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NASA To Try To Resume Flights By Fall

Posted by Hemos on from the working-all-the-summer dept.

underground alliance writes "According to BBC News, space shuttle flights could resume as early as this fall. The article says that 'Engineers have been put on standby to fix problems already raised by the investigating board, and devise a way of checking the exterior shuttle for defects while it is in orbit.' I think that this is a good move especially since ISS construction has been put on hold because without the space shuttle. The space shuttle is the only heavy freighter and the only means of putting a new ISS component in space."

1 of 268 comments (clear)

  1. Re:In that case by Wyatt+Earp · · Score: 5, Informative

    Unless Shuttle is going to the ISS, they can't go there for an emergency without alot of things all working out.

    This was covered here at the time of the accident.

    It needs to carry the orbiter docking system. In a bind, however, transfers via EVA (space suits) mightbe possible. The station has 2 Russian suits and 2 US suits. Shuttles typically have 2 US suits.

    Shuttle and ISS aren't on the same orbit unless Shuttle is expressly going there, and for a mission like Columbia's there wasn't enough fuel to make the orbit change.

    Columbia launched to a 39 degree inclination. The Space station is at a 51.6 degree inclination.

    Only the OMS and RCS engines are available in orbit, and their capability is roughly 1250 feet per second, or about 1400 km/h speed change (delta v).