Grande Shuttle Latte with Foam
Everybody's been going crazy about the big pieces of foam falling off the space shuttle during takeoff. NASA administrators call this a "test" flight to check these kind of things out, but I have a couple of pointers for them:
It's Not Rocket Science
Probably not the best idea to send a $1.7 billion dollar spacecraft loaded with 500,000 gallons of liquid oxygen and hydrogen and 7 crew members up as a "test" flight (especially given recent track record). I know where to get a $19.99 Estes Shuttle Model Rocket we can stick some styrofoam on and launch from my buddy Mike's house in the valley. Use the remaining money to pay for things like education and fixing those nasty potholes on my street.
Stupid Is As Stupid Does
Maybe I'm the one who's dumb, but here's how I understand it. They put this foam on to protect the shuttle and it's tanks during liftoff. Along with other things, the stuff fell off back in 2003 during Columbia's ill-fated blast-off. This disaster led NASA back to the drawing board, tails between their grieving legs. They come back with the idea of using a different foam and a different bonding agent. It falls off again. What did they expect? You know how when you break something and you use superglue and it doesn't work so you then use Elmer's glue and that doesn't work? There's a reason. Some things just don't like to stick to other things. Hey NASA, newsflash: Insulating foam should not be put on the outside of rockets, that's why there's an "In" at the beginning of "Insulating." Have you thought about putting it on the inside?
Don't State The Obvious
After the launch, the director and all of NASA said that they would postpone any future flights until they figured this foam stuff out. Now that's good, cause I thought you would just keep launching the thing and hope that it works, sorta like those people who print something on the computer and when nothing comes out, they hit print again.
Be Amazed
All criticism aside, I am awed by what NASA and the space shuttle can do. While watching the launch with that new camera attached to the solid rocket booster capturing the violent, yet silent, separation from the shuttle; the curved earth and the inky darkness of space in the distance, I felt at peace and excited at the same time. I can only imagine what those crew members and the people who put them there must be feeling. I wish I was one of them.
It's Not Rocket Science
Probably not the best idea to send a $1.7 billion dollar spacecraft loaded with 500,000 gallons of liquid oxygen and hydrogen and 7 crew members up as a "test" flight (especially given recent track record). I know where to get a $19.99 Estes Shuttle Model Rocket we can stick some styrofoam on and launch from my buddy Mike's house in the valley. Use the remaining money to pay for things like education and fixing those nasty potholes on my street.
Stupid Is As Stupid Does
Maybe I'm the one who's dumb, but here's how I understand it. They put this foam on to protect the shuttle and it's tanks during liftoff. Along with other things, the stuff fell off back in 2003 during Columbia's ill-fated blast-off. This disaster led NASA back to the drawing board, tails between their grieving legs. They come back with the idea of using a different foam and a different bonding agent. It falls off again. What did they expect? You know how when you break something and you use superglue and it doesn't work so you then use Elmer's glue and that doesn't work? There's a reason. Some things just don't like to stick to other things. Hey NASA, newsflash: Insulating foam should not be put on the outside of rockets, that's why there's an "In" at the beginning of "Insulating." Have you thought about putting it on the inside?
Don't State The Obvious
After the launch, the director and all of NASA said that they would postpone any future flights until they figured this foam stuff out. Now that's good, cause I thought you would just keep launching the thing and hope that it works, sorta like those people who print something on the computer and when nothing comes out, they hit print again.
Be Amazed
All criticism aside, I am awed by what NASA and the space shuttle can do. While watching the launch with that new camera attached to the solid rocket booster capturing the violent, yet silent, separation from the shuttle; the curved earth and the inky darkness of space in the distance, I felt at peace and excited at the same time. I can only imagine what those crew members and the people who put them there must be feeling. I wish I was one of them.
posted by Lou at 9:59 AM
1 Comments:
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