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NASA Probes Shuttle Oxygen Leak

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the getting-started-with-a-bang-not-necessarily-a-good-thing dept.

Cherita Chen writes "NASA is investigating the possibility of a gaseous oxygen leak, posing a serious fire risk, during the launch of the space shuttle Discovery in July. From the article: 'Engineers uncovered possible evidence of high concentrations of the gas in the rear engine compartment about two minutes after lift-off. A leak could lead to a fire or even an explosion in flight.'"

5 of 150 comments (clear)

  1. Oh no! by mrRay720 · · Score: 5, Funny

    They'd better not let all of that dangerous oxygen escape into the atmosphere!!

    1. Re:Oh no! by JourneyExpertApe · · Score: 5, Funny

      Oxygen isn't dangerous per se, but it becomes deadly when it reacts with hydrogen to form dihydrogen monoxide.

      --
      If you can read this sig, you're too close.
  2. Gas in the rear engine compartment... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...can really make you unpopular with the rest of the crew.

  3. Re:Say what? by boarder8925 · · Score: 4, Funny
    I think something smells fishy.
    Really? I thought it smelled like a Taco Bell burrito....

    =P
    --
    Keep your eyes to the sky.
  4. Re:It's True! by TWX · · Score: 3, Funny

    "I hope you realize that an `Informative' mod can also, like grandparent, be a joke. He did, after all, provide information about this deadly substance."

    And vice versa. I find that half of time the hard-found information that I post to slashdot is somehow considered Funny...

    --
    Do not look into laser with remaining eye.