Space Shuttle Lost Over Texas

[riddler 0]

As far as I know, the STS does not have such capability. Remember that the orbiter (the part that is often called the shuttle) is unpowered - it isn't much more than a fancy glider (except with a glide ratio of something like 1:10, it glides like a brick). Correction - I should say it has minimal power - enough to turn in space but not enough to provide complete thrust for itself in earth's atmosphere. Separating from the boosters during lift-off would be a disaster scenario for the orbiter, since it doesn't have power to even right itself, much less get into a landing pattern.

The external tank (the big orange booster that the foam came off of) is manufactured at Lockheed Martin Astronautics, where I used to work. You can bet they're under lockdown right now, with NASA confiscating all files. Same thing happened with Challenger - I worked with an upper-stage booster that was inside the Challenger when it was destroyed. NASA locks down everything and goes through all records when things like this happen.

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[n2skdvn 0]

the ET'S are built at the michoud(mee-shoo) plant in New Orleans ,LA

if my calculations are correct SLINKY + ESCULATOR = EVERLASTING FUN
my site

[riddler 0]

Sorry - another correction. Thanks N.

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[kallend 2,106]

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Remember that the orbiter (the part that is often called the shuttle) is unpowered - it isn't much more than a fancy glider (except with a glide ratio of something like 1:10, it glides like a brick).

Ummmm - tell us about the 1:3 glide ratio of your canopy. Or should I say "lead brick"

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[Opie 0]

Yes but we have many more landing options with our canopies.

[riddler 0]

Sorry - meant to say 1:1 glide ratio on the shuttle. Need to type slower. The first number being forward distance, and the second being the altitude loss.

Your canopy, depending on it's size can vary, but many student canopies fly at 3:1 - three feet forward for every foot dropped. Then there are those people with REALLY small canopies ... And of course, you change the glide ratio when you flare.

The shuttle lands at over 200 MPH (~330 KPH), so it's a tad faster on landing than everyone but hooknswoop.

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[flyingferret 0]

I post this with a grain of salt. This come from a friend who it quite reputable. He says the email is from a friend of his that is accurate. Still I am one people away from hearing it with my own ears. So take it as such. None the less, I found it interesting.

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Well, things are finally starting to slow down here but it is a far way from normal. Most of the press have left but there are still a half a dozen satellite trucks parked in front of my office by the jail. They are still finding parts at the rate of about 20 an hour during the daylight. I think there has been some 4000 parts discovered and reported in Nacogdoches County. As far as human remains we have about 22 sites. Not for public knowledge but they even found one body 90% intact and one 80% intact. When I say body though you must understand that they don't look like a body in that they have been flash burned and contain no skin. My friend name is our local Texas Ranger and he is on the human remain recovery team and it has been awful. At least the families will have something to bury. When they find remains an astronaut comes with a military chaplain and there is a quick service before the remains are packaged and then the astronaut accompanies the remains all the way to Barksdale Air Force Base with an FBI agent. Today the Israeli Search and Rescue Team arrived and I met two of them this afternoon. It's just unreal around here. SFA has been designated by FEMA as the official data collection agency for mapping the locations of the debris. They have a web site up at sfasu.edu. The CNN guys have scaled back their team and aren't using the office anymore and the Rocky Mountain News have gone back to Denver. My future wife Ashleigh Banfield from MSNBC went home yesterday. The photo attached is of some of the circuit boards found in town. reporting live from Nacogdoches.....your friend
name

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All the flaming and trolls of wreck dot with a pretty GUI.

[billvon 3,070]

>Sorry - meant to say 1:1 glide ratio on the shuttle.

During aerodynamic glide the shuttle descends on an 18 degree glidepath, resulting in a glide ratio of about 3:1.

[lawrocket 3]

Ten years.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[airtwardo 7]

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Ten years.

I was thinking about that this morning, the TV was on in the background as we were sorting through paperwork in the office here.

10 years ago all the windows in the house rattled for a few seconds...

We froze for a heartbeat - earthquake? Bomb?
~ then ran into the living room to turn up the television...I'll never forget that day.

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[wmw999 2,534]

Hard not to think about it today.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[JerryBaumchen 1,436]

Hi rocket,

And 17 yrs & 4 days ago it was the Challenger.



JerryBaumchen

[BillyVance 34]

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Hi rocket,

And 27 yrs & 4 days ago it was the Challenger.



JerryBaumchen

I'm sure it was just a typo, but fixed it. I was a senior in high school when Challenger disintegrated.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban