even bigger holes in the tiles before. It "became" issue when Columbia blewup. The crew was just unlucky that their heatshield failed.

well it makes sense really doesnt it. would be a bit reckless otherwise, despite being a bit slack before.

[bestcigsnick]

Chewing gum.

[Paul Bunyan]

Chewing gum.

Nah they'll call the AAA :P

[lierro]

how can tiles be resplaced in space, while their all custom made for that part on the fusulage?

each tile is curved differently, unless they brought the whole stack onboard I fail to see how this be possible.

[Deribasov]

As someone else already said, i think they use some kind of paste or something to repair it. I think the main thing they want to avoid is hot gasses venting under the heat shield and melting or damaging stuff under it.

[ariniaxia]

The space shuttle IS in trouble, but more in the sense that the program should have been grounded and replaced at least 10 years ago. What's the point in putting a shuttle in space if they spend the whole mission checking for and repairing damage just so that they can get home alive?

agreed, the space shuttle should have been dump the day USAF said "no, we are not using it, it sux!" [rofl]

and the CEV isn't looking as good as it could be. why did NASA reject lockheed and boeing design? they are just a bunch of elitist who burn the budget for nothing.

how can tiles be resplaced in space, while their all custom made for that part on the fusulage?

each tile is curved differently, unless they brought the whole stack onboard I fail to see how this be possible.

i was under the impression there is alot of crap between the tiles(if you watch the discovery channel, there were stuff sticking out of the gap) so i doubt the tiles are that well size to fit.

[BruceQW]

how can tiles be resplaced in space, while their all custom made for that part on the fusulage?

each tile is curved differently, unless they brought the whole stack onboard I fail to see how this be possible.

Haven't you ever cut something to fit before?

It's not like they don't have tools.

[Anakattawl]

The space shuttle IS in trouble, but more in the sense that the program should have been grounded and replaced at least 10 years ago. What's the point in putting a shuttle in space if they spend the whole mission checking for and repairing damage just so that they can get home alive?

On the other hand, this will help any future program for human space flight. Before Columbia, no one knew exactly what happened when going up or while in orbit. The reasoning was pretty simple: it got up there so it can come down too.

Now it's the other way around. It got up there so by definition it's unsafe to return. They're looking at the smallest details with all kinds of equipment. They simply didn't have that equipment 5 years ago because they never needed it (or thought they didn't need it). They've worked on procedures/techniques/technologies for repairing a shuttle while in orbit, before Columbia everyone would've laughed at such a proposal. They've even worked on a backup plan in case it goes horribly wrong and the shuttle cannot be repaired to guarantee a safe flight home.

Those experiences simply didn't exist 10 years ago. Had they abandoned the shuttle program back then, its successor probably would've experienced similar problems later on. Now they can add all the necessary improvements into the new program from the start.

The thing that kept the shuttle program alive is that there's no alternative to get heavy loads in space when you also need to do construction work. I agree though that they should've been working on a nextgen reusable space transportation system a lot sooner. With the technological revolution we've been through it's almost surreal to be heading into space with the main technology being from the 1970s. It also makes one wonder why no one tried to create something better... Russia tried to copy it, but failed.

[ariniaxia]

no heavylift alternative? if you remove the shuttle from the space shuttle, you can double the amount of stuff you can carry. it is not like the russian couldn't build without a shuttle neither. in fact, the shuttle is counter productive since it double the cost to do the same thing.
[thumbup]

Russia tried to copy it, but failed. the russian design imo was superior.
it didn't fail, they made the right choice because that it was useless...

[bestcigsnick]

What is this Russian design you people speak of?

[freeringsf]

What is this Russian design you people speak of?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buran_%28spacecraft%29
They didn't cancel it because they knew the shuttle concept was "useless" they did it because they couldn't afford the upkeep. Nothing however indicates that the Russian design was superior.

[bestcigsnick]

You guys weren't kidding when you said it's based off the Shuttle tech. It's physically almost identical.

[cursing] *SIGH* I just spend AGES typing a huge post following the above post as an EDIT, and I managed to click the BACK button on my mouse and now it's gone. Blasted Logitech mice... I'll try and write it again, though I doubt it will have the same level of wit as my original brainchild...


Space Travel: The fine line between fantasy and reality

Fantasy: A small rogue, bounty-hunter spacecraft, long due for proper maintenance, is attacked by a pirate vessel, sustaining significant damage to its hull. Having no other choice, the rogue vessel is forced to enter the atmosphere of a nearby uncharted planet at a risky angle in order to escape its attackers. After a rather rough re-entry and unplanned crash landing, the crew suffers only minor bumps and bruises. It takes only 11 hours for the ship to be operational and back in space, thanks to the automatic hull repair systems and some minor patchwork by the sole mechanic onboard; a young woman in her late teens, sporting trendy slacks, with a penchant for bubble gum and more knowledge of the mechanics of spacecraft than even a veteran aerospace engineer in her time.

Reality: After passing countless hours of safety assessments and complex statistical risk analyses, the Space Shuttle launches into space in what is considered ideal, if not perfect, conditions, only to have a piece of wayward foam damage the thermal protection of its underbelly in what can, in all sensibility, be considered rather superficial. When time for return to Earth, the Shuttle again passes all security clearances and is given the go to land. Upon a carefully orchestrated re-entry manoeuvre rehearsed thousands of times by the crew, and with all safety systems functioning perfectly, as well as a perfectly trained and competent ground control crew back at home aiding them, the Shuttle explodes upon re-entry, instantly killing all crew members inside as it hurtles towards the Earth in a fireball of death and destruction.


We have a long way to go...

[Sttim]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buran_%28spacecraft%29
They didn't cancel it because they knew the shuttle concept was "useless" they did it because they couldn't afford the upkeep. Nothing however indicates that the Russian design was superior.

all the soviet unions space tech was Superior NASA were and still are only good at spending money

my fav example is the pen NASA spent millions developing so astronauts could write in space... the soviet union just used a pencil