Shuttle Discovery Lands Safely

Tuxedo Jack writes "CNN and NASA report that the space shuttle Discovery has landed safely at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Concerns for its safe return were raised when spacewalks were necessary to repair the vehicle when external components were damaged; however, the shuttle landed safely with Commander Eileen Collins at the control yoke."

Comments

Why bother?

[Blitzenn]

It will probably never fly again anyway. It took 2 + years to rework it the first time and they didn't fix the problem, by their own admission. What makes you think it will take less time to fix it right the second time? By the time another few years have passed, I would hope we have something better to blow the billions of dollars on than this thing.

Re:Groan...

[Jeremy Erwin]

Feynman's published comments are

The computer system is very elaborate, having over 250,000 lines of code. It is responsible, among many other things, for the automatic control of the entire ascent to orbit, and for the descent until well into the atmosphere (below Mach 1) once one button is pushed deciding the landing site desired. It would be possible to make the entire landing automatically (except that the landing gear lowering signal is expressly left out of computer control, and must be provided by the pilot, ostensibly for safety reasons) but such an entirely automatic landing is probably not as safe as a pilot controlled landing. During orbital flight it is used in the control of payloads, in displaying information to the astronauts, and the exchange of information to the ground. It is evident that the safety of flight requires guaranteed accuracy of this elaborate system of computer hardware and software.

source

So, let me get this straight.

The Landing gear extension is placed under manual control because an accidental deployment of the gears could strand the shuttle in orbit, as no mechanism for retraction is provided.

Why does the shuttle need landing gear in the first place?

Re:Welcome home

[Gherald]

Sorry kid, but the people NASA doesn't hire are a different kind of retard.

Re:anyone else woken up by the sonic booms?

[BoredByPolitics]

Although the shuttle is American and the Concord wasn't.

And there's your answer.

Surprise

[justinpfister]

Surprise!! We're already in outer space right now.. So where did they really go?