Shuttle is about to be launched in a few and can be viewed here...

[PeriscopeDepth]

I used to hear the sonic booms on Edwards landings when I lived in CA. Listening now (live) to the crew work the Canadarm to scan the thermal tiles using the OBSS.

I hope all turns out all right.

PD

[1480]

I was in high school physics class. Our teacher was attempting to make a point about friction and had us watch the last launch of the Challenger. That was the longest 40 minutes of silence I've ever endured.

[breadcatcher101]

Years ago I was a quality control inspector at Martin-Marietta in New Orleans where they make the external tank. To this day a launch thrills me.

[SteamWake]

Originally Posted by 1480

I was in high school physics class. Our teacher was attempting to make a point about friction and had us watch the last launch of the Challenger. That was the longest 40 minutes of silence I've ever endured.

Forgive me but what does that have to do with friction?

[breadcatcher101]

The cause of the STS 51L Challenger explosion was on of a failure of one of the seams on the SRB, hot gases working their way through and searing their way into the external fuel tank. 72 seconds after launch was all it took. Bad design really but the way NASA is funded helped pave the way for it to happen. Everyone wants a piece of the pie so to speak. The SRB's are made in Utah which have to be moved to KSC which result in them having to be made in sections allowing the joints to exist in the first place. Having them made at the cape would have resulted in a one-piece cylinder with no joints to fail. Many other factors involved as well such as temp at launch. The seals can stand high temps but become brittle at cold ones, kind of like a garden hose being flexible during summer months yet snapping like a twig at very cold temps. Also a "rush to launch" factor which put pressure on NASA to second guess their logic in doing so in such cold weather. On the eve of the launch President Ragan had sent a team to the cape to investigate the launch delays. This situation, being "watched by the boss" so to speak led some to launch when otherwise they may not have. After mission failure this team took a quiet flight back to Washington.

On Columbia I could see where friction would be a indirect factor, having to have foam on the fuel tank to act as an ablator and it's other role as a way to keep fuel temp down. Friction was a dirent factor more in the Columbia loss than that of Challenger's. My job was electrical/machanical inspection. The foam was done by inspectors that did nothing but that, called TPS (thermal protection system). We worked side by side though and often looked over eachother's shoulders and learned much.

In New Orleans we made the tank in one piece so to speak, all was shipped to the cape on a modified navy barge. Only things missing were the fuel and the explosives for the RSS and bolts. Utah, being land-locked could not do that and as such the SRB's had to be made in sections.

I was still at NASA when we lost Challenger. I didn't know about it until I came into the office later that day, having slept through the launch. Everyone was milling about like the world had come to an end. That is when I first bacame aware of it and went and watched it on replay. At once I could tell what had happened as could the others, the plume was very noticable. It all had to be confirmed however, many weeks we worked pulling records and preparing for the long investigation to follow.

The SRB joints and the external tank foam have always been weak links in the STS design. I myself have always worried about the main engines and a possible turbine failure. With them so close to eachother and all has always been a concern of mine.

[PeriscopeDepth]

A fact that should certainly be noted on Subsim, Steve Bowen is the second qualified submariner astronaut:
http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/bowen-sg.html

Also, it seems there was a mishap on today's EVA. They lost a bag full of repair parts.

PD