Small Object Hit Space Shuttle Last Month

UglyTool writes "A small object, possibly a micrometeoroid, hit a radiator panel on the Space Shuttle Atlantis in September. The impact also damaged a one-inch (2.5-centimeter) area in the radiator's honeycomb-like aluminum mesh, but did not sever any of the panel's 26 vital coolant tubes as it passed through the half-inch wide panel. This brings up some interesting questions. Is there a better way to protect the shuttle in orbit? Will a serious mishap in space be the end of our manned space program?" From the article: "The impact left a hole about one-tenth of an inch in diameter, NASA reported Thursday on its Web site. The damage 'didn't endanger the spacecraft or the crew, nor did it affect mission operations,' NASA said. The radiators were brought inside the bay before the shuttle's landing last month, so the damaged area did not encounter searing heat during re-entry through Earth's atmosphere."

Comments

How is this news?

[csoto]

Shit hits our spacecraft all the time! This is why there are basically enough parts to build 1 or 2 new shuttles. They have to replace things all the time. Satellites go dead because of this.

Doesn't Need To Be Serious

[eldavojohn]

Will a serious mishap in space be the end of our manned space program?

Nope. It's going to be something that seems innocuous that occurs that will be the end of our space program.

I think it's important to remember that with space exploration, it doesn't have to be a serious mishap but it could be any mishap at all. Fuel tank O-rings not being tested down to low enough temperatures, insulation breaking off the shuttle, pea-sized particles piercing the shuttle--these are the things that pose risk to our space program.

Re:That's part of what makes astronauts still cool

[LiquidCoooled]

Whilst I agree with you about the shuttle in some respects, a rocket based ship won't save you from the kind of impact we are discussing.
I personally think the radiator was the best place for an impact to occur.
The multiple honeycomb layers absorb impact better than a solid single plate (this is the same reason they used aerogel to capture space dust).
A single THWACK on a hard shell could send a shockwave through the craft moving the damage zone elsewhere, better to coat the entire surface in shock absorbing material.

(1) this happens, (b) no it won't.

[jpellino]

In other words,

(1) The shuttle is inspected with magnifiers after every flight for such hits. Most are tiny, but the windows are the most common part in need of replacement from these hits / pits. This is not the first time, it's not the last. Impacts by micrometeorites make up about half the critical things that could end a flight. They always have. They've known the risk for some time now. The astronauts all understand it. The shuttle flies tail-first in order to minimize the risk to reentry-critical parts. It's mostly news now because of the hype and drama about the return to flight.

And (b) the other previous US and Russian major mishaps didn't end the manned program, the next one won't either.

Protection isn't magic

[Tiger4]

There isn't any one way to protect the shuttle or astronauts. As time goes one, there will be an increasing amount of space junk. To the extent it has a high velocity relative to something we care about, the junk will punch holes through that thing.

At best, we have a whole list of things we can do to minimize impacts:
1. minimize the junk new satelites spew out. This has been in work for quite a while now.
2. track the paths of known junk, or old junk producers. Again, being done.
3. toughen critical structures on spacecraft, especially pressurized habitats. Also, provide retreat areas that are secure.
4. plan flights around the worst of the known debris clouds. Again, they already do this, but it is increasingly impossible.
5. provide advanced warning of impending collisions. This could come from ground based and vehicle based radars. But frankly, at best you are only going to get a few seconds warning for the smaller stuff. Maybe enough time to say "Duck and cover!"
6. rest assured in the knowledge that, if it isn't big enough to kill you, chances are you can ignore it. And if it does kill you, your problems are all solved.

By the way, the note about the shuttle radiators being pulled in before the shuttle returned to Earth? They HAVE to be pulled in. The Radiators are inside the cargo bay doors. The only way to not pull them in and get the doors closed would be to jettison them, which I doubt the crew could do on orbit, even if they wanted to.

Re:Rocket Scientist

[PagosaSam]

Earth's radius is about 4000 miles. Besides orbits are measured from the surface not the center of the Earth. Hubble's orbit is 353 miles and orbits once every 97 minutes at about 17,500 mph.