Shuttles Grounded Once Again

PipianJ writes "After discovering that the piece of the shuttle that fell off mysteriously, not actually striking it, (as reported earlier) was a piece of foam insulation not unlike the piece that ended up in the destruction of Columbia, Yahoo News reports that NASA has once again grounded the shuttle fleet."

Comments

FP?

[lukew]

So how are they going to ground the one in orbit?

Re:FP?

[dancpsu]

Looks like NASA will have to send ground up to Discovery...

Re:FP?

[macdaddy357]

The new slogan:
NASA. It's not rocket science!

Re:FP?

[Various Assortments]

Or perhaps a tea cozy.

Re:FP?

[kurt555gs]

I believe that it was Alan Shepard that said "10,000,000 parts in this thing, and every single one of them built by the low bidder"

Cheers

Re:FP?

[10e6Steve]

WHY IS IT MADE OF FOAM?

The shuttle and boosters are packaged using foam peanuts so that while during shipping it cushions the fragile spacecraft. My recommendation is to use bubble wrap which doesn't fall out of the box as easily when opened and not as bad to the environment.

Spaced

[fembots]

Does that mean Discovery is Spaced?

Atlantis in no condition for rescues

[Tumbleweed]

I think that Atlantis is in need of a new Zero Point Module before it can be used for any rescue missions.

(*Damn* I hate that show.)

I see the problem!

[someonewhois]

I see it! I see it! http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2005/TECH/space/07/27/space .shuttle/top.shuttle.debris.jpg See that red arrow? THAT'S what hit the shuttle!

Re:Remember...

[DaveCar]

We're looking with eyes, cameras, satellites, lasers, sensors, robotic arms

<slap> You look with your eyes, cameras, satellites and lasers, not your robotic hands! And you can put your sensor away too!

Re:Go back to painted external tanks

[brer_rabbit]

The paint probably ought to be non-stick coated to inhibit excess ice formation too.

Ok Einstein, exactly how do you intend to get this non-stick coated paint to stick to the external tank? ;)

Bu but ...

[DysenteryInTheRanks]

Jokes about the shuttle fleet being grounded while one is on orbit aside But I ... was just about to .. then you ... and I ... You preempted my clever +5 Funny -- which I was all about to post with a high degree of self satisfaction -- in the first CLAUSE of your comment, DAMN YOU DAVE SCHROEDER, DAMN YOUUU! Give the rest of us a chance at some karma, wouldja? ... I told them not to touch the red stapler ... then on Slashdot ... said to put the joke aside ... aside, I tell you ... going to burn down the server ...

New NASA acronym

[Junior J. Junior III]

Need A Shuttle Alternative

My conclusion after reading this article ...

[Keeper]

... is that the average slashdot poster is not as smart as a rocket scientist. :p

Gilligans Space Station?

[panza]

If they cannot land the shuttle there's always the Space Station. This would mean up to seven new astronauts/cosmonauts in addition to the two already stationed there. In which case they'd run out of food and other resources pretty quick. The Russians would have to launch a Soyez to send provisions until they figure out how to get off that island.

"Now sit right back
and you'll hear a tale,
the tale of a fateful trip
That started from Cape Canaveral
abord this tiny ship.
The mate was a mighty sailerman
the skipper brave and sure
five passengers set sail that day
on a nine day tour
***
The weather was impeccable
but the insulation foam was lost
if not for the courage of slash dot chat
the Discovery would be lost..."
***
The crew set foot on the ISS
a small galactic isle....

[...what comes next?!]

Re:A suggestion

[dthx1138]

while we're at it, why don't we simply ditch the foam in favor of an 8th crew member, sorceress class of course, repeatedly casting level 30 blizzard?