Re: BIG decision coming!

I feel like saying they should have thought of all this years ago, and by
now they would have had a safe method of insulation.

It occurred to me last night that what the US needs now, if they really want
to retire shuttles, is a catastrophic accident that makes the ISS
uninhabitable or destroys it.

I'm sure the conspiracists on here will be quick to suggest some...:-)

Brian

--
Brian Gaff....Note, this account does not accept Bcc: email.
graphics are great, but the blind can't hear them
Email: briang1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________


"Bob Haller" <hallerb@xxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1133925963.976164.300420@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Fate of The Shuttle Program
> December 6, 2005
>
> As you read this management and technical
> side meetings are taking place at NASA's
> Michoud Assembly Facility (started today
> and run all week). These meetings have a
> single purpose, to decide if the Shuttle will
> return to flight. The principle technical
> objects are: 1st finding away around thermal
> stressing of ET foam. This stress occurs
> when the ET is fueled with cryogenic. 2nd
> the option (rather expensive) of return to the
> old CPR-488 foam. 3rd the impacts of all
> foam repairs. 4. The human elements in
> making foam repairs. 5. If the ET foam can
> be certified for flight up to the point it
> reaches sufficient altitude (that turbulent air
> is no longer an issue).
>
> The product of all this will be a formal
> recommendation to press towards flight or to
> ground the fleet once and for all. How and
> political impact of grounding the fleet is a
> decision that will be made far beyond these
> engineers, managers and astronauts.
>
>
> FROM US SPACE NEWS
>


.

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