Re: Wings on Shuttle orbiter

From: Jorge R. Frank (jrfrank_at_ibm-pc.borg)
Date: 08/31/04 

Date: Mon, 30 Aug 2004 19:32:15 -0500

hallerb@aol.com (bob haller) wrote in
news:20040830191921.23932.00001398@mb-m23.aol.com:

>>mattwriter@aol.com (MattWriter) wrote:
>>>That seems a bit unfair. I don't recall from the CAIB report that
>>>there was anything wrong with the design or engineering or
>>>construction of the wing.
>>
>>Indeed. The wing, as well as the entire airframe, held together under
>>extreme stress.
>
> The RCS is too easily damaged...

I'm not aware of any cases of the RCS being damaged, although there are
occasional flights where individual RCS jets fail. But that's not terribly
relevant to the discussion, since you probably meant RCC, not RCS.

The CAIB had this to say about the damage resistance of the RCC:

<quote>
F3.8-2
The wing leading edge Reinforced Carbon-Carbon composite material and
associated support hardware are remarkably tough and have impact
capabilities that far exceed the minimal impact resistance specified in
their original design requirements. Nevertheless, these tests demonstrate
that this inherent toughness can be exceeded by impacts representative of
those that occurred during Columbia.s ascent.
</quote>

In other words, the RCC is more than tough enough, but it was subjected to
a debris environment far exceeding its specifications. In this case the
sensible answer is to reduce the debris environment to match the RCC specs. 

-- 
JRF
Reply-to address spam-proofed - to reply by E-mail,
check "Organization" (I am not assimilated) and
think one step ahead of IBM.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Kudos to Musgrave
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    (sci.space.history)
  • Re: Truth or dare
    ... Now *there's* a point (he says, turning to address his fellow RCs): ... are non-RCs permitted to receive that Sacrament? ... I must admit (although not being a priest, and therefore unable to give absolution as defined by the RCC), I have on several occasions, 'heard someone's confession' and given them the assurance that their sins are forgiven. ...
    (uk.religion.christian)
  • Re: Conflicts, contrasts or differences between Catholics and Protestants in Great Britain
    ... Alec Brady wrote: ... the RCC - though clearly not impossible. ... Actually, it's very easy - I know lots of RCs who have liberal (or, as ... priests - although they tended to be liberal in private rather than in ...
    (uk.religion.christian)
  • Re: Wings on Shuttle orbiter
    ... The wing, as well as the entire airframe, held together under ... >>extreme stress. ... I don't believe that there have been many problems with the RCS on the ...
    (sci.space.history)
  • Re: Conflicts, contrasts or differences between Catholics and Protestants in Great Britain
    ... the RCC - though clearly not impossible. ... Actually, it's very easy - I know lots of RCs who have liberal (or, as ... "You have to regard everything I say with suspicion - I may be trying to ... bullshit you, or I may just be bullshitting you inadvertently." ...
    (uk.religion.christian)