Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Discovery's Dangling Gapfiller Removed by Hand

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the here's-hoping-everything-goes-cool dept.

Cyclotron_Boy writes "According to the New Scientist and NASA TV, Discovery's gap-fillers were removed successfully by hand by astronaut Steve Robinson earlier today during the eva. They didn't even have to use the forceps or the makeshift hacksaw-blade tool."

3 of 401 comments (clear)

  1. OT: Moderation broken? by morgan_greywolf · · Score: 0, Redundant

    I've been noticing that no or very few comments have been moderated in the last few stories...what's going on with that?

    --
    My blog
  2. Bah, who needs it? by RomulusNR · · Score: 0, Redundant

    My question is: If we can just safely remove these gap fillers, why the hell are we blowing shrinking NASA/STS budget money on them in the first place?

    The Shuttle needs to be retooled instead of jury-rigged and duct-taped. After 25 years there must be a better way to heat-shield and power it than crumbly square tiles and ungodly amounts of hydrogen and other violently flammable liquids. (After all, it only took one Hindenburg to convince most people that pure hydrogen is kind of dangerous.)

    Hell, in most states a 25-year old vehicle qualifies as an antique.

    --
    Terrorists can attack freedom, but only Congress can destroy it.
  3. Hmmmmmm by loose_cannon_gamer · · Score: 0, Redundant
    Is anyone else concerned about the fact that in spite of the fact that the shuttle is supposed to reenter earth atmosphere at, say, 10000 miles per hour, pieces of it can easily be removed by hand from the outside?

    Additionally, isn't there a good reason for that separation substance to be there in the first place? If not, why did we pay $BIG to send it up there in the first place?

    I'm sure there's good answers to these, but, hey, I don't know 'em. :)

    --
    In Soviet Russia, us are belong to all your base.