Shuttle thermal blanket problem

[SUBMAN1]

This looks like it is on the nose of the Shuttle in a place that doesn't get very hot (800 F with spikes to 1200), but it is still interesting to see something like this happening after spending how much $$$ fixing this thing?

-S

[elite_hunter_sh3]

link to news report??? is this from the latest shuttle launch??

[SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by elite_hunter_sh3

link to news report??? is this from the latest shuttle launch??

Yes - hold on - got to find it again. This one is not a big deal though - its in a low temp area.

[SUBMAN1]

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Technology...3262594&page=1

[P_Funk]

Oh yea. If I were gonna go through the atmosphere at a speed exceeding that of a bullets with fire blazing on the outside of my shuttle, I don't know if I'd feel as non chalant about it.:p

[Oberon]

Oh crap, looks like the foam coming off at launch DID hit something.

Still, they have puncture repair kits up there, don't they?

[The Avon Lady]

Originally Posted by SUBMAN1

This looks like it is on the nose of the Shuttle

Shuttle's tail.

[SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by The Avon Lady

Shuttle's tail.

Good! That is even better. The tail section is even more protected.

-S

[micky1up]

i seem to remember the columbia foam strike being of no comcern

[SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by micky1up

i seem to remember the columbia foam strike being of no comcern

On the bottom side of the wing? Yeah, that one would concern me. Do you see the black tiles? Anything in there you might need to be concerned about. The black tiles cover an area that hits approximately 2900 to 3000 F, a temperature that can liquify light metals very quickly. The area on top of the shuttle where this rip is will hit approximately 800 F with only brief spikes to 1200 F.

To give you an approximation on heat, the flame in a candle made out of wax will reach approximately 2550 F. Of course many things will have a flash point below 800 F, such as paper, which will start to burn at about 450 F, but anything on the outter skin of the Shuttle is expected to deal with some heat rise so you won't find anything to burn here.

One other thing to point out is that this area is only covered by a thermal blanket and not heat tiles. That means it will heat up quite a bit under there, but on this trip, it will probably double its normal heat build up.

I don't think it's a big deal this time around, and the shuttle has made re-entries in the past with actually many heat tiles missing (a thing much worse than this) that is just as big across and down and in much hotter areas. When the shuttle first flew, they always lost a ton of heat tiles on that thing without incident. I remember the first flight when they so many tiles, that they were going to have to spend a long time just replacing them. I guess you can say, Columbia just lost the wrong tile that sad day.

I'm even wondering if that foam actually damaged the structure of the Columbia which is what caused it to break up? It may be light, but hitting anything at several Mach numbers will damage anything. If you as a pilot eject at greater than Mach one, expect to break all your ribs upon simply hitting the air!

-S