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Lightning Strikes Delay Shuttle Launch

Posted by timothy on from the hey-we've-all-got-problems dept.

Tisha_AH writes "The Space Shuttle has had its launch delayed for inspection after several lightning strikes to the launch tower and/or shuttle. Several different technologies have been applied by NASA to divert the strike energy to ground potentials with Air Terminals (lightning rods), surge protectors or the often-disputed use of static dissipator brushes. One technology that appears promising is to cause a lightning strike (to a safe location) through the use of short pulsed ultraviolet lasers. Maybe in the future, once the technology matures, we may find widespread use of UV lasers to protect space launch vehicles, antenna towers or buildings."

7 of 50 comments (clear)

  1. None of the strikes hit the shuttle... by fraik · · Score: 4, Informative

    "None of the strikes hit the shuttle or its external tank and solid rocket boosters, but there were strikes to the lightning mast and water tower."

  2. Also in BBC by physburn · · Score: 4, Informative
    The BBC has the story here

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    Nasa can't afford to many delays in there program, if there are to get the ISS finished before the Shuttle program shutdowns down in september next year. The launch is now rescheduled to Sunday.

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    Space Craft Feed @ Feed Distiller

  3. strike by confused+one · · Score: 4, Informative

    While it has been pointed out that none of the strikes hit the shuttle itself... 7 of them hit the catenary wires or tower at the launch site and 2 of those were large enough to exceed the safety limit, inducing a 110V surge in the shuttle power system. While there's no damage indicated yet, this 24 hour stand down is to give the engineers and technicians time to check over the shuttle and all of the launch hardware.

  4. Re:Better Idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Informative

    Launch sites are in the southernmost parts of the US in order to get some extra push from Earth's rotation. (The rotational velocity is the highest at the equator.) If there were sufficient access to shipping and industry, launch sites ought to be valuable in other countries along the equator...

  5. Re:Better Idea by R3d+M3rcury · · Score: 3, Informative

    Which is why most European Space Agency missions are launched from French Guiana.

  6. Re:Like This by cathector · · Score: 3, Informative

    the lasers work by ionizing the air between the cloud and the source of the laser, effectively creating a guide wire which the lightning then follows from the cloud to .. the source of the laser. which in the case of an airplane would pretty much have to be the airplane, so i'm not sure it's quite what you want.

  7. Re:Like This by cathector · · Score: 3, Informative

    i guess that's so.
    although a little googling seems to indicate that airplanes are pretty well lightning-protected these days as it is.