NASA and Backup Plans

[ImaginationHost]

I was thinking about this the other day and wondering if anyone else wondered this....

Ok - We create the space shuttles (Columbia, Atlantis, Discovery, Endeavor)...There's always this possibility that something with the structure of the shuttle could go wrong...such as tiles falling off...

Wouldn't it make sense to create a backup plan in the event that this happens? I haven't heard much on this, but I'm wondering if anything ever existed...And if not, why not?



ImaginationHost

 

[donaldduck1967]

I was thinking the same thing. But here are some thing to consider,

1 - it is so cold in space how would the adhesive adhere to the tiles and the shuttle.

2 - You would now have to train the astronauts on how to fix the shuttle.

3 - You would have to keep parts somewhere.

4 - If ,and in this case the shuttle wasnt, the shuttle isnt equipped for space walks how do the astronauts fix it.

5 - In order to dock with the space station the shuttle has to be equipped to do so, also in this case the shuttle wasnt, and they need to be in the same orbit. If they are not the shuttle can use as much energy getting in the same orbit as it did during lift off.

6 - Unless another shuttle is lift off ready it could take up to a month to prepare one for liftoff. The shuttle is only equipped to stay in orbit 28 days.

I'm sure there are other reasons as well these are just some i read in various articles this past week.