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Shuttle Inspections
Why do they do this twice? Is it for redundancy or are they
inspecting for unknown collision damage during the time the shuttle is docked at the ISS? Or maybe a different type of inspection? Early Monday, Atlantis astronauts attached a boom to the shuttle's robotic arm and started an inspection for damage to the shuttle's wings and nose. This is part of the post-Columbia accident routine for shuttles, in which astronauts look for the type of heat shield cuts and tears that caused the fatal shuttle accident in 2003. The inspection was being conducted by pilot Chris Ferguson and astronauts Dan Burbank and Steve MacLean while the shuttle stayed about 50 miles away from the station in the same relative orbit. If the astronauts find the type of damage that could cause a deadly accident, the shuttle can return to the station. Earlier inspections showed the heat shield was in good condition. |
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Shuttle Inspections
FluckIt wrote:
Why do they do this twice? They're looking for MMOD (micrometeoroid/orbiting debris) damage that might have occured during the flight. Lee Jay |
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Shuttle Inspections
"FluckIt" wrote in message ... Why do they do this twice? Is it for redundancy or are they inspecting for unknown collision damage during the time the shuttle is docked at the ISS? Or maybe a different type of inspection? Because the TPS could be damaged by micrometeorites, or other debris, while in orbit. The shuttle windows have shown small damage in the past. Even a small nick in the RCC can prove deadly if it goes through the outer coating which prevents oxidation. On re-entry, hot oxygen would get into the nick and start oxidizing (burning) the RCC. Jeff -- "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety" - B. Franklin, Bartlett's Familiar Quotations (1919) |
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Shuttle Inspections
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Shuttle Inspections
Danny Dot wrote:
"George Evans" wrote in message ... in article , Jeff Findley at wrote on 9/18/06 7:02 AM: "FluckIt" wrote in message ... Why do they do this twice? Is it for redundancy or are they inspecting for unknown collision damage during the time the shuttle is docked at the ISS? Or maybe a different type of inspection? Because the TPS could be damaged by micrometeorites, or other debris, while in orbit. The shuttle windows have shown small damage in the past. Even a small nick in the RCC can prove deadly if it goes through the outer coating which prevents oxidation. On re-entry, hot oxygen would get into the nick and start oxidizing (burning) the RCC. How could a small nick "prove" to be deadly when a grapefruit sized hole made it more than half way to wheel stop? Columbia only made it to about Mach 18, it started entry at about Mach 25. It was no where close to making it all of the way. It had LOTS of high heat yet to go through. I agree that a much smaller hole could be a disaster. Keep in mind that behind the heat sheilding is aluminum that melts a very low temperature. Danny Dot |
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