Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

NASA Finds 4-5" Crack in Shuttle Insulation

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the debilating-or-not dept.

PresidentKang writes "Spaceflight Now is reporting that a large crack has been found in an external tank foam of Space Shuttle Discovery on the launch pad. According to the article: "Engineers inspecting the shuttle Discovery's external tank following Sunday's launch scrub found a crack in the tank's foam insulation near a bracket holding a 17-inch oxygen feed line in place. Some engineers believe the crack must be repaired but senior managers say a variety of options are on the table, from fly as is to making repairs.""

6 of 193 comments (clear)

  1. Patch it by tygerstripes · · Score: 4, Funny
    The current intention is to patch the crack. However, senior officials insist that unless the problem grows "significantly worse" over the next few days then they see no reason to issue the patch until the second Tuesday of the month.
    --
    Meta will eat itself
  2. Crack hidden away in the insulation? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Did they get posession charges or was there enough crack that they got booked for traffiking?

  3. DNF, Vista, or Shuttle by Belgarion89 · · Score: 5, Funny

    So now the real question becomes, which will launch first, DNF, Windows Vista, or the Shuttle? I say the Shuttle, it's cracks aren't nearly as big as Vista's (an M$ product) will be.

    1. Re:DNF, Vista, or Shuttle by damburger · · Score: 4, Funny

      You are assuming they are unrelated.

      If the shuttle needs to have its heatshield repaired, Astronauts must spend longer in orbit. They require a stimulating game to stop themselves going space crazy - and NASA have decided that must be DNF.

      And, of course, DNF was designed from the outset to take advantage of the new features of Vista...

      --
      If we can put a man on the moon, why can't we shoot people for Apollo-related non-sequiturs?
  4. Re:And what about the pilots? by `Sean · · Score: 4, Funny
    I wonder what those managers would say if they had to fly the shuttle.
    "Hello, ISS, yes, we'd like to make reservations arriving July 4th. Departure date? Uhm...we're not sure...how quickly can Russia get a lifeboat up here?"
    --
    PepperHacks - Hacking the Pepper Pad
  5. Re:Punctuation! by mph · · Score: 4, Funny
    Punctuation is your friend, I had to read that last sentence 4-5 times before I could parse it correctly.
    Choose your friends wisely. May I introduce you to my friend, the semicolon?