Space Shuttle to Receive Emegency Repairs

Tycow writes "The BBC are reporting that Discovery needs emergency repairs - dangling material has been spotted on the belly of the shuttle, and NASA are worried they could cause overheating on re-entry. 'Nasa is concerned the dangling material - called gap fillers - could cause part of the shuttle to overheat as it re-enters the atmosphere.The type of repairs being planned have never been conducted by astronauts on a spacewalk before.'"

Comments

Typo

[BorgGates]

It's NASA not Nasa. And it's not Ohuk, it's OHUK.

Slashdot is so Slow on the News

[the0ther]

I heard this at least two days ago. If you're a real enthusiast you'd go someplace else for this kind of news.

Piss and moan disease

[pjt48108]

I grow weary of the numerous slashdotters and beyond who piss and moan about the shuttle: It's too old, It's too expensive, It's too much hardware, It's not enough hardware, My TI calculator has more processing power. Blah blah blah.

If you people--and you know who you are--really want the shuttle replaced, elect someone with a clue. If they don't care, demand to know why not. Encourage others to support candidates who enjoy more than a passing acquaintance with our history as a space power. Make well-reasoned suggestions as to a replacement, or a realistic new vision. Don't simply call for a major paradigm shift and expect politicians to wave the magic wand and get it right. That's how we got the shuttle--leaving the vision to politicians who then assign the task to scientists and tell them to do it on a shoestring budget, because they'd rather spend more on pork back home.

But PLEASE stop pissing and moaning that we should "replace the shuttle already," or "park it for good," and whatnot. The time spent engaging in such wasted keyboard exercises could be better spent composing letters to your representative and senators, printing them, and sending an actual hard copy to each. Hard copies still demand far more attention than electrons on a screen, you know.

The shuttle has served long and well. It is a wonderful work of man, hobbled in design and execution by the fanciful notion that one can get a dollar's worth of good from a dime's worth of spending. Stop pissing and moaning, and step up to the plate with substance. Otherwise, enjoy recess, kiddies.