Mission Control - What would YOU do?

[Cliff]

It seems that Colombia was hit by a piece of foam debris at some stage during takeoff.

They mentioned during today's press conference that after Colombia was in orbit, they reviewed the video tapes of the launch.

During the analysis, they did see the collision of the foam with a wing component and determined that the damage was NOT critical.

They also made a point to mention that even if it WERE a critical damage, they would have NO way of repairing heat shield tile while in space. So, if this ever happens to the craft, nothing could ever be done and the crew would be doomed at the end of the mission.

Question:

If the engineers inspected the video and determined that the damage WAS critical....what should they do?

1.) Be honest,...tell the crew. "We are very sorry but we noticed the orbiter is damaged, you will NOT make it through re-entry and you have 16-20 days to live".

2.) Tell the crew NOTHING. Act like everything is running fine. Continue with the mission and watch the shuttle burn on re-entry.

What would YOU do?

I'm NOT saying this is what happened. It is very possible that when they inspected the tile damage, they might have honestly thought everything was fine. In fact they did decline to inspect the damage further while the shuttle was in orbit. ( I understand they could have inspected the tiles with telescopes on Earth...but they specifically DECLINED to do so.)

I don't know. I like to think that NASA will always do the right and honest thing. OR,..... at least do what's best for the country.

They don't always go together.

What do you think?

Sooo sad.

CT : - (

 

[DMC-12]

I would do:

3)... leave the shuttle docked with the space station... and let the crew take the escape emergency Soyuz capsules that they have at the space station..back down to earth. At present, the emergency evacuation of the ISS is in the hands of the Russians, who provide their tried and tested Soyuz capsules... as far as I know right now.

Then later... if they could not fix the Columbia... let it drift off in to space... or do a controlled release and let it burn up in the atmosphere over the ocean.

 

[castlecake2.0]

would there be a way for the crew to stay in the Int'l space station while anothe space shuttle(there is more than one right?) was sent up to get them?

If not I would tell the crew so they could have a chance to say goodbye to their families.

Just thinking about that is sad.........

-Tyler

 

[pheneix]

I'd honestly do the most financially unfeasible scenario of them all:

Send another shuttle up, pick up the crew of Columbia, and then detach the orbitor from the space station and send it heading for the Pacific Ocean ala Mir.

But since another shuttle would be sent up, I find it VERY difficult to believe that spare tiles could be brought onboard, and that there was NO POSSIBLE way that it could be repaired in space. The cost of something like this would be enormous, but you can not put a cost on human life, and for that matter an orbitor like Columbia.

Let's face it, there is going to come a time when so many parties are involved in the space program that missions like the one above will have to take place. If the situation were like the one you described it would have been fine time to own up to that and put that hurdle behind them.

Of course, after today, I think that spare tiles will probably be mandatory on all missions.

EDIT: Looks like people have already beat me to it. Oh well, I'm leaving the post up anyway.

 

[Cliff]

This would be great.

However, was the shuttle configured with all the harware necessary to dock at the space station even if it was never intended in the original mission?

I have no clue if every shuttle is equiped with necessary hardware for docking with every mission. It very well might be though.

I know they worked with the Russians on building a standard linkage spec.

Was Colombia automatically equiped for this? They mentioned that Colombia was not equiped for a space walk that allowed sombody to inspect under the wing components. ( That's a totatly different subject though)

That's a good research topic.

Excellent call!!

CT : - )

 

[DMC-12]

Originally posted by 10021982
This would be great.

However, was the shuttle configured with all the harware necessary to dock at the space station even if it was never intended in the original mission?

I have no clue if every shuttle is equiped with necessary hardware for docking with every mission. It very well might be though.

I know they worked with the Russians on building a standard linkage spec.

Was Colombia automatically equiped for this? They mentioned that Colombia was not equiped for a space walk that allowed sombody to inspect under the wing components. ( That's a totatly different subject though)

That's a good research topic.

Excellent call!!

CT : - )

CT,

STS 107 Columbia could have docked with the ISS as far as I know...

The only component it did not have in the cargo bay was the "Arm". Which they would of needed for the spacewalk... but since none were planned on this mission..it was removed from the bay.

 

[pheneix]

>>>The only component it did not have in the cargo bay was the "Arm". Which they would of needed for the spacewalk<<<

I did not know that. But that still validates my reasoning on why another shuttle could have been sent.

 

[Monorail Lime]

Shuttle launches are incredibly complex and require months of equipment preparation. Even if NASA dedicates all their resources and manpower to an unplanned launch it is unlikely they could get a second shuttle up before the crew suffocates.

Docking with ISS is possible but it isn't designed to support very many people so it would still require a miracle by the ground crew to get up there before air runs out. There is also the problem that someone would need to navigate the damaged shuttle away from the ISS's hatch so the second shuttle can dock...

 

[Cliff]

Woah,....Very interesting...!!!

I'm all over the web on this.

So far it seems that Colombia is the ONLY shuttle NOT able to dock with ISS. The other three are compatable.

Ironically, Colombia was schedualed to get the docking upgrade after this last mission.

Still verifying this but it seems that docking the craft at the space station was NOT an option for Colombia.

http://www.floridatoday.com/!NEWSROOM/localstoryA38568A.htm

Wild!!

CT

 

[DMC-12]

Originally posted by 10021982
Woah,....Very interesting...!!!

I'm all over the web on this.

So far it seems that Colombia is the ONLY shuttle NOT able to dock with ISS. The other three are compatable.

Ironically, Colombia was schedualed to get the docking upgrade after this last mission.

Still verifying this but it seems that docking the craft was NOT an option.

http://www.floridatoday.com/!NEWSROOM/localstoryA38568A.htm

Wild!!

CT

*sigh* I dunno what I would of done then... I have to think about it..

 

[pheneix]

>>>Even if NASA dedicates all their resources and manpower to an unplanned launch it is unlikely they could get a second shuttle up before the crew suffocates.<<<

That's very true. But either way (and I said was I went into this thread keeping in mind everything that Lime posted beforehand), it would have to be an option to consider over forcing 7 people to commit suicide.

Now it would seem that the only other alternative would be to send over the 7 astronauts over to the station air lock (assuming that they could even safely get out of the shuttle to begin with) one by one WITHOUT an arm (I'm assuming that a tether line would be the only fail-safe, if they even had that on board), and that is ONLY if they even had enough heavy-dury suits anyway, which they probably DIDN'T have since a space walk was never in the cards to begin with!

This thread reminds me of the first sequence of Star Trek Generations when the Enterprise B was sent out on a "routine" run only to have all hell break loose.

 

[Cliff]

Now,...throw this into the equation.

Maybe,...just maybe. ( total speculation here )

Mission Control thought the shuttle "MIGHT" be able to do a re-entry with a damaged heat shield/ tile.

"Maybe" they decided this would be their best chance at survival...just to cross their fingers a pray they made it.

Again,...obviously, this is totally hypothetical.

Dunno.??? More info will come out.

CT

 

[Monorail Lime]

Endeavor has sustained tile damage in the past. It does not doom the shuttle's ability to reenter the atmosphere but it may require changes to the reentry process.

We don't know exactly how the Columbia incident happened yet but if it was due to tile damage on the wing it could possibly have been saved by changing the banking, reentry angle, etc to reduce stress on that portion of the craft. Unfortunately they had no way to know the extent of the damage without the ability to spacewalk.

 

[Fievel]

Maybe it's me...but I don't think right now is a good time to try and outguess the people who get paid the big money and know way more than any of us about the damage done.


I think we have to concentrate on praying for the victims and their families.

 

[Cliff]

Originally posted by Fievel
Maybe it's me...but I don't think right now is a good time to try and outguess the people who get paid the big money and know way more than any of us about the damage done.


I think we have to concentrate on praying for the victims and their families.

No,...you're right. I do feel kinda wierd thinking about this. It's just that NASA held this big press conference to discuss some of these very details.

I just didn't get a sense of satisfaction from the answers that the Shutle program manager was giving the public. I think the press picked up on that because their questioning was getting more and more probing in reaction to his answers.

There's no question that EVERYONE is totatly shocked and saddend by this. I just can't help thinking of how this all could have been avoided.

You're very right,...the victims here are the number1 priority.

They will definatly be in my prayers tonight.

CT

 

[Maria]

Originally posted by DMC-12
I would do:

3)... leave the shuttle docked with the space station... and let the crew take the escape emergency Soyuz capsules that they have at the space station..back down to earth. At present, the emergency evacuation of the ISS is in the hands of the Russians, who provide their tried and tested Soyuz capsules... as far as I know right now.

Then later... if they could not fix the Columbia... let it drift off in to space... or do a controlled release and let it burn up in the atmosphere over the ocean.

I would do the exact same as you.