[OutSpot]

Slowly but surely we getting down to the facts.

Cheers to fellow Freepers who already suspected lots of the info contained in the article.

[LibKill]

I would like to see a better space vehicle built. With all the silly stuff that my tax dollars are wasted on, I would consider this to be a better use of said tax dollars.

It can be done. UNLEASH THE ENGINEERS!

[KellyAdmirer]

So just the wrong tiles over the wheel well get hit by the foam and damaged, causing the tire inside to overheat just enough to explode, forcing open the landing gear doors just enough to disrupt the air flow past the wing and get torn off, exposing the entire inside of the wheel well to more extreme heat, bursting the other tires which causes other tiles to fly off, which heats up the aluminum skin to the point of no return. ?

[dtel]

If foam had corrupted the skin of the craft early in flight, sensors would have failed well before re-entry.
The tin-foilers, cannot accept this.
Something happened on re-entry that was catastrophic, what that was, is yet undetermined.
Let us wait for a few more facts.

[Thud]

ping

[NormsRevenge]

The shuttle is launched with the tires uninflated, if I am not mistaken.

Some questions....

At what point in the re-entry process are they re-inflated, relative to the shuttle's re-entry timeline?

I am not clear if the tires had already been re-inflated when the loss occurred of vehicle.

Is it after falling below so many hundred thousand feet or 8-?

Does this process and its initiation ever vary?

What type of mechanism/mechinery is used and how is the process initiated, etc?

Any pyros involved in opening the wheel doors?

[Bronco_Buster_FweetHyagh]

"The space shuttle's skin almost was certainly pierced, allowing superheated air inside the left wing and possibly the wheel compartment during Columbia's fiery descent through Earth's atmosphere"


Um. Maybe I'm missing the significance. OF COURSE it was pierced. Hello? Did they see the videotapes? The thing blew up. That wouldn't have happened without a breach in the hull. It did not explode from within.

Sorry, but I already know the sky is blue.

How about them telling us why, after they KNEW the underwing on the left side took such a huge hit during take-off, why they did not do more to inspect the damage before sending those poor men and women to their death.

[Cvengr]

A tragic event and worthy our condolensces. This report needs to be well published. It's the first one I've read from NASA which reaffirms faith in their professionalism. Thanks for posting it.

[RightWhale]

The tire was blackened and sustained a massive split across its tread, but it was impossible to know whether the tire was damaged aboard Columbia or when it struck the ground.

Are we allowed to guess?