I guess they kind of have to be at this point. I can't imagine how nervewracked the crewmembers must be. Although, they're experienced, so maybe they're just annoyed. :)
Honestly, I would be very scared to fly in a space shuttle. Granted, I know not of the safety precautions and work done since the last fateful launch, but I would still be wary.
Pretty much, yeah. Of course, I am fairly ignorant of updates, modifications, and such to the space shuttles... but a plastic window cover held on by tape falls off and damages a tile? On a 30-year-old design of a vehicle? Perhaps it's time the government gave NASA enough funds to develop a 21st Century space vehicle... but then we wouldn't be winning the war on terrorism or something.
to be fair, the window cover had been out there for weeks, and fell 60 feet before it hit anything. and the damage was insubstantial enough not to affect the launch 20-odd hours out. The Shuttle fleet will be retired soon. The cool thing about the NASA scientists that I've met (granted, not too many) is that the ones that are really into it know the substantial risk involved and would go anyway. Guaranteed to get cancer? Let me go. Significant possibility of not coming back? Let me go. One way trip? Let me go. 30-year-old technology? Let me go.
it's really a let down to see the astronauts unstrapped. :( boo.
Biting my tongue, biting my tongue, biting my tongue. Ow! That hurt.
Actually the situation reminds me of the time when I was a kid and the family was driving to Florida. The car was packed and everyone was seatbelted in with their entertainment of choice near to hand (sewing, action figures, book, steering wheel). My step dad put the key in the ignition, turned it, and NOTHING HAPPENED! He fiddled with things trying to find the problem. He couldn't. He usually fixes his own cars so this is actually unusual. He called the mechanic who came out with a tool kit, a tow truck, and a promise of a loaner car for the trip. Nice mechanic. Mechanic arrives, sees problem. Can't identify problem. Step dad and mechanic fall back on the smack it until it works method. It actually does work. We drive to Florida not knowing why the car wouldn't start and not knowing if it'll start up the next time we stop. We luck out. Mechanic takes car when we get back and does a more thorough diagnostic, finds the problem, doesn't charge us for putting some new contact grease on a connection. Really nice mechanic.
It's the small enclosed spaces that kept me from trying to become an astronaut. Those small spaces are the same thing that have convinced me that I wouldn't want to be a firefighter now, either.
I heard the news about the scrubbed launch and thought of you, Mazzie. And then I thought "how cool is that, that I know someone for whom space shuttle launches are part of their career?" And then I remembered to stop thinking about how cool my (extended) life is and feel bad for NASA, and all the people who worked so hard to get to this day. I listened to the press conference and learned some hep terms like "Launch Critical.. um.. Element.. or Component" or something. But apparently I'm sleepy 'cause now I've forgotten it all. Back to my life of Tower Cranes and Soil Borings. Heavy on the Boring.
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it's really a let down to see the astronauts unstrapped. :( boo.
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The Shuttle fleet will be retired soon.
The cool thing about the NASA scientists that I've met (granted, not too many) is that the ones that are really into it know the substantial risk involved and would go anyway. Guaranteed to get cancer? Let me go. Significant possibility of not coming back? Let me go. One way trip? Let me go. 30-year-old technology? Let me go.
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Hope it happens today!
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no launch until at least saturday. possibly not until september. meh.
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Biting my tongue, biting my tongue, biting my tongue. Ow! That hurt.
Actually the situation reminds me of the time when I was a kid and the family was driving to Florida. The car was packed and everyone was seatbelted in with their entertainment of choice near to hand (sewing, action figures, book, steering wheel). My step dad put the key in the ignition, turned it, and NOTHING HAPPENED! He fiddled with things trying to find the problem. He couldn't. He usually fixes his own cars so this is actually unusual. He called the mechanic who came out with a tool kit, a tow truck, and a promise of a loaner car for the trip. Nice mechanic. Mechanic arrives, sees problem. Can't identify problem. Step dad and mechanic fall back on the smack it until it works method. It actually does work. We drive to Florida not knowing why the car wouldn't start and not knowing if it'll start up the next time we stop. We luck out. Mechanic takes car when we get back and does a more thorough diagnostic, finds the problem, doesn't charge us for putting some new contact grease on a connection. Really nice mechanic.
It's the small enclosed spaces that kept me from trying to become an astronaut. Those small spaces are the same thing that have convinced me that I wouldn't want to be a firefighter now, either.
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they had to wash the Shuttle? Didn't someone think of doing that like, ages ago?
Sheesh.
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