southsider2k5 Posted January 28, 2004 Share Posted January 28, 2004 Sad week in history for NASA. Tuesday was the 37th anniversary of the Apollo Pad fire which killed 3 astronauts. Today is the 18th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion, and Sunday is the 1st anniversary of the Space Shuttle Columbia disintagrating upon reentry. In conjuction with the Columbias first anniversary, one of the newly promoted NASA higher ups has wrote an incredible letter taking credit for the disaster. It is a very interesting read. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4086918/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gene Honda Civic Posted January 28, 2004 Share Posted January 28, 2004 Sad week in history for NASA. Tuesday was the 37th anniversary of the Apollo Pad fire which killed 3 astronauts. Today is the 18th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion, and Sunday is the 1st anniversary of the Space Shuttle Columbia disintagrating upon reentry. In conjuction with the Columbias first anniversary, one of the newly promoted NASA higher ups has wrote an incredible letter taking credit for the disaster. It is a very interesting read. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4086918/ I always remember the Challenger disaster, every year. But that's because it was 2 days after the Bears SuperBowl victory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queen Prawn Posted January 28, 2004 Share Posted January 28, 2004 I wasn't alive for the Apollo Pad fire, but it brought me to tears when I watched a special on it a few years ago. As for Challenger, I was in 4th grade and we were on our morning trip to the bathroom when our teacher lined us up and told us to pray for the astronauts. They wouldn't expound on what happened, but my mom explained it all to me and allowed me to watch some of the coverage. It wasn't easy for her to explain as I had wanted to be an astronaut in the worst way and she didn't want to take that dream away from me. As for Columbia, I found out by going on the WSI message boards when I woke up that morning - I thought something happened in the country, not to the ship. When it dawned on me what really happened, it shook me up a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steff Posted January 28, 2004 Share Posted January 28, 2004 Columbia was the reason we didn't get to the fest last year on Saturday. We were glued to the TV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soxy Posted January 28, 2004 Share Posted January 28, 2004 I had a Challenger space toy--not age appropiate--and my roommate and I still throw around a Challenger frisbee. I don't remember it--but what a very sad day...I just remember my 3rd grade teacher showing us a movie about it, and crying about all the people that died. The Columbia accident was on my first fullday in Scotland last year. I had asked my parents not to call because I thought it would be too hard to talk to them--but they knew I wouldn't have tv or internet right away--so they called to tell me it happened. I remember just sitting on the floor of my flat--not knowing anyone, being in a strange country and just crying for the horrible loss of life. It was so sad. And when I got home my dad and left me the front page of the Tribune from that day. I still have it. Man, what horrible tragedies... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted January 28, 2004 Author Share Posted January 28, 2004 I wasn't alive for the Apollo Pad fire, but it brought me to tears when I watched a special on it a few years ago. As for Challenger, I was in 4th grade and we were on our morning trip to the bathroom when our teacher lined us up and told us to pray for the astronauts. They wouldn't expound on what happened, but my mom explained it all to me and allowed me to watch some of the coverage. It wasn't easy for her to explain as I had wanted to be an astronaut in the worst way and she didn't want to take that dream away from me. As for Columbia, I found out by going on the WSI message boards when I woke up that morning - I thought something happened in the country, not to the ship. When it dawned on me what really happened, it shook me up a bit. My wife was in the room, while I was in line for an autograph at Soxfest last year. She called me, and told me that the Shuttle has disappeared upon reentry, and they had no idea what happened. Then I heard about the explosion over north Texas and knew the worst had happened. I almost left the fest on the spot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queen Prawn Posted January 28, 2004 Share Posted January 28, 2004 In conjuction with the Columbias first anniversary, one of the newly promoted NASA higher ups has wrote an incredible letter taking credit for the disaster. It is a very interesting read. Have they ever explained the shiny object that was near the Columbia upon re-entry over (I think) California? I saw the pictures that were taken, but couldn't tell if it was a piece that had fallen from Columbia or going towards it and I don't recall NASA ever stating what that was. I remember that they going theory was that it was either a satelite or a piece of space junk, but nothing official was ever stated (unless I missed something which is highly likely). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steff Posted January 28, 2004 Share Posted January 28, 2004 I was living in Orlando at the time of the Challenger explosion.. Every shuttle takeoff at school we would all get to go out on the football field and watch. They stopped that and still don't do it. That was a messed up day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gene Honda Civic Posted January 28, 2004 Share Posted January 28, 2004 I was living in Orlando at the time of the Challenger explosion.. Every shuttle takeoff at school we would all get to go out on the football field and watch. They stopped that and still don't do it. That was a messed up day. I watched a nighttime lauch from a rooftop in Orlando not too long ago... COOLEST.THING.EVAR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steff Posted January 28, 2004 Share Posted January 28, 2004 I watched a nighttime lauch from a rooftop in Orlando not too long ago... COOLEST.THING.EVAR Very beautiful. My dad used to drive us to the Cape for night liftoffs when we were younger. It was incredible. The best one I ever saw was when I was on vacation there a few years ago and my Uncle (who is career AF living in Melbourne) got us on the base. It was so loud. But so damn beautiful.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted January 28, 2004 Author Share Posted January 28, 2004 I watched a nighttime lauch from a rooftop in Orlando not too long ago... COOLEST.THING.EVAR I watched a night launch from Daytona Beach my senior year of college, and you are dead on right. It was incredible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted January 28, 2004 Author Share Posted January 28, 2004 Have they ever explained the shiny object that was near the Columbia upon re-entry over (I think) California? I saw the pictures that were taken, but couldn't tell if it was a piece that had fallen from Columbia or going towards it and I don't recall NASA ever stating what that was. I remember that they going theory was that it was either a satelite or a piece of space junk, but nothing official was ever stated (unless I missed something which is highly likely). I never heard anything about that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queen Prawn Posted January 28, 2004 Share Posted January 28, 2004 Sad thing about Challenger is that it shouldn't have happened and could have been avoided. There should have never been a liftoff due to the temperature that day. They had already scrapped a few liftoff tries and because they didn't want anymore delays (costs and such) they went ahead. From some things that have come out, it was known that the o-rings were porblematic to start with and worse with temperature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gene Honda Civic Posted January 28, 2004 Share Posted January 28, 2004 Very beautiful. My dad used to drive us to the Cape for night liftoffs when we were younger. It was incredible. The best one I ever saw was when I was on vacation there a few years ago and my Uncle (who is career AF living in Melbourne) got us on the base. It was so loud. But so damn beautiful.. The first time I was in florida as a kid my dad had rangled us a way onto the base for a launch, but it didn't happen until after we were on our flight back to Chicago. Damn late afternoon florida thunderstorms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steff Posted January 28, 2004 Share Posted January 28, 2004 Sad thing about Challenger is that it shouldn't have happened and could have been avoided. There should have never been a liftoff due to the temperature that day. They had already scrapped a few liftoff tries and because they didn't want anymore delays (costs and such) they went ahead. From some things that have come out, it was known that the o-rings were porblematic to start with and worse with temperature. Fan.. the O rings have been the center of controversy since the very first launch. Upon the return, the seals had been burned almost completely and there was literally less than 1/4 of an inch stopping the thing from blowing up back then. My grandfather worked for Martin Marrieta who tested the rings and gave a findings report before congress forever ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steff Posted January 28, 2004 Share Posted January 28, 2004 The first time I was in florida as a kid my dad had rangled us a way onto the base for a launch, but it didn't happen until after we were on our flight back to Chicago. Damn late afternoon florida thunderstorms. Every single day.. 3:30 pm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted January 28, 2004 Author Share Posted January 28, 2004 Fan.. the O rings have been the center of controversy since the very first launch. Upon the return, the seals had been burned almost completely and there was literally less than 1/4 of an inch stopping the thing from blowing up back then. My grandfather worked for Martin Marrieta who tested the rings and gave a findings report before congress forever ago. Them and the heat tiles have always had eyes upon them as possible trouble spots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queen Prawn Posted January 28, 2004 Share Posted January 28, 2004 Fan.. the O rings have been the center of controversy since the very first launch. Upon the return, the seals had been burned almost completely and there was literally less than 1/4 of an inch stopping the thing from blowing up back then. My grandfather worked for Martin Marrieta who tested the rings and gave a findings report before congress forever ago. I agree, I've read a bit and seen a few specials on them. The thing is with Challenger, they should never have been allowed to liftoff because the temperature was outside the temperature range where they would properly function (which as you said was already in question and still is), thusly almost guaranteeing something terrible would happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steff Posted January 28, 2004 Share Posted January 28, 2004 Them and the heat tiles have always had eyes upon them as possible trouble spots. My grampa said hundreds of those tiles would fall off just from tesing the boosters (meaning they fire them up on the pad and let them fun for a bit). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted January 28, 2004 Author Share Posted January 28, 2004 My grampa said hundreds of those tiles would fall off just from tesing the boosters (meaning they fire them up on the pad and let them fun for a bit). I remember the initial launch and them trying to figure out what to do with those tiles and how to toughen them up and keep them on the shuttle. As a kid I actually met one of the scientists who was working on the tiles, coming out of the Holiday Inn in Webster TX, going over to the JSC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queen Prawn Posted January 28, 2004 Share Posted January 28, 2004 My grampa said hundreds of those tiles would fall off just from tesing the boosters (meaning they fire them up on the pad and let them fun for a bit). Considering the way they are applied to the ship, not surprised they fall off during lift off and re-entry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steff Posted January 28, 2004 Share Posted January 28, 2004 I agree, I've read a bit and seen a few specials on them. The thing is with Challenger, they should never have been allowed to liftoff because the temperature was outside the temperature range where they would properly function (which as you said was already in question and still is), thusly almost guaranteeing something terrible would happen. Actually.. it had taken off in colder weather. It wasn't so much the temp as the ice that had formed on the tanks from being de-iced, then re-forzen.. then de-iced, then re-frozen. The best explination I got was this.. ya know how a washer inside a hose looks warn after a few years and water starts to seep out of the handle..? That's what happened in the 33 hours that they kept thawing the thing out after it had frozen again. The temp change ate away at it. If they had just left the damn thing alone and only de-iced it once or twice versus 12 or 13 times the mission might have been ok. They were scheduled to be replaced when it returned.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steff Posted January 28, 2004 Share Posted January 28, 2004 I remember the initial launch and them trying to figure out what to do with those tiles and how to toughen them up and keep them on the shuttle. As a kid I actually met one of the scientists who was working on the tiles, coming out of the Holiday Inn in Webster TX, going over to the JSC. They were applied pretty much with a substance like chewed bubble gum. Strange.. billions of $$'s and human lives and they reply on something so unreliable. :headshake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queen Prawn Posted January 28, 2004 Share Posted January 28, 2004 Actually.. it had taken off in colder weather. It wasn't so much the temp as the ice that had formed on the tanks from being de-iced, then re-forzen.. then de-iced, then re-frozen. The best explination I got was this.. ya know how a washer inside a hose looks warn after a few years and water starts to seep out of the handle..? That's what happened in the 33 hours that they kept thawing the thing out after it had frozen again. The temp change ate away at it. If they had just left the damn thing alone and only de-iced it once or twice versus 12 or 13 times the mission might have been ok. They were scheduled to be replaced when it returned.. Exactly - heat/cold repetatively cycled on the o-ring material is very dangerous. But they were still being used outside the 'guaranteed' range of operation in regards to temp. Any engineer worth their salt that is working on something that involves human lives knows better than to do something that stupid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted January 28, 2004 Author Share Posted January 28, 2004 Exactly - heat/cold repetatively cycled on the o-ring material is very dangerous. But they were still being used outside the 'guaranteed' range of operation in regards to temp. Any engineer worth their salt that is working on something that involves human lives knows better than to do something that stupid. Except the problem is you have got the government trying to justify every penny of what they do, and making them push harder than they should because they don't get the sublties of space flight until something happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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