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

That's part of what makes astronauts still cool!

[KingSkippus]

It just goes to show you that going into space is a very dangerous prospect. All of the astronauts in the space program know and understand this, and accept the level of risk it entails. Sometimes when we do thing like send civilian teachers into space or read about how the latest millionaire hitched a ride on a Soyuz, we forget just how risky it really is, but that doesn't make it any less so.

I'm not saying that's a bad thing. I really respect the bravery of our astronauts, if given a chance, I'd go up on the next shuttle. The public just needs to understand that it's not a joyride, it's hard, dangerous work.

Oh, and the good news is that thanks to these pioneers, hopefully, going outside the protective shell that is our atmosphere will become safe, and perhaps even common. If we're lucky, maybe even within our lifetimes. After all, it wasn't very long ago at all that riding in an airplane was a relatively risky proposition, and today, thousands of people do it every day without giving it a second thought.

Maybe it's the age?

[VTMarik]

Call me uninformed, but it seems to me that these sorts of things have been quite common and are only receiving scrutiny since the Columbia disaster. That leads me to ask whether or not foam or other debris has struck the shuttle before hand and caused little or negligable damage to the orbiter, and if the fact that these impacts are causing more and more damage is due to the age of the craft itself. Perhaps, if it is related to the age, it is time to retire these current orbiters, sell them to some private investor/collector, and use the money from the sale to build a new generation of orbiter.

Re:Maybe it's the age?

[VTMarik]

True, but it's not just the fuselage that can be affected. The bolts, welds and other attaching things could weaken from repeated super-heating and cooling as well as the vibration. Sure, the amount per re-entry would be minimal, but these things have been in service for nearly 30 years. Maybe age may play a factor. Then again, I'm no metallurgist. I'm sure that NASA would've decommissioned these things if they were past their expiration dates, so to speak.

How to keep the shuttles safe.

[arthurpaliden]

Put them in glass cases and on display.

Smaller sattelites

[popo]

The likelihood of a sattelite being hit by a micrometeor decreases with smaller scale sattelites.

The only problem is manned missions. Low mass, unmanned nano sattelites are the future.

Re:Smaller sattelites

[bunions]

> Low mass, unmanned nano sattelites are the future.

yeah, the boring future.

Re:Doesn't Need To Be Serious

[frank_adrian314159]

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

Like budget negotiations?

impacts wil be common

[argStyopa]

It seems that this is a rather larger problem than they consider.

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?

If whoever going into space doesn't have a plan for coping with the amount of litter in the immediate neighborhood of the earth, then they are stupid and probably WILL suffer catastrophe.

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

[DarkNemesis618]

As you said, space is dangerous, it is inherently dangerous, there's no way to really end the danger. The astronauts know this, I respect them completely. Like you, I'd go up in an instant if ever given the opportunity. With that, I don't think any disaster caused by such space debris would end the manned space program. Rather, like what happened with Apollo 1, Challenger, & Columbia, NASA would probably do a thorough review and try to find a solution to further protect the spacecraft and/or backup plans should something go wrong. NASA and any other space program can only plan for so much. Think about Apollo 13 and everything they had to do to get Lovell and his crew home. It all comes back to the danger. Unlike say the military, no astronaut is forced to go up so by entering whatever space vehicle they go up on, they accept that risk.

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

[voice_of_all_reason]

"If you can't take a little bloody nose -- maybe you had better go back home and crawl under your bed. It's not safe out here. It's wondrous -- with treasures to satiate desires both subtle and gross -- but it is not for the timid."

-Next Generation 2x16 - "Q who"