NASA vs. TRISTADECAPHOBIA

[rogers_buck]

NASA considers itself an enlightened institution not given to superstition and the like. Of course they also play poker prior to each launch for "good luck". Given NASA's history with the aledgedly unlucky number, I have to ask... Why the hell don't they launch the thing on another day???

 

[vogon13]

By what process did the piece of external tank foam from the last Columbia flight determine it was launch #113?<br /><br />Is the foam self aware? Does it have access to a calendar?<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff0000"><strong>TPTB went to Dallas and all I got was Plucked !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#339966"><strong>So many people, so few recipes !!</strong></font></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>Let's clean up this stinkhole !!</strong></font> </p> </div>

 

[JonClarke]

Let's look at some of the successful 13's<br /><br />13th shuttle mission<br />Soyuz 5 (13th Soviet space mission)<br />Gemini 10 (13th US space mission)<br />Soyuz 13<br />Soyuz T13<br />Soyuz TM13<br />Progress 13<br />Progress M13<br />Explorer 13<br />Discoverer 13<br />Venera 13<br />Cosmos 13<br />Pioneer 13<br /><br />Multiples or combinations of 13<br /><br />STS 113<br />STS 26, 39, 52, 65, 78, 91, 104<br />Soyuz 26, 39<br />Progress 26, 39<br />Progress M 26, 39, 52<br />Cosmos 26, 39, 52, 65, 78, 91, 113, 117, 130 etc. <br />Explorer 26, 39, 54<br /><br />Successful satellite launches on 13th day of the month.<br /><br />Jan Cosmos 984, 1071, 1532, Molniya 1-85, STS-54, ICESat, CHIPSat<br /><br />Feb OPS-6889, Cosmos 1077, 1245<br /><br />Mar OPS-5057, Cosmos 325, 1827, 1828, 1829, 1830, 1831, 1832, Explorer 43, Soyuz T-15, STS 29, USA-101, 102<br /><br />April Transit 1B, Cosmos 14, Canyon 2, Westar-1, Cosmos 814, FB-1, Cosmos 2072, Palapa B2R, ASC-2, GEOS 8<br /><br />May Cosmos 281, 1844, 1945, Comstar 1, Navstar 2, Progress 6, 36, Soyuz T5, USA-91, NOAA 15, Hellas Sat 2, Spaceship One flight 14P<br /><br />June KH-5 9065A, IDCSP 4-1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, Cosmos 348, 659, 1659, Intelsat 4 F5, USA-1<br /><br />Jul Cosmos 502, 928, 1115, 1387, 1482, 2197, 2198, 2199, 2200, 2201, 2202, KH 9-6, STS 70, <br /><br />Aug Dodecapole 2, Transit 5b-7, Tempsat 1, Longrod, Calsphere 4A, SURCAL 5, Cosmos 292, 754, 1246, Explorer 46, Optus 1B, Soyuz TM28, Scisat 1<br /><br />Sept Mercury MA-4,Cosmos 45, 950, 951, 1587, 1598, 2155<br /><br />Oct Exploer 7, Discoverer 32, Soyuz 8, Cosmos 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 1315, 1976, 2374, 2375, 2376, Molniya 3-10, Tiros N, Ekspress, <br /><br />Nov Cosmos 253, 1319, 1702, 1791, 1792, HEAO 2, USA 65, Arabsat 2B, Measat 2, GE 4, <br /><br />Dec Black Sphere, ***** 3, Surcal 1a, 2a, Calsphere 1a, Relay 1, Cosmos 23, 615, 697, 967, 1708, Pioneer 8, TTS 1, DSCS II-03, 04, Satcom 1, SDS 4, USA 13 (double 13!), 14, <br /><br />Some 13-related failures:<br /><br />Cosmos 104 (mu <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[SpaceKiwi]

Jon, you sir have far too much time on your hands!<br /><br />Impressive list though, and thanks for bringing that to our attention. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em><font size="2" color="#ff0000">Who is this superhero?  Henry, the mild-mannered janitor ... could be!</font></em></p><p><em><font size="2">-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</font></em></p><p><font size="5">Bring Back The Black!</font></p> </div>

 

[formulaterp]

Is that the fear of 10 girls named Trista?<br /><br />Or did you mean triskaidekaphobia? <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br />

 

[holmec]

That's a good question. I think the answer would LIE somewhere between the PR people and the atcual workers.<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>

 

[arkady]

To quote my favourite writer Umberto Eco:<br /><br />"Superstition brings bad luck" <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> "<font color="#0000ff"><em>The choice is the Universe, or nothing</em> ... </font>" - H.G Wells </div>

 

[chebby]

<font color="yellow"><br />Or did you mean triskaidekaphobia?</font><br /><br />I was wondering that myself when I saw this thread. However, this website lists both, so maybe they are synonims:<br /><br />http://holsh07.tripod.com/id5.html

 

[rogers_buck]

Some good observations, considered opinions, and some impressive statistics. But I think newsartists sea yarn speaks best to the possible problem. <br /><br />Everyone who packed that ship (real or imaginary) had a sense of doom, as did those that would sail in her. So maybe they got a little careless? Maybe the id enforces its own imagined laws by derranged act? Maybe they were just too damned scared to do their jobs properly? Or - maybe it is just a sea yarn with a punch line?<br />