Smoking gun for Columbia?

3rd February 2003, 05:49 AM

Just reported. Internal NASA memo. Some engineers believed the foam falling into the shuttle may have caused a 2 1/2 feet long by 7 1/2 inch wide gash in the tiles.

Was 2 1/2 feet long and study was completed 2 days before re-entry. Seems as though that was worse case senerio.

Quote:

CAPE CANAVERAL, Feb. 3 — Two days before the Columbia disaster, a NASA engineering team sent an internal memo calculating a high probability that launch debris had caused a gash 7½ by 30 inches on the shuttle’s left wing, NBC’s Jay Barbree reported Monday. NASA engineers have talked of a heat spike and drag on the left wing, suggesting a potential problem with the thermal tiles there. But NASA’s chief told NBC News on Monday that the tiles are just one of many variables being investigated.

http://www.msnbc.com/news/867336.asp?0cv=CA01

edit 3 link finally

richardm · 3rd February 2003, 05:53 AM

If that's true, is the implication that NASA engineers on the ground knew of the damage, but given that there was no practical way of doing anything about it, tried re-entry regardless?

3rd February 2003, 05:49 AM	#1
Iwentsouth Guest Posts: n/a	Smoking gun for Columbia? Just reported. Internal NASA memo. Some engineers believed the foam falling into the shuttle may have caused a 2 1/2 feet long by 7 1/2 inch wide gash in the tiles. Was 2 1/2 feet long and study was completed 2 days before re-entry. Seems as though that was worse case senerio. Quote: CAPE CANAVERAL, Feb. 3 — Two days before the Columbia disaster, a NASA engineering team sent an internal memo calculating a high probability that launch debris had caused a gash 7½ by 30 inches on the shuttle’s left wing, NBC’s Jay Barbree reported Monday. NASA engineers have talked of a heat spike and drag on the left wing, suggesting a potential problem with the thermal tiles there. But NASA’s chief told NBC News on Monday that the tiles are just one of many variables being investigated. http://www.msnbc.com/news/867336.asp?0cv=CA01 edit 3 link finally
Iwentsouth Guest Posts: n/a

3rd February 2003, 05:53 AM	#2
richardm Philosopher Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 9,270	If that's true, is the implication that NASA engineers on the ground knew of the damage, but given that there was no practical way of doing anything about it, tried re-entry regardless?
richardm Philosopher Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 9,270	__________________ Rimmer: Look at her! Magnificent woman! Very prim, very proper, almost austere. Some people took her for cold, thought she was aloof. Not a bit of it. She just despised fools. Quite tragic, really, because otherwise I think we'd have got on famously.