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-   -   Space shuttle moved to launch pad as rescue ship (https://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=142281)

geetrue 09-19-08 02:25 PM
Space shuttle moved to launch pad as rescue ship
 
I hope they don't need it ... glad they're doing it though.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h...eDT9gD939UTJG0

Quote:
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — In an unprecedented step, a space shuttle was moved to the launch pad Friday for a trip NASA hopes it will never make — a rescue mission. The shuttle Endeavour is on standby in case the seven astronauts who go up on Atlantis next month need a safer ride home.
Atlantis and its crew are headed into space for one last repair job on the 18-year-old Hubble Space Telescope. It's a venture that was canceled when first proposed a few years ago because it was considered too dangerous.
The risk is this: If Atlantis suffers serious damage during launch or in flight, the astronauts will not be at the international space station, where they could take refuge for weeks while awaiting a ride home. They would be stranded on their spacecraft at the Hubble, where NASA estimates they could stay alive for 25 days. Air would be the first to go.
Endeavour and four more astronauts would need to blast off on a rescue flight as soon as NASA determined Atlantis was too damaged to fly home.

Jimbuna 09-19-08 02:29 PM
An excellent precautionary measure....hopefullly never needed :hmm:

Task Force 09-19-08 10:29 PM
Whats rong with the other shuttle.:hmm:

Stealth Hunter 09-19-08 11:42 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by jimbuna
An excellent precautionary measure....hopefullly never needed :hmm:
Indeed. Makes me glad they thought ahead... unlike several other operative organizations.

August 09-19-08 11:42 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Task Force
Whats rong with the other shuttle.:hmm:
Nothing. It's just to reach the Hubble they wouldn't be able to make it to the space station in the event of trouble.

Atlantis is after all almost a quarter century old, there's not too many cars that old still on the road.

Jimbuna 09-20-08 05:28 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by August
Quote:
Originally Posted by Task Force
Whats rong with the other shuttle.:hmm:
Nothing. It's just to reach the Hubble they wouldn't be able to make it to the space station in the event of trouble.

Atlantis is after all almost a quarter century old, there's not too many cars that old still on the road.
Good analogy :up:

Platapus 09-20-08 06:50 AM
When it comes to space rescue capability it is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

Kudos to NASA:up:

I wonder who gave them the idea? :smug:

fatty 09-20-08 06:58 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Platapus
I wonder who gave them the idea? :smug:
http://www.cultprints.com/images/main-thunderbird-3.jpg

Platapus 09-20-08 07:05 AM
ahh if only we had Jeff Tracy at NASA. :up:

Jimbuna 09-20-08 07:39 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by fatty
Quote:
Originally Posted by Platapus
I wonder who gave them the idea? :smug:
http://www.cultprints.com/images/main-thunderbird-3.jpg
LMAO :rotfl:

http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/207...etb3anifc5.gif

August 09-20-08 08:14 AM
I'll bet if something does happen the first thing the crew of the rescue ship will say to the stranded astronauts is "Somebody call for a taxi?"

Tchocky 09-20-08 05:18 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Platapus
When it comes to space rescue capability it is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
I know that one as "better looking at it then looking for it"

Etienne 09-20-08 05:40 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by August
Atlantis is after all almost a quarter century old, there's not too many cars that old still on the road.
There aren't that many cars that have a dedicated maintenance team.

Ships, planes and apparently reusable spaceship can live well into their twenties.

Heck, I've sailed on a ship that was half 50 years old and half 30! :-D Still runs fine, even if she leaks all over.

bookworm_020 09-23-08 09:08 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Platapus
I wonder who gave them the idea? :smug:
The disaster with Columbia made them think this up as way to get the crew down incase of a repeat.

Platapus 09-24-08 05:38 PM
It might be standing by in case the Shenzhou 7 needs help too.

longam 09-24-08 06:32 PM
Seems to be a historical event in space flight to me, after all its been a one way ticket since the 60’s. Launch and cross your fingers nothing goes wrong.

bookworm_020 09-24-08 08:56 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by longam
Seems to be a historical event in space flight to me, after all its been a one way ticket since the 60’s. Launch and cross your fingers nothing goes wrong.
It makes a difference to the closs your eyes and cover your ears and say "I didn't see a thing" if something goes wrong!:up:

Platapus 09-25-08 09:33 AM
I remember reading Gene Krantz's autobiography. He, and many others, were shocked that the US did not lose a single astronaut on a space mission until after Apollo. The Apollo 204 test not with standing.

in Chris Kraft's book, he said it was assumed, but not talked about that some of the Mercury flights would end up in disaster.

We were lucky. We were lucky because NASA knew how to manage spacecraft design, construction, assembly, and operations.

Luck seems to favour those who prepare. :up:


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