We almost lost shuttle Atlantis in '88

Kinja'd!!! "RacinBob" (racinbob)
10/22/2020 at 20:45 • Filed to: None

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Apparently foreign object strikes to heat shield were not a new problem that was isolated to Columbia.


DISCUSSION (6)


Kinja'd!!! ranwhenparked > RacinBob
10/22/2020 at 20:55

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with all we know now about the issues with the shuttles and NASA's general attitude toward safety (that's not supposed to happen, but its never caused a major problem, so we'll continue to ignore it/that looks bad, but fixing it would be hard, so let's ignore it) it's amazing we only lost two. 


Kinja'd!!! f86sabre > RacinBob
10/22/2020 at 21:12

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Some pics of the damage. That was a close one. The shuttle was amazing, but delicate.

Also, Hoot Gibson was a badass.

Here is another one for you...


Kinja'd!!! PyroHoltz f@h Oppo 261120 > RacinBob
10/22/2020 at 21:45

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One of the labs I supported while working for Lockheed Martin made the tile repair kits, this article was interesting.

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-feb-06-na-repair6-story.html


Kinja'd!!! zipfuel > RacinBob
10/22/2020 at 23:07

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Funny enough we were reading my son’s big pop-up book of space today and talking about what capsules/rockets still fly (sozuz, dragon etc) and he asked why they don’t use shuttles anymore?.... I told him they didn’t work quite as well as everyone expected and got worn out, which is sorta true. D idn’t really feel like laying the whole sad C hallenger+Columbia story on a 7yr old at bedtime!


Kinja'd!!! RacinBob > ranwhenparked
10/23/2020 at 00:22

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That’s the problem with “leaders” who don’t have skin in the game. The commit to “goals” and gosh darn it we (you) are making the goals physics be damned. 


Kinja'd!!! RacinBob > f86sabre
10/23/2020 at 00:34

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Thanks for sharing. I learned something else today. Bonus!