Did NASA know there was a problem? PIC and Excerpts from an Israeli Article

Maariv ^

[yonif]

The left wing of the shuttle picture taken from the window of the shuttle.

Main Issue in the Article

Did Nasa know about this and therefore kept their silence, not telling the astronauts?

-The photo was revealed on Channel 1 of Israel. This pic was taken during an interview the Channel had with the Israeli astronaut.

[PLMerite]

The only scenario I can come up with is thus:

IF NASA knew from launch that Columbia was too damaged to safely re-enter and had two weeks to work with.

IF there was another shuttle ready (fueled and checked-out) to launch within that window.

IF it's possible to depressurize Columbia and repressurize it (the astronauts do wear pressure suits for take-off/landing in case of loss-of-cabin-pressure, don't they?).

THEN, maybe, it would have been possible to schlepp some EVA suits (fit not important) over to Columbia and rescue the crew.

That's a lot of IF's. I'm sure there are more that I haven't thought of.

[RaceBannon]

7 EVA suits?

With enough oxygen to shuttle people back and forth between the dock/air port?

Is there an air port like that with an air lock?

I doubt it, this aint no submarine.

Plus, they only had fuel for maybe another week at best, I think, I know they carry enough fuel and oxygen for at least that, that is NOT enough time to roll out another shuttle to the launch pad and get it ready, nor any Soyuz.

That rescue ship would have to be ready at the time of the first launch.

[Arkinsaw]

1) The spy satellites and telescopes were not at all helpful the last time they tried. There was no way to examine the underside of the wing.

2) No it couldn't have

3) They could not have investigated or fixed it anyway.

Hysteria

[TLBSHOW]

BREAKING: NBC News finds Jan 27 NASA Memo showing serious concern about tile damage!
NBC News | February 3, 2003 | Jay Barbree


Posted on 02/03/2003 9:03 AM EST by Timesink


Developing. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/834846/posts?page=10#10

[Mamzelle]

Could the Pentagon have provided even better pictures? Were they asked to provide them?

[Rebelbase]

I just don't understand the mentality of not going into orbit with a full tank of gas.

If you are going across the desert, you fill up your tank and bring along extra water. If you are going to be in the mountains in a snow storm, you bring warm clothes and snow tires. If you are at the beach all day, you bring sunblock. If you fly a plane you make sure you have more than enough fuel to get where you are going. If you go scuba diving, you make sure your tanks are full of air. If you are going to eat pizza, usually someone brings along the beer. If you are on a first date with a good looking gal, you hold back belching and passing gas. If you're going to be late, leave early......COMMON SENSE.

NASA screwed the pooch on this one.

[Mamzelle]

Your scenario makes perfect sense.

[plain talk]

Thanks for your info. Telescope or spy satellite? Hmm? It's already been stated that they couldn't dock with the space station and couldn't repair the tiles in space. Once again I get a bit weary of all this amateur second guessing going on here.

[Luis Gonzalez]

"I just don't understand the mentality of not going into orbit with a full tank of gas."

Weight.

[WillVoteForFood]

That has got to be a fake. I doubt it is a coincidence that the blue color from the Earth bleeds into the "shuttle" image at the upper part of the picture. Plus, if I remember correctly from the press conference yesterday, Dittemore stated that pictures taken by the crew after booster and tank separation are taking with film, not digital. The film is then immediately stowed away as part of normal procedure.

[cav68]

In space I am not sure but I thought things were weightless.

[TLBSHOW]

BREAKING: NBC News finds Jan 30 memo

[nobdysfool]

Extra-vehicular jaunts are usually always in the cargo bay, not under the shuttle where they can't be seen and where it just isn't safe for them to go.

Keep in mind that the shuttle, while in orbit, is actually upside down. That has been shown by many pictures. The cargo bay opens toward the earth, not away from it. Watch any films of the launch. The whole rocket and shuttle rolls on its back, and that's the way the shuttle orbits the earth. So you have to define "under the shuttle". The underside of the shuttle is actually "topside" while in orbit.

[Rebelbase]

"Weight"

I understand fuel is weight and that the trade off was a massive science lab. But by comparison, If you are going walk across the desert, you don't carry a boombox in place of water.

Even if think you can make it across, its stretching your confidence thin to think that the unexpected would not happen.

[Dark Wing]

ping

[mr.pink]

The photo looks like it's been photoshopped to me.

The Earth's blue bleeding onto the wing doesn't seem right/explananble.

Just my two cents.

[KingPin]

The space shuttle could NOT have flown to the space station. As this sensational article suggests. NASA addressed this yesterday saying that this was not option because they did not have an airlock on board required to dock to the space station. Furthermore, they could not have even attempted a space walk because 1) there were no spare tiles, and 2) no one on board had trained for a space walk and they were not equipped for a space walk.

[Vinnie_Vidi_Vici]

If they were not given a chance to look at the wing, who took the picture of the wing that acompanies this thread?

[JoshGray]

The picture looks faked to me. Besides, the video seems pretty clear the the launch debris hit the underside of the wing.

[JoshGray]

ROFL!

I was waiting for that guy to show up!