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"Space Shuttle" reliability issues...
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Jul 2005
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With all the problems & unfortunate disasters that have happened in the past, I believe it's time to build some brand new ones. I can not imagine what those astronauts must be feeling up there in space, knowing there is a possibility for disintegration apon re-entry. The same problem (Tiles breaking off during launch) unfortunately happened with the shuttle "Columbia" a few years back. I have heard that these shuttles are all around 20 years old! I seriously hope the astronauts make it back safe, and they finally halt these missions until they have up to date & reliable replacements...............
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Banned
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Indy.
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I was waiting for a thread to be started about this so we could discuss it. Oh wait, there already are a couple... DAMN, we're too late!
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Addicted to MacNN
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Great White North
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THe shuttles need a overhaul, replace the entire bottoms with new tiles. I dont understand why they just dont use a large solid shield over the tiles during launch that can be ejected before coming back.
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Brian says (9:16 AM): I was looking at houses in Ottawa... I actually have a temptation in me to move
Jeff ******* says (9:19 AM): Eww, Ottawa is gross. It's infested with politicians, and presently, 1 Harper as well.
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Moderator  Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Wasilla, Alaska
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Partly because every ounce of extra weight costs eleventybillion dollars in increased fuel/lost cargo. But I agree, the whole tile thing needs to be rethought.
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Professional Poster
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Semi Posting Retirement *ReJoice!*
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Originally Posted by Athens
THe shuttles need a overhaul, replace the entire bottoms with new tiles. I dont understand why they just dont use a large solid shield over the tiles during launch that can be ejected before coming back.
more weight = more fuel needed.
also, having to design a solid shield, and wind tunnel test it. also, how would u attach it? u cant just nail/screw it into the tiles, as it would damage the tiles. ... lots of issues. also, jettisoning a shield will either mean lots of heatshields in orbit, or a large heavy shield, raining onto the planet after each launch
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Professional Poster
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Semi Posting Retirement *ReJoice!*
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Originally Posted by AKcrab
Partly because every ounce of extra weight costs eleventybillion dollars in increased fuel/lost cargo. But I agree, the whole tile thing needs to be rethought.
tiles = the ****. few things can take the heat nearly as well.
i just think new orbiters (redesigned with newer tech) needs to be built, OR we go back to rockets. since the shuttle, we havent explored space as much as used it as a space station. the shuttle does nothing more than launch, orbit like a space station, then return. we havent done deep space exploration the way one would expect us to. that can be blamed on the shuttle.
the shuttles job is being replaced by the international space station.
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No trees were killed in the sending of this message. However, a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.
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Professional Poster
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Boston
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Originally Posted by Showolf
With all the problems & unfortunate disasters that have happened in the past, I believe it's time to build some brand new ones. I can not imagine what those astronauts must be feeling up there in space, knowing there is a possibility for disintegration apon re-entry.
I know what you mean, when I read about how careful the astronauts had to be for the repair, i.e., could let his tether touch the tiles, lest it damage them, or when getting positioned by the boom to be careful his suit, helmet didn't touch again because of the risk of damage. My initial thought was they're flying up there in somthing that is so delicate 
I pray they make it back but to me, this spells the doom of the shuttle program.
Nasa has been sitting on their asteroids not moving forward with a shuttle replacement (only recently have they begun). I hate to say it (national pride and all) but the russians certainly have an edge on this stuff. They've built some rock solid ships, while it does not have the sam utility/re-usability they just keep on going.
I forget where I heard this and in what context and its more then likely apocryphal but a russian diplomat mentioned somthing along the lines of "The difference between Americans and Russians is like watches. We build timexs' and you build rolexes. The rolex is exquisite but delicate, drop it on concrete and its broken. The Timex utilitarian but durable." This says volumes regarding our space program and theirs sad really.
Mike
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Colorado Springs
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capsules are safer. Simpler == Safer. The heat shield is a single piece, round disk.
Instead of the donkey-schlong-sucking shuttle, we should have gone with something like the Big Gemini. Some of the proposed designs for the CEV are much more capsule-like.
By the way, the Soviet Union's Buran was probably a safer system. The Ruskies flew it once and thought to themselves, "Holy $hit that's retarded" and went back to improving the Soyuz.
Oh, and didn't we discuss all of this in another thread last week?
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RhythmScore
iMac 27" Quad i5 | PMG4 2x867 (RhythmScore test server) | iPhone4
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