STS-114 Mission Update Thread (Part 4)

[mrmorris]

<font color="yellow">"well we've got KISS, so engineers are not above insulting people ...</font><br /><br />Actually -- that one is a matter of perspective. You can take it as:<br /><br />Keep It Simple, Stupid -- in which case 'Stupid' is being addressed (and insulted).<br /><br />or<br /><br />Keep It Simple (and) Stupid -- in which case 'Stupid' is part of the design (i.e. don't try to build too much intelligence into the system).

 

[thermionic]

Is it possible that the particular section of foam was not re-worked to the new standards? There would be a clear paper-trail for that if it turns out to be the case. But why would that have been allowed?

 

[erauskydiver]

Oooo, I certainly hope the paper trail identifies the problem. That always gives me a little ammunition when design engineers get mad at me for making them do paperwork to actually document what they are doing.

 

[CalliArcale]

Aha! Another person who craves documentation. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> I'm in configuration management, so the things that come to me are "requirements documentation", "requirements traceability", "change control", and "change traceability". All three are vital. All requirements must be documented and traceable to the final product. Changes have to be controlled and must be traceable in each version of a product. The old saying is, "If it's not documented, it doesn't exist," and while that's obviously not literally true, if it's not documented there's no way of <i>proving</i> that it exists, that you know it exists, and that you understand what it is that exists. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[mrmorris]

<font color="yellow">"Aha! Another person who craves documentation. "</font><br /><br />Documentation. Ick. As a programmer, my feeling about documentation (especially documenting the code itself) is: "It was hard to write, it *should* be hard to read." <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />

 

[nacnud]

Ever though of taking up Zen <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" />

 

[lunatio_gordin]

I remembered reading about that, but i didn't think they were still working on it.<br /><br />actually, i just want to be able to see a picture of the whole space station, and the shuttle, and the soyuz, without having to detach some vehicle in order to take it.<br />I'm kinda disappointed. The station doesn't pass over my house for the entire duration of the mission.

 

[llivinglarge]

Is STS-300 still an option if it is needed?

 

[spacefire]

I have an idea: send all them $heettles up unmanned, at the same time, and have them collide! At least give the taxpayers some good fireworks instead of delays after delays with no results <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[tap_sa]

<font color="yellow">"As a programmer, my feeling about documentation (especially documenting the code itself) is: "It was hard to write, it *should* be hard to read.""</font><br /><br />'Good' code documents itself <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" />

 

[erauskydiver]

Woohoo, another fellow Config Mgmt Person!! If anybody wants to edit their posts, I'm going to have to require a completed and approved Change Request first.

 

[thermionic]

>>I have an idea: send all them $heettles up unmanned, at the same time, and have them collide! At least give the taxpayers some good fireworks instead of delays after delays with no results <br /><br />I don't know, man... I don't see it that way. The shuttle is an ambitious program that happened almost at the start of humanity's space efforts. It hasn't met its performance goals, but it does work, definitely not a failure. We can use our perfect hindsight to say it should have been done another way, but if we had done it some other way there still would have been problems. We're just learning how to do this.

 

[spacefire]

but now it seems more delays will plague the STS program, since foam pieces are *still* falling off the tanks.<br />I say it's time to let go. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[erauskydiver]

Anybody know how much privacy the ISS and Shuttle crews get during their sleep cycle? I doubt I'd be able to sleep up there for the first couple of days. I wonder if they are like "OK, MCC thinks we're sleeping... bust open the Buds and lets get this party started!"

 

[Astrosag]

I agree quantumly.

 

[Astrosag]

Have any clue how hard that is...or you one of those "backseat driver" types?

 

[spacefire]

I wonder if the astronauts still wear rectal thermometers. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[spacefire]

I agree the Shuttle is needed to finish the ISS. but...is it worth it? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[spacefire]

too bad...I bet they'd make great collectibles on Ebay <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[spacefire]

argh that makes my skin prickle. what about g-forces, vibrations and such? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[shuttle_rtf]

SG -<br /><br /> Part of a story I'm working on, but this is of interest:<br /><br /> />The chunk that came off of PAL ramp coincides exactly with a<br />previous repair area, (don't know who did the repair.. suspect it was Michoud), and exhibits the phenomenon known as cryo pumping i.e. air trapped<br />somewhwere in the application process of repair foam, and released in upper atmosphere where pressure is GREATLY reduced or, non-existant. Expansion and<br />failure if void/trapped air is enough to create a bulge/crack/release of repair foam applied to the defect area.<<br /><br />Quote from a (can't name) USA guy who works on ETs.

 

[shuttle_rtf]

Hoping to gain follow ups to that from two other guys from different areas, but involved with the ET.

 

[llivinglarge]

I cannot see the shuttle program lasting until 2010... If it does, they should be retrofitted for unmanned heavy lifting. CEV should be on the top of the agenda now.

 

[shuttle_rtf]

Just got hold of the repair jobsheet too now! Trying to pull the images off it <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />

 

[shuttle_rtf]

>Practically nothing, however i just got some very good news, if it is correct, i was just told that the area that came off the PAL ramp was a repaired area. This goes against what was said yesterday at the news conference. it true that is very good news.<<br /><br />Well, followed that up, and you are bang on...<br /><br />Here's the photographic evidence, courtesy of a source (second to the one who commented above about this being a repair area).<br /><br />http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=220&start=11<br /><br />Page 2 - goes over into page 3. You can see the shading area (I outlined it on one of the images) is a match to the peice that came off.