NASA Test Shows Foam Could Be Culprit

Ben Hutchings writes "The BBC has a report on an impact simulation that aimed to recreate the impact of insulating foam on Columbia's wing. The result was a large hole that probably could not be repaired in orbit even if it was known about."

Three words

[SuperBanana]

Emergency Duct Tape (as any studious watcher of the Red Green Show knows, you can make or fix anything with duct tape!)

Re:Minor curiosity...

[Jin Wicked]

*slaps forehead*

without potentially fatal flaws...

Something missing

[verloren]

In all the coverage I've seen of the damage investigation the scientists and reporters have made clear that the Shuttle had essentially no repair capability, so even if the problem had been found, there was nothing they could do about it.

They never seem to point out that there was one thing they could do, which was stop anyone trying to land in it. Fire the thing at the moon (I've seen Space Cowboys, so I know it can be done!) and let the shuttle crew camp out until they could be rescued.

It always sounds like they expected the crew to bound happily aboard, perhaps sharing a rueful smile at the knowledge that they were going to die, but hey, there's nothing we can do about it right?

Cheers, Paul

art of understatement

[SuperBanana]

BLAM!

Audience: "oooooo"

NASA engineer: "Folks, this COULD be more proof that MAYBE this is what POSSIBLY caused the accident."

Audience: "Oh, you mean "POSSIBLY" as in, there's POSSIBLY life on mars?"

Re:This proves NOTHING

[Wakko Warner]

Why don't you call NASA, then, and tell them this? Clearly, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that they're wrong. I personally blame the French.

- A.P.

Re:Minor curiosity...

[jandrese]

Given enough fuel on-board

Too bad they didn't have enough fuel on-board.

Re:Sound familar? I'll say the same thing I did th

[SlayerofGods]

Until you can give me formulas and mathematical models, I think I'm going to have believe what the Rocket Scientists are telling me about their field. But, I defiantly see how you came to this conclusion, wheather is right or wromg.

Not even with Duct-tape?

[sirgoran]

"The result was a large hole that probably could not be repaired in orbit even if it was known about."

Geez, I always thought you could fix anything with enough duct-tape.

Who Knew!?

-Goran