No Wonder the Space Shuttle Has Problems....

[vifferman]

IN The Harold this morning, there was an article from Reuters about the Shuttle returning today. It included a pretty diagram (credited to NASA) summarising the return. Nice. However, if the article is indicative of the general standard of quality assurance NASA has, then it's no wonder they're having problems.
The text accompanying the pictures comprised less than 100 words, including the following gems:
preperation
postition
motar
speed breaks (X2)
manuvering

[Sniper]

Sounds like typical americans. Hehehe thanks Viff

[idb]

IN The Harold this morning, there was an article from Reuters about the Shuttle returning today. It included a pretty diagram (credited to NASA) summarising the return. Nice. However, if the article is indicative of the general standard of quality assurance NASA has, then it's no wonder they're having problems.
The text accompanying the pictures comprised less than 100 words, including the following gems:
....
motar
....

You've got to worry if you're sitting in the shuttle waiting to come home and the dispatches arriving from Control are of this quality.
You'd be making sure that you clarified everything in the flight plan.

I hope that the bloke on the space walk the other day wasn't misled by poor spelling and ended up removing the motor on the shuttle not the mortar.

[vifferman]

I hope that the bloke on the space walk the other day wasn't misled by poor spelling and ended up removing the motor on the shuttle not the mortar.

Apparently the drag chutes come out of one of the "motars". So maybe it's some weird technical term for a 'drag chute cupboard'.

[idb]

Seriously though, how nervous would you be at the moment sitting in that shuttle waiting to start descending.
Now that would make great reality TV.

[crashe]

They are landing at around 8.40pm NZ time tonight.

[Wolf]

They are landing at around 8.40pm NZ time tonight.

If they're lucky, they'll be able to walk away from it...

If the drag chutes deploy from the "motar" then it may well be "mortar" - as in a tube that fires something - AFAIK, drag chutes are fired out.

[bugjuice]

could always wind the window down and hold their space suits out to cause some drag.. Or do what Homer did with the monotrain, make a big anchor from the W.. mmmmm doughnuts..

i remember the last accident actually. I happened to be in LA at the time. Almost every channel had it showing 'live'.. which was ironic, cos I was just getting into a live car chase that was going on in town..

Do feel for them tho. They must be poopin bricks at the moment.. I know I would be. In fact, I'd hang around in the space station and catch the next one..

[vifferman]

If they're lucky, they'll be able to walk away from it...

If the drag chutes deploy from the "motar" then it may well be "mortar" - as in a tube that fires something - AFAIK, drag chutes are fired out.

It's still a cock-up.

I was reading about the astronut that was going to go out to fix the heat shield spacers, armed with some forceps, and a 'hacksaw' made from a blade, some duct tape and other assorted crap.
Luckily, he was able to remove the spacers with the forceps. Good luck trying to cut ceramic tiles with that 'hacksaw' - having done extensive tiling around home, there's no way he could cut ceramic with that, especially wearing those bulky gloves. Even my special abrasive tile hacksaw was next to feckin useless, and hangs on my gargre wall, essentially unused....

Y'know, for something that's supposedly pretty high-tech and all that, and costs such a huge amount of money, it continually amazes me how crappy and primitive a lot of it all is.

[Wolf]

Do feel for them tho. They must be poopin bricks at the moment.. I know I would be. In fact, I'd hang around in the space station and catch the next one..

I'd rather take my chances with my space suit and one of the drag chutes than come back in the shuttle - Ultimate HALO experience. And if you die, Hell, what a way to go.

Actually, I'd deploy the chute just before I hit rarified air, it's designed to assist in braking the shuttle so it should be big enough to slow the reentry of a couple of hundred kilos to way below burn-to-a-crisp speed...

[idb]

I'd rather take my chances with my space suit and one of the drag chutes than come back in the shuttle - Ultimate HALO experience. And if you die, Hell, what a way to go.

Actually, I'd deploy the chute just before I hit rarified air, it's designed to assist in braking the shuttle so it should be big enough to slow the reentry of a couple of hundred kilos to way below burn-to-a-crisp speed...

Sounds like a job for Superman.....

[Wolf]

Just a query on etiquette:

If you're looking up at the sky tonight and see the shuttle burning up on reentry, would it be "bad form" to make a wish on it?

[Lou Girardin]

Y'know, for something that's supposedly pretty high-tech and all that, and costs such a huge amount of money, it continually amazes me how crappy and primitive a lot of it all is.

It's 27 years old.
Just look at the quality of your average '80s yankmobile.

[crashe]

Sounds like a job for Superman.....

Ummmmm he died recently....

Just a query on etiquette:

If you're looking up at the sky tonight and see the shuttle burning up on reentry, would it be "bad form" to make a wish on it?

Ummmmmmmmm yep I would think it would be bad form.

[idb]

Ummmmm he died recently....

Then we're all doomed.......!