Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

NASA Concerned ABC World News
ABC World News

Posted on 12/14/2007 1:17:04 AM PST by The Bass Player

NASA Concerned ABC World News Vanity


TOPICS: Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: abcnews; chickenlittle; iss; missinglink; nasa
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021 next last
Ok, please forgive me, it's late, but I just saw this tiny report on ABC World News, saying that the I.S.S. was struck by either a small meteor or what they think is space junk. They said that there's an EVA repair job scheduled in the coming days. Since the Gemini Meteor Showers are going on now, I was wondering if perhaps this had something to do with it. Either way, prayers for them up there.
1 posted on 12/14/2007 1:17:04 AM PST by The Bass Player
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: The Bass Player

It’s lazer bolts frum th aliens!

Hope the astronauts are safe, though. Bad time of year for trouble, I’d say(as if there is a good time!).

Unless they are all on a sou8ndstage in Hollywood, that is!


2 posted on 12/14/2007 1:22:48 AM PST by Mobile Vulgus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: The Bass Player

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/14/science/14station.html?ref=science


3 posted on 12/14/2007 1:28:08 AM PST by cabojoe
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cabojoe

Thanks for the link. Sorry, didn’t mean to get all nutty, just happened to turn on my tv just as ABC was all excited a it, lol.


4 posted on 12/14/2007 1:44:02 AM PST by The Bass Player (" Live every day as if it is your last, for surely one day you will be right"~ Tom Burnett,Jr.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: The Bass Player

I hadn’t heard about it either, thanks for posting.


5 posted on 12/14/2007 1:49:11 AM PST by cabojoe
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: The Bass Player

http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts122/071213newdate/


6 posted on 12/14/2007 2:10:02 AM PST by Truth29
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: The Bass Player

Astronauts comb ISS for meteorite strike
December 14, 2007 - 10:42AM

Two astronauts on the International Space Station will make a spacewalk next week to find out if a micro-meteorite strike damaged a critical part of the outpost’s power system, officials say.

The station is not in any danger and is still producing enough power to support the arrival of Russian cargo ship later this month, said station deputy program manager Kirk Shireman.

snip

http://news.theage.com.au/astronauts-comb-iss-for-meteorite-strike/20071214-1h27.html


7 posted on 12/14/2007 2:11:07 AM PST by Milwaukee_Guy (Don't hit them between the eyes. Hit them right -in- the eyes!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: The Bass Player

ISS takes a Chunk (Chinese space junk)


8 posted on 12/14/2007 3:02:59 AM PST by Diogenesis (Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Diogenesis

Is that a chunk or a chink?


9 posted on 12/14/2007 3:20:39 AM PST by mkjessup (Hunter-Bolton '08 !! Patriots who will settle for nothing less than *Victory* in the War on Terror!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: The Bass Player

It’s probably nothing to worry about, but it just illustrates what our space program has become... We send people into space, and the entire mission is devoted to keeping them safe. No significant science is done there anymore that has not already been done many times before.

They need a new visionary to set a worthy goal. My suggestion would be to emphasize robots. You can get a lot more accomplished with robots, for less money, and less risk. Use them to build infrastructure on the moon. There would also be lots of technological spin offs in the robotics field.


10 posted on 12/14/2007 3:50:15 AM PST by Brilliant
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mobile Vulgus
It’s lazer bolts frum th aliens!

It's exactly why we need immigration reform!

11 posted on 12/14/2007 3:53:02 AM PST by InvisibleChurch (Her campaign crashing? Her smear of influence won’t allow it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Milwaukee_Guy
will make a spacewalk next week to find out if a micro-meteorite strike damaged a critical part of the outpost’s power system,

If it's a critical part, why wait a week? Why not go today or tomorrow?

12 posted on 12/14/2007 5:06:58 AM PST by theDentist (Qwerty ergo typo : I type, therefore I misspelll.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Milwaukee_Guy; Admin Moderator

There is no meteor strike from what I can see from my sources. This is NOT breaking news. There was an indicated leak in a vestibule between two modules, but it’s been tested and resolved as a sensor error.

This spacewalk is a pre-planned spacewalk to check out the damage on the Port SARJ (Solar Alpha Rotary Joint) because of the delay in the launch of Atlantis on STS-122. The spacewalk was supposed to take place during that mission by STS-122 astronauts.

The damage on the SARJ could have been caused by a micrometeoroid impact but they have NOT root caused the problem yet. This is more sensationalist reporting from whoever put it out there. It is POSSIBLE that the damage is from a micrometeoroid hit, but you have to realize that when they looked at this part the first time (albeit briefly) there were no signs of the damage on the covers of the part. The damage was all internal to the bearing. The race of the bearing is being ground down according to ground analysis of particles found inside the joint.

More dead beat media sensationalism.


13 posted on 12/14/2007 5:12:00 AM PST by AntiKev ("No damage. The world's still turning isn't it?" - Stereo Goes Stellar - Blow Me A Holloway)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Milwaukee_Guy

That’s okay. The ISS has a 10,000,000,000-mile or 50 year warrenty, whatever comes first.


14 posted on 12/14/2007 5:13:18 AM PST by Perdogg (Elections have consequences)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: theDentist
If it's a critical part, why wait a week? Why not go today or tomorrow?

Well, that's "space-time". Seven orbits make a week.(I liked the Chinese Space Junk theory myself...the "Chunk")

15 posted on 12/14/2007 6:10:36 AM PST by WileyPink ("...I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6b)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Brilliant

Hahahaha

Plenty of scientific work is accomplish. Safety, and LIVING is paramount, because if the astronauts die, well, then there will be ZERO scientific working occurring, right?

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been in low atmosphere environments, extreme altitudes and have had to use oxygen on the very edge of space.

It’s not a pleasant way to die.


16 posted on 12/14/2007 6:49:26 AM PST by Rick.Donaldson (http://www.transasianaxis.com - Visit for lastest on DPRK/Russia/China/Etc --Fred Thompson for Prez.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: The Bass Player
"If you can't take a little bloody nose, maybe you ought to go back home and crawl under your bed. It's not safe out here. It's wondrous, with treasures to satiate desires both subtle and gross... but it's not for the timid."

-Q, on exploring space and the universe, in Star Trek: TNG

17 posted on 12/14/2007 7:19:58 AM PST by NewJerseyJoe (Rat mantra: "Facts are meaningless! You can use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Brilliant

You can get a lot more accomplished with robots, for less money, and less risk.


Hopefully with a four year life span.


18 posted on 12/14/2007 7:36:20 AM PST by eleni121 (+ En Touto Nika! By this sign conquer! + Constantine the Great)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: AntiKev

“In addition, one of the two beta gimbal joints on the right side is now locked in place because of circuit breaker trips last week that may have been caused by a space debris impact.”

From Truth29’s post

“An additional problem with a second joint, which lets the panels pivot even while the primary joint is locked, surfaced on December 8.

“It makes power generation much more difficult,” Shireman said.

Because several independent pieces of equipment were simultaneously affected, engineers suspect a micro-meteorite strike may be to blame.”

From Milwaukee_Guy’s post.

My link changed.

We aren’t just talking the SARJ here. Hope this clarifies things. Agreed it wasn’t breaking news but still good to know.


19 posted on 12/14/2007 2:41:33 PM PST by cabojoe
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Brilliant
It’s probably nothing to worry about, but it just illustrates what our space program has become... We send people into space, and the entire mission is devoted to keeping them safe.

You must be a very blissful person.

The primary requirement for manned spaceflight is to ensure that the crew does not die. The crew is not in danger in this case.

The second priority for any mission -- manned or unmanned -- is that there is sufficient power to operate the vehicle. For unmanned missions, you'd see that the power dropped, but you wouldn't know why or where; and you wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

With a manned mission, you can know why, where, and you can maybe do something about it.

So ... you were saying...?

20 posted on 12/14/2007 2:46:20 PM PST by r9etb
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson