>From the evidence we've heard so far, it does seem pretty obvious that the insulation falling off the fuel tank and hitting the orbiters left wing has indeed caused the tragedy. Since they knew about the impact, doesn't it seem odd that they just almost wrote it off and didn't take a look at the left wing while the shuttle was in space? Surely anyone in their right mind would make absolutely sure there was no damage that may cause such a disaster.
There must have been something that could have been done in order to get a look? And if they had, and found a problem, couldn't the astronauts have come back via the soyuz craft that's docked with the ISS? Couldn't they have got enough supplies from the ISS to stay in orbit until the next shuttle mission? I don't know, perhaps I'm clutching at straws but it seems that someone or some people at NASA have made a terrible error of judgment and it's ultimately cost seven lives. Perhaps that's harsh. Let's just say that they have failed to spot a significant danger and that has contributed to the deaths. However, I do believe that the show must go on, but only after everything possible has been done to prevent this happening again. Only a fool does not learn from his mistakes. Craig. -----Original Message----- From: Harkins,Patrick [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: 03 February 2003 17:00 To: CF-Community Subject: RE: space shuttle columbia accident I think Gel just feels a sense of outrage and sadness at the deaths, which I'm sure we all privately share to one degree or another. And the other thing is the success of these missions rides on a 100% buy-in to a quasi-fanatical labor-of-love mentality.... If this is in any way in question then maybe it is time to take a pause for refocusing. Patrick > -----Original Message----- > From: Ben Braver [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Monday, February 03, 2003 10:51 AM > To: CF-Community > Subject: space shuttle columbia accident > > > Gel- > > Sorry for putting this so bluntly, but I find your comment > completely ridiculous. > > There are been only a couple of hundred human-crewed space missions. > > What was the accident rate like after the first couple of > hundred airplane flights? > > Or the breakdown rate for the first couple of hundred > automobile drives? > > The shuttle is phenomenally more complex. There are over one > million parts. > And a lot of the research launches have been failing because > of funding cuts, in my opinion. > > -Ben > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?forumid=5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?method=subscribe&forumid=5 This list and all House of Fusion resources hosted by CFHosting.com. The place for dependable ColdFusion Hosting. Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
