Debris strikes Space Shuttle...

[mikey23545]

Breaking news on TV...HD video onboard the Shuttle shows debris striking the underside as it reached Mach 3...

[JD10367]

Originally Posted by frazod

So I guess if these astronauts die on the way back to earth because they STILL can't figure out how to fix these tiles, you won't have a problem with it, right?

Your implication is that NASA is simply incompetent, and doesn't "fix" the tile problem because they're stupid? Again, if they had a better system, they'd be using it.

And what's the alternative? Should we halt space exploration until we come up with a "safe" method? There is no such thing. Should we stop flying because some planes have crashed lately? Stop driving our cars because so many people die in auto accidents? It ain't easy being human. We can't sit in our caves and whimper. We go out and do some crazy shit, and sometimes some of us die in the process. That's sort of how we do things as a race. It's what got us on sailing ships, and it's what got us exploring jungles and mountaintops and deep sea and space. "To go where no one has gone before" and all that crap.

And, not to speak for the astronauts but, I'm pretty sure they knew the risks when they took the job. Like a firefighter, policeman, member of the military, deep-sea fisherman, construction worker, or anyone else who chooses a hazardous job. I honor them for it, and applaud them for it, and if something bad befalls them I will mourn for it... but the astronauts aren't exactly clueless morons who were forced into their job. They know what they get into when they sit on top of the world's largest Roman candle.

[teedubya]

7 minutes from Stage 4 on http://wechoosethemoon.org/

[JD10367]

Originally Posted by BigChiefDave

I don't know about the hate, but they've had issues with this foam for yrs now even after losing 7 astronauts and a Shuttle. Seriously. They put a man on the Moon more than 40 yrs ago, and they can't solve the foam problem.

Well, to be fair, putting a man on the moon involved a whole lot of physics and deep thought but, technologically, it wasn't exactly "Star Trek". It was a big three-stage booster and then pretty much gravity and aim. They programmed those suckers using IBM Punch Cards and the computer had less capability than your average calculator. Hell, the first computers in the Space Shuttle couldn't hold a candle to a decent late-80's Color Macintosh. Humanity is pretty ingenious about doing some amazing shit with much less technology than you'd think.

The shuttle, on the other hand, has all those plane parts. Like brakes and engines and ailerons and flaps and landing gear. The missions to the moon were "ride it there, then turn the engines on and ride it back home and plop down in a tin can with a parachute". The lunar lander itself was intricate, but even that wasn't exactly a mystery in terms of the physics involved. And once the tin can landed, it's job was done; on the other hand, having a reusable craft that can land like a plane is an amazing feat.

[Mr. Plow]

Send up a giant Wolf sweatshirt. That'll fix any problems they might have.

[JD10367]

Originally Posted by Mr. Plow

Send up Chuck Norris wearing a giant Wolf sweatshirt. That'll fix any problems they might have.

Fixed your post.

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by JD10367

Your implication is that NASA is simply incompetent, and doesn't "fix" the tile problem because they're stupid? Again, if they had a better system, they'd be using it.

And what's the alternative? Should we halt space exploration until we come up with a "safe" method? There is no such thing. Should we stop flying because some planes have crashed lately? Stop driving our cars because so many people die in auto accidents? It ain't easy being human. We can't sit in our caves and whimper. We go out and do some crazy shit, and sometimes some of us die in the process. That's sort of how we do things as a race. It's what got us on sailing ships, and it's what got us exploring jungles and mountaintops and deep sea and space. "To go where no one has gone before" and all that crap.

And, not to speak for the astronauts but, I'm pretty sure they knew the risks when they took the job. Like a firefighter, policeman, member of the military, deep-sea fisherman, construction worker, or anyone else who chooses a hazardous job. I honor them for it, and applaud them for it, and if something bad befalls them I will mourn for it... but the astronauts aren't exactly clueless morons who were forced into their job. They know what they get into when they sit on top of the world's largest Roman candle.

Why am I the only ****ing person on this thread gets gigged for criticizing NASA? I just can't understand why the most brilliant minds on the planet are endlessly baffled by this tile issue. And I want to know where the breakthroughs and accomplishments that once so completely awed and inspired us went, because lately all we hear about is them patting themselves on the back for fixing broken stuff.

And I never said we should stop exploring, nor did I say anything bad about the astronauts themselves, so you can shove that rah rah lecture of yours.

[BigCatDaddy]

Originally Posted by Mr. Plow

Send up Dane McCloud wearing a giant Wolf sweatshirt. That'll fix any problems they might have.

Now the post is perfected.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by frazod

Why am I the only ****ing person on this thread gets gigged for criticizing NASA?

Because you're an asshole?

[Donger]

Originally Posted by Baby Lee

The point is more that the re-entry surface was protected by being under the capsule and clad by the booster cylinder, as opposed to running the breadth of the shuttle out on the open. But that seems to be the price of a reusable re-entry vehicle with a payload capacity of the shuttle.

The main reason for justifying the re-use of the shuttle was to reduce costs. I don't believe that that reduction has been anywhere near predicted. It was something like $150 per pound of payload.

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by Donger

Because you're an asshole?

Who, me?

[JD10367]

Originally Posted by frazod

Why am I the only ****ing person on this thread gets gigged for criticizing NASA? I just can't understand why the most brilliant minds on the planet are endlessly baffled by this tile issue. And I want to know where the breakthroughs and accomplishments that once so completely awed and inspired us went, because lately all we hear about is them patting themselves on the back for fixing broken stuff.

And I never said we should stop exploring, nor did I say anything bad about the astronauts themselves, so you can shove that rah rah lecture of yours.

You're right. They're all f**king idiots because they don't know how to crazy-glue. Obviously NASA hires hockey-helmeted short-bus people.

As for my rah-rah lecture, if you bend over I think I know just where to stick it.

[Donger]

Originally Posted by frazod

Who, me?

Surely you don't disagree with that assessment.

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by JD10367

You're right. They're all f**king idiots because they don't know how to crazy-glue. Obviously NASA hires hockey-helmeted short-bus people.

As for my rah-rah lecture, if you bend over I think I know just where to stick it.

This whole thing reminds of an exchange between John Bender and Brian Johnson in The Breakfast Club.

Brian Johnson: I'm a ****ing idiot because I can't make a lamp?
John Bender: No. You're a genius because you can't make a lamp.

Excuse me for expecting more from the allegedly most brilliant minds on the planet.

Oh, and my implication of where rah rah could be shoved was rather obvious, but apparently you couldn't figure it out. Perhaps they should get you working on the tile issue. Douche.

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by Donger

Surely you don't disagree with that assessment.

I'm also douchebag flypaper, apparently.

[FAX]

Enough of this science stuff. Let's blow some sh*t up.

FAX