Shuttle Return...I have a bad feeling about this....

[Freedom]

Prayers for a safe landing and return home for all on board.

[momoffuzzyfaces]

I'm with you on this. I'm really uneasy about them not repairing it too.

If I was up there I wouldn't come back unless they either repaired the thing or sent a different shuttle up to get me. After all, it's not the big wigs on the ground who will die if it doesn't hold!!! I won't be watching the landing this time.

[Miss Z]

I hope they know what they're doing!

[lbaker]

Well this really IS Rocket Science after all. They are Rocket Scientist and if the Astronauts trust them so shall I.

[lizbud]

Well this really IS Rocket Science after all. They are Rocket Scientist and if the Astronauts trust them so shall I.

My son is a rocket scientist and they are very level headed people. I'm sure
they would never recommend using it, as is, if they thought it would fail.
I'm sure they have considered all options.I always pray for a space flights
safe return.

[RICHARD]

A few years ago I had the supreme opportunity to touch a tile and speak with a rocket scientist.

The tiles are suprisingly light and you would be hard pressed to believe that something like that could stand the heat that a reentry produces.

Think of a giant sugar cube that has the consistency of a rigid nylon pot scrubber, but the material is silicon.


You can heat up a tile in a furnace til it glows red hot, after removing the tile from the oven you can pick it up from the corners while is still glows red in the middle. Should you get to see that cilm clip watch! Truly remarkable!

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The Columbia accident was caused by a hole in the leading edge of the wing.

The place where the tile is broken is in an area that will not get as hot as the nose and the leading edges of the wings. Some of the first shuttle missions were flown with whole tiles missing.


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The NASA babe I spoke to was hotter than any ceramic shuttle tile.

[lizbud]

Shuttle lands successfully. Watching the approach to landing from
the view of the shuttle was totally awesome.