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Columbia Coverage
ke4roh writes "Space.com offers a list of questions and answers about the events and hardware surrounding Columbia's destruction Saturday. They address suspected causes, foam, tile, and some of the alternatives had NASA known the ship would not be able to re-enter the atmosphere." viewstyle writes "PC Magazine has a pack of stuff put together on the space shuttle accident, as they recognized the fact that the space program inspired a lot of tech people in general. What's pretty cool is the section written by a guy there who worked on the computer components in the shuttle." And naturally, the idea of a space elevator is back in vogue again.
So the space shuttle columbia walks into a bar, looking pretty down...
bar tender says "hey, why do you look so bummed?"
Columbia replies "I just broke up with my astronauts."
The Columbia explosion is no surprise.. More to come folks, get used to it.
As for that retarded idea of space elevator, let's repeat for the zillionth time: It won't work. It's just an occupation of "acaedmics" to keep them occupied with such "ideas".
I firmly believe NASA knew that the insulation hitting the wing doomed the shuttle.
While it may not seem much, the shuttle was travelling as awesome speed already as the insulation fell. It would have hit the wing at some shocking speed. This had sealed the fate.
Remember on previous missions, NASA used ground based telescopes to inspect the shuttle surface when damage was suspected. In all cases previously this was public knowledge? why? because everything turned out safe.
As it was, I am sure they noticed this was irrepairable. What's worse then for NASA PR? to have 7 astronaughts up in the sky knowing they will die with the world waiting and watching helplessly. Two weeks of the mission of doomed people in space. People we feel attached to because they are doing what we see as good.
Well they couldn't bear that publicity to just look like they have them die. They were sent to their deaths without knowing.
perhaps there is something they could have done, or perhaps there wasn't, but the chance wasn't given and that smells bad
You want a giga-project to build space elevator? Spend your OWN money building it and insuring it.
Seastead this.
While listening to a community radio show last night I heard a man espousing a few different theories about what really "caused" the accident. Although these ideas have no evidence behind them and seem patently absurd, i thought you might find them interesting:
- They saw something up there they weren't supposed to - he didn't know what, but it obviously involved the grays.
- There was a payload in the shuttle containing radioactive material. The american government has already built an orbiting missle defense system without the knowledge of the general public, and the entry of this material into the atmosphere over the US triggered something it shouldn't have - ZAP!
and so on.
In all matters of opinion, our adversaries are insane. -Oscar Wilde
first:
a one in fifty chance of total failure isn't exactly stellar
shortly after:
Those things are flying gas bombs that we lob into orbit, and then try to bring back in one piece. That we have a working re-usable spacecraft at all is still impressive
so.....to recap what you've said:
1. 1 in 50 failure rate is bad
2. 1 in 50 failure rate is miraculous
thanks. i could have gotten better sensational, catch-phrase-riddled, bullshit from any news station.
Gentlemen...BEHOLD!
-Dr. Weird