STS-127 scrubbed yet again

I can just hear the RSA: "In Russia, vee launch during blizzard; you
Amerikanz can't even launch in little bad wedder...."

And I think they're right. For an area so prone to storms and other bad
weather, I just hope Orion and Ares 1 are built to a more weather-tolerant
standard.

"Alan Erskine" wrote in
:

I can just hear the RSA: "In Russia, vee launch during blizzard; you
Amerikanz can't even launch in little bad wedder...."

And I think they're right. For an area so prone to storms and other
bad weather, I just hope Orion and Ares 1 are built to a more
weather-tolerant standard.

Anyone who launches in a thunderstorm is begging for disaster.
If the lightning doesn't get you, the wind shear might.
Shuttle has the additional problem of needing clear emergency
landing sites.

--Damon

On Mon, 13 Jul 2009 22:48:32 GMT, "Alan Erskine"
wrote:

I can just hear the RSA: "In Russia, vee launch during blizzard; you
Amerikanz can't even launch in little bad wedder...."

And I think they're right. For an area so prone to storms and other bad
weather, I just hope Orion and Ares 1 are built to a more weather-tolerant
standard.

Well, no RTLS limits anyway. Ares/Orion would have launched yesterday.

Brian

"Brian Thorn" wrote in message
...

Actually not necessarily.

Right after the scrub was call, the announcer (PAO?) mentioned that they had
also spotted lightning within the 10 mile weather limit for launch.

And that was still 9 minutes before launch and the storms were moving
towards LC 39.

So I suspect that they would have called for launch criteria violations.

Well, no RTLS limits anyway. Ares/Orion would have launched yesterday.

Brian



--
Greg Moore
Ask me about lily, an RPI based CMC.

As I said in the last scrub thread, I think a dose of real worldness is
needed. I realise the risk folk will say that its nasa returning to the old
ways if they did launch, but in fact the first attempt day was really not
that bad compared to last nights volatile situation. Now we wait two days.
Is the shuttle really that prone to damage if it flew through a rain cloud
on an emaergency return?


Brian

--
Brian Gaff -
Note:- In order to reduce spam, any email without 'Brian Gaff'
in the display name may be lost.
Blind user, so no pictures please!
"Alan Erskine" wrote in message
...
I can just hear the RSA: "In Russia, vee launch during blizzard; you
Amerikanz can't even launch in little bad wedder...."

And I think they're right. For an area so prone to storms and other bad
weather, I just hope Orion and Ares 1 are built to a more weather-tolerant
standard.

"Brian Gaff" wrote in message
om...
As I said in the last scrub thread, I think a dose of real worldness is
needed. I realise the risk folk will say that its nasa returning to the
old ways if they did launch, but in fact the first attempt day was really
not that bad compared to last nights volatile situation. Now we wait two
days. Is the shuttle really that prone to damage if it flew through a rain
cloud on an emaergency return?

And it's an emergency return; not a standard landing at the Cape. Is rain
damage or even a lightning strike that big a deal? If commercial aircraft
can survive lightning strikes, the shuttle should be even more tolerant
(stronger structure etc).

"Brian Gaff" wrote in message
om...
As I said in the last scrub thread, I think a dose of real worldness is
needed. I realise the risk folk will say that its nasa returning to the
old ways if they did launch, but in fact the first attempt day was really
not that bad compared to last nights volatile situation. Now we wait two
days. Is the shuttle really that prone to damage if it flew through a rain
cloud on an emaergency return?


Brian

Yes. It would destroy the tiles. Unfortunate design issue.


--
Greg Moore
Ask me about lily, an RPI based CMC.

"Alan Erskine" wrote in message
...
"Brian Gaff" wrote in message
om...
As I said in the last scrub thread, I think a dose of real worldness is
needed. I realise the risk folk will say that its nasa returning to the
old ways if they did launch, but in fact the first attempt day was really
not that bad compared to last nights volatile situation. Now we wait two
days. Is the shuttle really that prone to damage if it flew through a
rain cloud on an emaergency return?

And it's an emergency return; not a standard landing at the Cape. Is rain
damage or even a lightning strike that big a deal? If commercial aircraft
can survive lightning strikes, the shuttle should be even more tolerant
(stronger structure etc).


Umm, what stronger structure? As I recall it's definitely weaker than a
standard airliner.

And you have the thinking backwards. During an emergency landing you want
to keep as many variables to a minimum. Given the choice between landing
during a t-storm and clear weather while dealing with whatever emergency
prompted the situation, I'm going to bet that the commander and pilot will
prefer the latter.




--
Greg Moore
Ask me about lily, an RPI based CMC.

"Alan Erskine" wrote in message
...
I can just hear the RSA: "In Russia, vee launch during blizzard; you
Amerikanz can't even launch in little bad wedder...."

That's becaue typical Russian engineering has higher factors of safety than
US engineering uses. That and if they didn't design their vehicles to fly
during a blizzard, they'd fly far less often, given the location of thier
(historical) launch site.

And I think they're right. For an area so prone to storms and other bad
weather, I just hope Orion and Ares 1 are built to a more weather-tolerant
standard.

With Ares 1 being so long and thin, I'd think cross-winds, wind shear, and
etc. would be a big problem. I'd never want to launch that thin spindly
thing in bad weather.

Jeff
--
"Take heart amid the deepening gloom
that your dog is finally getting enough cheese" - Deteriorata - National
Lampoon

"Alan Erskine" wrote in message
...
And it's an emergency return; not a standard landing at the Cape. Is rain
damage or even a lightning strike that big a deal? If commercial aircraft
can survive lightning strikes, the shuttle should be even more tolerant
(stronger structure etc).

Stronger structure? What is the basis for this assertion?

Jeff
--
"Take heart amid the deepening gloom
that your dog is finally getting enough cheese" - Deteriorata - National
Lampoon