Ned Potter is the science correspondent for ABC's "World News with Charles Gibson." He has reported on such topics as space exploration, the human genome and climate change.
RECENT POSTS
- Mars Rover: Stuck in the Mud
- Tranquility Base
- NASA's Ares 1-X Test: The View From Above
- The Yes Men
- The Missing Link -- Not
- Moon Crash Kicked Up Plume After All
- Moon Crash: Where's the Water?
- Green Apple: Firm is Latest to Leave U.S. Chamber of Commerce
- Recovery.gov: Your Tax Dollars at Work
- Climate: Power Companies Quit U.S Chamber of Commerce
MONTHLY ARCHIVES
« Previous | Main | Next »
The Storm Below
August 17, 2007 4:11 PM
The shuttle story has been going on for a week now, and it's not over, but here are a few last notes for now:
1) A fair number of you have questioned NASA's decision not to order a spacewalk to fix that damaged tiling; here's some insight into what may have been on engineers' minds. Todd Halvorsen of Florida Today has posted a report done in May by Christine Stewart of Science Applications International Corp., a NASA contractor, titled "EVA Hazards Due to TPS Inspection and Repair." (Acronym alert: EVA is Extra Vehicular Activity, or spacewalking; TPS is the shuttle's Thermal Protection System, or heat-shield tiles.)
The report lays out the risks that a spacewalking astronaut in an EMU--sorry, Extravehicular Mobility Unit, or space suit--could face or cause. Included on the list: sharp corners that can cut a suit open, high temperatures, electric shocks, toxic fuels, and, well, clumsiness. "Collision of the EMU, particularly the helmet, could result in damage to the Orbiter TPS beyond that which was already present." The full document is HERE.
2) If you wish they'd patched that spot, and the the idea of waiting until Wednesday's scheduled landing makes you uneasy, then keep an eye on Hurricane Dean. NASA's concerned that the storm may be threatening Houston by then, forcing controllers to evacuate, so it's floating the option of bringing the shuttle home on Tuesday.
Lead Flight Director Matt Abbott, in a briefing this afternoon, said, "This business that we're in, flying in space, this is what we do all the time, and sometimes we make it look really, really easy, and it's a really, really difficult thing to get these vehicles up in space and keep our friends and colleagues safe up there and get them home safely."
August 17, 2007 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (3)
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
Wow Ned, with all those acronyms being tossed around, I feel like I'm back in the Army again. I agree, that it is very hard to get men and women and machines into space, and that safety is a number one concern. I do trust the EXPERTS at NASA to do what is necessary to keep the astronauts safe. That is a big storm. I'd bring them home now as well. Safety first.
Posted by: Lawrence | Aug 18, 2007 3:02:49 PM
The NASA engineers are in the best position to evaluate the space shuttle situation, despite the many variables they have to contend with in bringing the shuttle home safely. Good luck and Godspeed.
Posted by: chuck | Aug 20, 2007 8:17:39 AM
It is tough striving to consider the time we have exhausted tracking down homebuilt guitars web pages.
Posted by: weissenborn plans | Jan 25, 2008 3:02:25 AM
Post a comment
