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#120
by
Chris Bergin
on 27 Feb, 2007 22:04
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svenge - 27/2/2007 10:56 PM
How many flights will be pushed back due to this?
It's all still "doable" with a one month or so delay (April 22).
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#121
by
Lee Jay
on 27 Feb, 2007 22:21
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Was the "beanie cap" in place during the hail storm? If not, would it have helped at all?
Lee Jay
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#122
by
Flightstar
on 27 Feb, 2007 22:40
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Not really Lee as the hail was coming in at an angle.
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#123
by
Lee Jay
on 27 Feb, 2007 22:46
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Flightstar - 27/2/2007 4:40 PM
Not really Lee as the hail was coming in at an angle.
So, it wasn't on and wouldn't have helped much if it were due to the hail being wind-blown.
I was just wondering.
I work in wind energy and we have test site with some pretty extreme winds. Pebbles flying horizontally at 130mph are pretty damaging. We had one guy get all four of his side windows blown out while he was driving to work and that's pretty good automotive safety glass. The moral of the story is that I can imagine that even small wind-blown hail could be very damaging to something as soft as foam.
Lee Jay
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#124
by
C5C6
on 27 Feb, 2007 22:49
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chris you mentioned more than 7000 impacts on the ET, are all this dents a problem? I'm afraid I haven't got it clear, what impact would this issue have during ascent: is it a problem of aerodynamic loads caused by deformation of the tank?
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#125
by
Lee Jay
on 27 Feb, 2007 22:56
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I would thing that they are worried about large chunks of now-perforated foam falling off during ascent and striking the orbiter, potentially causing Columbia-style damage.
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#126
by
gordo
on 27 Feb, 2007 22:57
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C5C6 - 27/2/2007 11:49 PM
chris you mentioned more than 7000 impacts on the ET, are all this dents a problem? I'm afraid I haven't got it clear, what impact would this issue have during ascent: is it a problem of aerodynamic loads caused by deformation of the tank?
The issues are mainly due to ice building up in the 'dents' and then coming off during launch. Some weakening might also occur that would allow a chunk to break free and cause potential catastrophic damage
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#127
by
James (Lockheed)
on 27 Feb, 2007 22:59
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C5C6 - 27/2/2007 5:49 PM
chris you mentioned more than 7000 impacts on the ET, are all this dents a problem? I'm afraid I haven't got it clear, what impact would this issue have during ascent: is it a problem of aerodynamic loads caused by deformation of the tank?
Slight imperfections will be ok, although you'd want to fill and sand down as much as possible. Indentations are dangerous because they could cryopump during the ascent and become debris hazards.
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#128
by
jmjawors
on 27 Feb, 2007 22:59
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C5C6 - 27/2/2007 5:49 PM
chris you mentioned more than 7000 impacts on the ET, are all this dents a problem? I'm afraid I haven't got it clear, what impact would this issue have during ascent: is it a problem of aerodynamic loads caused by deformation of the tank?
The 7000 number was acknowledged at the press conference, but they seemed to indicate that that wouldn't be the number of repairs they'd need to make. According to them, the number is more "in the hundreds." And that yes... some of these divots are a concern because of aerodynamics.
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#129
by
texas_space
on 27 Feb, 2007 23:14
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Delays stink
Have incidents like these delayed flights with other, more conventional rockets (e.g. Saturns, Deltas, Atlases)? Would we have to worry as much if this had been an Orion or Ares-V stack on the pad?
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#130
by
Austin
on 27 Feb, 2007 23:35
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texas_space - 27/2/2007 4:14 PM
Delays stink
Yes, but nothing "stinks" more than a shuttle disaster. This was a freak occurrence served up by Ma Nature...nothing we can do about it.
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#131
by
Speedracer
on 27 Feb, 2007 23:43
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The RSS was covering the shuttle during the hailstorm but apparently they think the hail was bouncing around coming in every nook and cranny that was open, and the bouncing around is what struck the vehicle.
How "protected" is the nose of the ET?
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#132
by
jmjawors
on 27 Feb, 2007 23:46
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Speedracer - 27/2/2007 6:43 PM
How "protected" is the nose of the ET?
Is that a rhetorical question?
It's obviously not protected at all.
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#133
by
Chris Bergin
on 27 Feb, 2007 23:58
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What we'll do with this thread is keep it open for the continued fallout from this event and start a rollback and 117 in the VAB thread prior to rollback (currently midnight Saturday night).
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#134
by
Lee Jay
on 28 Feb, 2007 00:06
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I'm curious. When significant work has to be done to tank foam, to people and equipment travel from Louisiana to Florida to do the work, or is the Florida-based workforce trained and equiped to handle such a situation?
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#135
by
jmjawors
on 28 Feb, 2007 00:07
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Lee Jay - 27/2/2007 7:06 PM
I'm curious. When significant work has to be done to tank foam, to people and equipment travel from Louisiana to Florida to do the work, or is the Florida-based workforce trained and equiped to handle such a situation?
I believe they addressed this at the press conference, but I was somewhat confused by the answer. I *think* they said that it's something they've discussed, but there was no real answer. Another one of those "we'll see when we get into the VAB" type of thing.
EDIT :: Oh. And Chris... so rollback is midnight Saturday? As in tomorrow night (EST)?
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#136
by
Chris Bergin
on 28 Feb, 2007 00:14
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jmjawors - 28/2/2007 1:07 AM
EDIT :: Oh. And Chris... so rollback is midnight Saturday? As in tomorrow night (EST)?
Unless I've lost my mind, tomorrow night is Wednesday night. Rollback is midnight Saturday (currently) which is March 3.
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#137
by
jmjawors
on 28 Feb, 2007 00:17
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No... I've lost my mind. Yes. Tomorrow is Wednesday.
(Time to make up for some lost sleep!)
I guess what I was thinking of was "moved back a day," which my tired mind substituted with the word "tomorrow." :bleh:
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#138
by
Chris Bergin
on 28 Feb, 2007 00:23
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jmjawors - 28/2/2007 1:17 AM
No... I've lost my mind. Yes. Tomorrow is Wednesday.
(Time to make up for some lost sleep!)
I guess what I was thinking of was "moved back a day," which my tired mind substituted with the word "tomorrow." :bleh:
Sleep, what's sleep? Oh yeah, I think I had some in 1998 :laugh:
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#139
by
Speedracer
on 28 Feb, 2007 00:30
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Soooo I guess we should all hail Hale's hail handling? :laugh:
It's obviously not protected at all.