The last Shuttle flight?
Author: Stuart Millington Publishing date: 02.08.2005 22:07
Debris and tile damage confirmed, filler strips that need removing and the Shuttle fleet grounded. Is this the end for the Shuttle?
Whilst NASA may be being ultra-cautious on this mission, it's amazing that a filler strip an inch high is so dangerous. NASA says that the aerodynamic effects of protruding filler strips (at the altitudes and velocities involved in re-entry) are unknown. Hence, the removal of the filler strips.
However: (a) surely this cannot be a new defect and (b) these strips are meant to provide seals between the heat shield tiles. Are the effects of re-entry without them any less known? Either way, it can't have been an easy decision for NASA managers and the flight crew to make.
I love the Shuttle, despite the widely acknowledged design issues caused by it's political dual-role, and I would like to see it flying again. I'd also like to be able to afford to fly to the USA and see a live launch ;-) But, I've got a strange feeling that this is the last Shuttle flight and, like Concorde, I'll never see it fly in person let alone fly on it :-(
I sincerely hope that NASA can do something to solve these problems without another 2 and a half year gap in flights and ultimately make the Shuttle safe enough to fly.
Obviously, "safe enough to fly" is, to an extent, a political determination. If I had the opportunity to fly on the Shuttle tomorrow, would I fly? YES.
To conclude: All I can say to Discovery and her crew is good luck and have a safe landing.
Image: NASA
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