BREAKING: NBC News finds Jan 30 NASA Memo showing serious concern about tile damage!

NBC News | February 3, 2003 | Jay Barbree

[KantianBurke]

The NASA tech people remarked that they became aware of the problem within 48 hrs after Columbia's launch. So -

Day 4 - Atlantis begins to be prepped for an emergency launch

Day 11 Atlantis is sent up

Day 12 Atlantis docks near Columbia and initiates the plan

And this is hard to spell out for you why exactly?

[Focault's Pendulum]

don't recall if your commentary on this entire Columbia affair was something I saw on this thread or another one

I'm not sure which commentary you're referring to annie....I've actually said very little in regards to this whole thing, except for the fact, that I think they rolled the dice....and lost.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

And this is hard to spell out for you why exactly?

Hard to spell out for me?

Ask the "NASA tech people" to fill in the blanks on your time line.

[KantianBurke]

I would very much like to. Perhaps we would get a much more coherent and plausible response than the current "vee knew nuuthiving" blather.

[TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!]

I don't see this as news. In the NASA press conference it was stated their was concerns of shuttle launch problems and they called in everyone, experts,astronauts,contractors,scientists, management for a meeting and did a high speed frame by frame review.

Now that the tragedy happened, and now knowing tile damage has been reported to have happened before and no problems were encountered during re-entry. It is their decision that everyone now will judge and want in on- whether it was right, wrong, good, bad, or indifferent.

Heinsight is 20/20.

[anniegetyourgun]

Bingo. It's not a perfect world....nor risk-free.

[Poohbah]

My original proposal was predicated on the problem being dealt with within the 48 hours of Columbia's launch. Atlantis would have begun to be prepped within 4 days of the launch and would have reached the Columbia well within her air limits.

In other words, you ASSUMED that the problem would be correctly identified within 48 hours of launch...

[KantianBurke]

Of course. NASA's failure to anticipate the severity of the damage is quite damning. My proposal is therefore predicated on NASA erring on the side of caution instead of throwing it to the wind.

[Poohbah]

Of course. NASA's failure to anticipate the severity of the damage is quite damning.

No, it isn't. That's not the biggest chunk of anything to ever hit the Shuttle during climbout.

My proposal is therefore predicated on NASA erring on the side of caution instead of throwing it to the wind.

And speeding Atlantis through preflight by getting rid of a bunch of safety checks, and putting TWO shuttles and NINE astronauts at risk is "erring on the side of caution."

Georgie Orwell would be so proud of you!

[TLBSHOW]

ping

[CWOJackson]

Today we pay tribute to seven brave people. These seven people were combat pilots, aeronautical engineers, scientists…astronauts. Many of them had been with the space program for years, for others this was the culmination of their dreams.

Within hours of this terrible disaster there were some on FR claiming that the disaster was the result of NASA’s incompetence, that the disaster was avoidable and that the cover up had already began. They have offered up memo’s, doctored photos and wild rumor as evidence.

In order to be true than we must also assume that the seven astronauts who died were fools or somehow duplicitous in their own deaths. Are we expected to believe that the knowledge of a few rumor mongers on the internet is greater then that of those who flew on Challenger?

Are we to believe that these seven astronauts were not aware of the foam problems on the shuttle program or the effects of budget cuts on the program? Are we to believe that they were foolish enough to fly a platform into space that was doomed from the beginning as some on FR claim?

If we accept their speculation then we must also assume that their fellow astronauts, walking the woodlands of east Texas looking for their remains, will not seek to discover the real cause of their deaths, but will work to cover up for NASA. Do you really believe this?

Is this what we’ve come to on FR? This doesn’t just smear NASA, it smears the seven brave people we honor today.

[KantianBurke]

No need to take this all so personally. No one has accused YOU of complicity in neglience or murder. This is all theoretical but useful. If problems are not correctly identified and solved, they will only reappear.

While you have a point regarding the Atlantis emergency launch, it therefore begs the question if NASA considered such a launch impractical what WERE their other options in this situation? Or were they content to simply cross fingers? They should have taken a page out of the Boy Scouts motto: Be Prepared.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Well said. I join you in honoring these seven brave souls.

[Poohbah]

While you have a point regarding the Atlantis emergency launch, it therefore begs the question if NASA considered such a launch impractical what WERE their other options in this situation?

Unless we had 8 shuttles running on the same overall program OPTEMPO as the 4 we had, we really didn't have any options.

Or were they content to simply cross fingers? They should have taken a page out of the Boy Scouts motto: Be Prepared.

NASA gets less money than dairy subsidies do. There isn't a lot that they can do to "Be Prepared."

[DoughtyOne]

I find that you have posted his about ten times across the forum. Evidently embarassing yourself on just one thread wasn't bad enough. Here's what I said to you on the other posts.

I'm just curious if you also think it's an insult to homicide, robbery, or assault victims when their family and friends exercise their God given talents to investigate who
carried out those crimes, when the police are unable to asertain who did it?  In this instance we have an agency that has two vested interests, full disclosure and the
welfare of the agency itself.  Why it would be an insult to the astronauts to make sure they weren't short-changed in the process, is beyond me.

I have seen the product of your logic before.  It's generally interesting, but seldom very sound.  Don't give up.

[CWOJackson]

Today we pay tribute to seven brave people. These seven people were combat pilots, aeronautical engineers, scientists…astronauts. Many of them had been with the space program for years, for others this was the culmination of their dreams.

Within hours of this terrible disaster there were some on FR claiming that the disaster was the result of NASA’s incompetence, that the disaster was avoidable and that the cover up had already began. They have offered up memo’s, doctored photos and wild rumor as evidence. In order to be true than we must also assume that the seven astronauts who died were fools or somehow duplicitous in their own deaths. Are we expected to believe that the knowledge of a few rumor mongers on the internet is greater then that of those who flew on Challenger?

Are we to believe that these seven astronauts were not aware of the foam problems on the shuttle program or the effects of budget cuts on the program? Are we to believe that they were foolish enough to fly a platform into space that was doomed from the beginning as some on FR claim?

If we accept their speculation then we must also assume that their fellow astronauts, walking the woodlands of east Texas looking for their remains, will not seek to discover the real cause of their deaths, but will work to cover up for NASA. Do you really believe this?

Is this what we’ve come to on FR? This doesn’t just smear NASA, it smears the seven brave people we honor today.

You find this embarassing? This is the product of your logic? I do feel sorry for you.

[KantianBurke]

Hopefully funding patterns will change for the better. However as this nation sees fit to elect Bill Clinton's and Jim Jeffords who subsidize dairy products, I wouldn't hold my breath.

[Poohbah]

Hopefully funding patterns will change for the better. However as this nation sees fit to elect Bill Clinton's and Jim Jeffords who subsidize dairy products, I wouldn't hold my breath.

No s**t.

I hear asphyxiation is a really unpleasant way to die.

[Scott from the Left Coast]

Hair, I say this with all candor and honesty: I'd like to work for you.

You'd make a great boss.

[Marysecretary]

At times like this, there are so many rumors and half truths that get circulated. It's hard to distinguish truth from fiction some times. Let's pray they really get to the bottom of this and soon so we can prevent future "accidents" like this one.