Slashdot Mirror
NASA Test Shows Foam Could Be Culprit
Ben Hutchings writes "The BBC has a report on an impact simulation that aimed to recreate the impact of insulating foam on Columbia's wing. The result was a large hole that probably could not be repaired in orbit even if it was known about."
Those astronauts should have realized their beers would get all shaken up on that rocky ride to outer space. If only NASA had told them to tap the top of the can repeatedly...
*sigh*
Not only that, but the panel in question was one removed from shuttle atlantis. So not only did they find the smoking gun, they made another shuttle unflyable!
Nothing better to do than correct spelling mistakes on the internet? Luuzer.
Sure it did, Ace. You shot the damn thing enough times at 500 mph. You kept getting small, inconclusive cracks, so you shot it over and over and over until you got what you wanted. How do we know the wing used for that test wasn't defective? Maybe the foam you used was a tiny bit more dense. Rip that same hole 3 times in a row, and I'm on board.
Found what you're looking for? More like looking for what you found.
You know what?
It seems that at least 20% of the posts here noted just how incredibly ridiculous it was that the foam in NASA's "experiment" was being fired at 500mph, when the real piece had been traveling at an almost relative speed to the shuttle.
Interesting that this desperate attempt to kill the story came about shortly after the email was uncovered in which a NASA tech at the time said the foam piece was of no consequence.
And what is NASA hiding?
I know this is going to sound ridiculous, but kids, the ship was shot down by a space-based EM weapon in order to make a point. --That point being, "Get your ass in gear, Bush. You and your piddly nation are nothing. Do as you are told or we will not spare you. Now get WWIII underway. Attack Iraq, you little shit." (Or something along those lines.)
Sounds nuts? Think I'm irritating now? Just wait until the day when you have to admit to yourself that I was right.
-FL
It seems that at least 30% of the posts here noted just how incredibly ridiculous it was that the foam in NASA's "experiment" was being fired at 500mph, when the real piece had been traveling at an almost relative speed to the shuttle. (That is, when it parted from the Shuttle body, it stopped accelerating, and so the impact speed was that of the Shuttle's rate of acceleration over a period of about half a second. After doing all the math, I came up with an approximate speed between 3 and 14 MPH, depending on how long the foam was in free fall between separating from the Shuttle to bouncing off the wing. Luckily, Slashdotters are nothing if not good at their highschool physics and hyper-linking skills.)
What I find interesting is that this desperate attempt to kill the story came about shortly after the email was uncovered in which a NASA tech at the time said the foam piece was of no consequence.
And what is NASA hiding? (Well, actually, they're more or less in the dark, with the exception of perhaps a few insiders who suspect). But don't kid yourselves. There's definitely pressure on America's own space agency to kill this once and for good.
Why?
I know this is going to sound ridiculous, (hell, counting the negative mods I got for this post the first time around, I know some of you dislike the tone of it so much that some want it to vanish from their warm and illusory little realities but good!), --Kids, I have it on good authority that the shuttle was shot down by a space-based EM weapon in order to make a point. --That point being, "Get your ass in gear, Bush. You and your piddly nation are nothing. Do as you are told or we will not spare you. Now get WWIII underway. We don't care how stupid the lies you have to tell are. Attack Iraq, you little shit, or else." (Or something along those lines.)
Sound nuts? Just wait. You'll change your minds soon enough. (They'll see. They'll ALL see! Bwahahahaha. etc.)
So relegate me into Troll Dust again, kids. I can always re-post. (Again!) --I'll generally have more Karma than you have mod points, and when I want something said, you will damned well know it. Don't like it? Then go stuff some more gum in your ears. This predictable little reality is ending all around us. Try to take it with a little spine, for goodness sake!
-FL