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NASA Prepares Discovery for Launch

Posted by Zonk on from the up-up-and-away dept.

eggoeater writes "Yahoo! reports that Kennedy Space Center is buzzing with excitement over the likely launch of Space Shuttle Discovery this Spring. It's been just over two years since the Columbia tragedy and the Discovery has been outfitted with many new safety features, including the removal of the foam from the external tank and pressure sensors on the wings that would detect an impact. Quote from launch director Michael D. Leinbach: 'It's all converging on what looks like May 15 to start flying the shuttle again.'"

3 of 129 comments (clear)

  1. 70s technology by luvirini · · Score: 4, Insightful
    The basic problem of the shuttle come from the fact that it is mostly 70s technology with some glueover.

    Thus the materials are so much heavier than corresponding would be today an so on.

    The Way NASA has been trying to keep this program alive by more clue is likely to end in further embarassments.

    Too bad there is not enough focus to do great things, instead NASA has just become another CYA organisation.

    1. Re:70s technology by jokumuu · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Seems to me they lost track of their vision somewhere as organisation. I am not saying there are not dedicated people as such there, there are many, but the organisation itself has lost it's goals.

    2. Re:70s technology by Long-EZ · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I find it to be amazing that 95% of NASA can be so talented, intelligent and motiated, and the organization can be so completely ruined and its effects minimalized by the 5% who are plugged into the funding and end up calling the shots based on the political process. When the entire organization exists to spend money, the science is often an unintended result, at least from the perspective of the people who are writing the checks and setting policy.

      NASA is now too political to be anything but a festering mound of poot. I feel sorry for the many technical people who are trying to do good work in that environment. I couldn't do it. Hopefully, the best and the brightest will get a good job in the new commercial space ventures that are popping up and can finally have their dreams realized.

      --
      >> My ultraviolent Linux switch video.