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Astronauts To Repair Shuttle Tiles With Foam Brush
lhouk281 writes "Repairing the space shuttle's heat shield on the fly might be easier than originally thought, thanks to a basic, inexpensive item in any painter's tool box -- the foam brush. The brush, which costs less than $1 at most hardware stores, was described by NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe as the perfect instrument for applying two compounds that together form a Super Glue-like substance to patch potential holes in the shuttle's heat-resistant tiles."
So they'll also have to bring with them a $1 water mister if they're going to use household Super Glue
And on the sunny side of the Space Shuttle the water will boil away before it hits the glue. And on the dark side of the Space Shuttle the water will freeze before it hits the glue.
The compound is probably akin to a two part epoxy -- epoxy (the glue) and resin (the hardener). Another option would be a UV curing glue. (1) Apply on the dark side of the Shuttle, (2) rotate Shuttle into sunlight, (3) watch glue cure, (4) profit!!!
If you built something that the human could survive inside to withstand the stresses, congratulations, you've just rebuilt the shuttle.
Hardly.
How about a soyuz return capsule.
Or even a 60's era MOOSE.
It's only a metric ton of heat when you've got 50 tons of orbiter smacking into the atmosphere. There's a lot less excess energy to bleed off when it's 1 man+250kg. Still, *I* wouldn't want to try personal orbital re-entry until every other option was exhausted.
You are in a twisty maze of processor lines, all alike.
There is a lot of hype here.
I don't know how flexible a thin sheet of carbon fibre composite would be. But, if necessary, the patches could be preshaped with roughly the U profile needed to go around the leading edge.