Update on STS-114

Posted by nuxi on 2005-Aug-01 at 23:33:20 in SNAFU (Login to reply)

The Discovery (side note: calling it a space shuttle is technically incorrect here) has two strips of the filler between the tiles of the heat shield extending out from the surface of the tiles. NASA is currently debating whether or not these small strips could upset the flow of plasma around the Orbiter as it re-enters the atmosphere enough to cause the destruction of the Orbiter. This is not the first time this has happened, but it has never been observed to this degree so far forward on the Orbiter. No astronaut has ever before preformed a spacewalk to the lower surface of the Orbiter and the remote manipulator arm cannot reach this area. This spacewalk is not without hazards, but those are less risky than ignoring the exposed gap filler.

If this Orbiter fails to return to Earth the Space Shuttle program will be ended permanently. The ISS, NASA, and even manned spaceflight will all be in peril. Even if the Discovery returns to Earth, those are all in jeopardy. As it stands, NASA does not currently have a manned launch capability. Developement of a new vehicle would take 5 years, including the retooling of the launch facilities.

I think this goes to show that war drives technology. Within 25 years of sending the first man into space we set foot on the moon. In the 30 years since we left the moon we really haven't done much with our launch capabilities. Everyone always says, why go to Mars when probes can tell us what we need. The thing is that the trip itself pays out in technology more than the destination. You can thank the Apollo Space Program for shrinking computers. They needed to fit an entire flight computer into that capsule. If we go to Mars we will need a near self-sustaining environment for the astronauts. This could pay back in many ways here on Earth.

We can either let the Space Shuttle be a hinder to our spaceflight or take the need for a new launch vehicle to push out even farther in our solar system. We could have a man on Mars or a colony on the moon in my lifetime if we try. I'd also be the first in line despite the risks. Sometimes I wonder if the setbacks of NASA are going to result in spaceflight becoming a private, rather than a public, endeavor. The suborbital flights of SpaceShipOne are child's play compared to orbit, but its a step in the right direction.

Ad Astra Per Aspera.