Shuttle launch

[Lancelot]

Shuttle Docking to ISS
10E
10970MHz
4167ksps
Ver
5/6

 

[Analoguesat]

Also on Sky News Active now Cheers mate. FANTASTIC.

We REALLY need a proper space channel on Sky to take this sort of feed.

 

[Lancelot]

Can't believe it - Bl**dy transponder has droppped out !

L.

 

[Analoguesat]

Perhaps one of the W1 hamsters died...

 

[Channel Hopper]

Few bits of tile probably in the way of the beam, itll clear in an hour or so

 

[spiney]

the shuttle was originally supposed to be entirely liquid fueled, which would at least have prevented the Challenger Disaster. The solid boosters came along only after budget cuts imposed by Congress.

 

[Analoguesat]

Those srb's must be the biggest fireworks ever made. I think Im right in saying once they are lit the shuttle HAS to launch or it will tear itself to pieces on the pad - (no way to turn them off....) They just clamp it down long enough for thrust to build up.

Must be an awesome sight when one launches - Ive always wanted to see an Araiane 5 go up.

 

[Analoguesat]

Talking about Ariane's - theres a sad account of the loss of Ariane 501 with the Cluster mission here:

http://www.britastro.org/journal/archive/ariane.htm

The pic shows the fiery end of Ariane 501, destroyed when it broke up after a guidance failure

 

[sat novice]

shuttle and i.s.s eva now live on:-

Eutel W1
10970
4167
V
5/6 fec

 

[PaulR]

BBC news just showed a clip of the astronauts on their first space walk.

They are going to use some kind of putty to repair any damaged tiles.

Which reminds me of the joke about the woman who couldn't tell the difference between Vaseline and putty...

PaulR

 

[spiney]

I can't get any non uk channels, but Sky and BBC news multiscreens (satellite) have been fairly good.

New tiles are now sticking to shuttle ok, after the spacewalk, but the ones on my bathroom wall sometimes drop off. Is the difference just weightlessness, or do NASA use a better adhesive ("rocket fix 'n grout")?

 

[spiney]

Now they've repaired both space station and shuttle (if you have a house and car, there's always something needs doing).

Perhaps they could also look at the garden shed (Hubble), but that's on an allotment the other side of town.

 

[T_G]

Now they've repaired both space station and shuttle (if you have a house and car, there's always something needs doing).

Perhaps they could also look at the garden shed (Hubble), but that's on an allotment the other side of town.

I think at this moment of time they are trying to get all the tools back in the shed before it starts raining...The way it looks they must be worriying that they will have the same sort of landing as the last one...

 

[spiney]

I think they're ok, so long as it's not the critical hardened wing bits, a few tiles can even be missing!

I don't think there's much alternative to the tiles, only an ablative coating, which would need renewing each time!

 

[Channel Hopper]

New tiles are now sticking to shuttle ok, after the spacewalk, but the ones on my bathroom wall sometimes drop off. Is the difference just weightlessness, or do NASA use a better adhesive ("rocket fix 'n grout")?

I'd hedge my bet on better decorators

 

[T_G]

What I can't understand, why do bits fall off when taking off? I can understand shit happening when entering the atmosphere, but starting??

 

[Topper]

What I can't understand, why do bits fall off when taking off? I can understand shit happening when entering the atmosphere, but starting??

Well I am no rocket scientist but as I understand things:- The faster the shuttle/tank goes the more it heats up and hence the more it expands. In much the same way that Concorde was 2 foot longer flying at a speed of mach2. The coefficient of expansion of steel is going to be a lot greater than insulating foam. Hence cracks in the foam and bits falling off, which do not in themselves pose a problem for the tank as that is always repaired before being reused, just if one of the falling bits hits the shuttle underbody.
I honestly think the shuttle has got minimal life left but there is not a lot on the drawing board to replace it.

 

[T_G]

But why is is that years and years this perticular problem did not show?? Is it because of ageing?

 

[Topper]

I do not know perhaps the reusable tanks and the shuttle airframe are no longer as stiff as they were and are flexing during launch accentuating the problem. Maybe the foam they are using is different. Lots of things change in 25 or so years perhaps they were just lucky but for sure I do think they are pushing their luck now.

Spiney ablative coating ????

 

[Lancelot]

Shuttle repairs live now !

L.