cndc
July 7th 03, 07:00 PM
Hi,
This is an older article from February 15 but Mr. Shapiro explains
very well what may have happened on board the Columbia if the RCC's
along the leading edge were indeed the cause of the orbiter's
catastrophic malfunction:
http://www.spaceequity.com/tools/showarticle.php?serial=28§ion=analysis
Excerpt:
As the RCC panels heated up and experienced the forces of
atmospheric re-entry, the effected RCC/T-seal panel would have
most likely failed from the lower side (the damaged side). It
would have broken away probably going over the top of the
wing. This could be the object that was observed when the Orbiter
passed over California. The RCC panel would have been caught up
in the slipstream and trailed behind the Orbiter for awhile. The
slipstream creates a suction effect so a heavy object would fall
behind rather quickly but a lighter part like an RCC panel or
T-seal would probably follow behind for a longer period of time
in this slipstream. This phenomena was observed over California.
Elizabeth
This is an older article from February 15 but Mr. Shapiro explains
very well what may have happened on board the Columbia if the RCC's
along the leading edge were indeed the cause of the orbiter's
catastrophic malfunction:
http://www.spaceequity.com/tools/showarticle.php?serial=28§ion=analysis
Excerpt:
As the RCC panels heated up and experienced the forces of
atmospheric re-entry, the effected RCC/T-seal panel would have
most likely failed from the lower side (the damaged side). It
would have broken away probably going over the top of the
wing. This could be the object that was observed when the Orbiter
passed over California. The RCC panel would have been caught up
in the slipstream and trailed behind the Orbiter for awhile. The
slipstream creates a suction effect so a heavy object would fall
behind rather quickly but a lighter part like an RCC panel or
T-seal would probably follow behind for a longer period of time
in this slipstream. This phenomena was observed over California.
Elizabeth