Author Topic: SST-133  (Read 1118 times)

Offline Lepape2

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SST-133
« on: February 24, 2011, 04:34:10 PM »
Anyone saw the launch live? I noticed a bunch of debris from the center tank belly camera flying off from the shuttle at T+3:50... couldn't tell whether it was thermal shield material or remnants of isulation...

Anyway, was quite a sight for its last launch ever!
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Offline Yossarian

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Re: SST-133
« Reply #1 on: February 24, 2011, 04:39:06 PM »
You misspelt the title...you should change it :)

And that material looked like insulation to me.  Shouldn't be any problem, since the relative velocity between it and Discovery was quite low.

That said, I thought I saw some stuff flying off behind the Shuttle a minute or so afterwards - I'm not sure what angle it was flying at then, but that could have been insulation too.
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Offline Buzzard7

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Re: SST-133
« Reply #2 on: February 24, 2011, 04:39:30 PM »
Saw some but it didn't look that bad. Ice maybe. Camera lens was wet at one point.

Offline PFactorDave

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Re: SST-133
« Reply #3 on: February 24, 2011, 04:40:57 PM »
Saw some but it didn't look that bad. Ice maybe. Camera lens was wet at one point.

I agree that it may have been ice.

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Offline trax1

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Re: SST-133
« Reply #4 on: February 24, 2011, 05:04:36 PM »
I saw it too, looked small & looked like it was moving just slightly slower then the shuttle itself, so even if it touched anything probably wouldn't cause damage, almost looked like leafs falling off.
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Offline B4Buster

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Re: SST-133
« Reply #5 on: February 24, 2011, 05:09:25 PM »
I was fortunate enough to be down here staying in Orlando for the week on vacation. Went to the Kennedy Space Center tuesday. The place was great. I took a tour and got within a mile or two of the launch pad. Figuring it is a once in a life time opportinity to see a shuttle launch, we came back to a town called Titusville to watch the launch. Took us most of the morning\afternoon to get through traffic, but it was well worth it! The launch was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen. We found a spot on the water facing the launch pad from around 15 miles away. Got some pictures of my tour Tuesday and of the launch a bit ago that I'll make sure to post Sunday when I get home. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have gotten the chance to see it in person.

To the OP: STS-133 actually.
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Offline F22RaptorDude

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Re: SST-133
« Reply #6 on: February 24, 2011, 05:19:16 PM »
I saw it too, looked small & looked like it was moving just slightly slower then the shuttle itself, so even if it touched anything probably wouldn't cause damage, almost looked like leafs falling off.
Columbia was destroyed because a piece of Insulation foam hit the wing. At that speed a penny could rip a hole in the fuselage if it had enough force. Just saying
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Offline Wolfala

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Re: SST-133
« Reply #7 on: February 24, 2011, 05:37:29 PM »
Well,

This will be interesting.


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Offline trax1

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Re: SST-133
« Reply #8 on: February 24, 2011, 05:51:12 PM »
Columbia was destroyed because a piece of Insulation foam hit the wing. At that speed a penny could rip a hole in the fuselage if it had enough force. Just saying
That piece of foam came off much lower in the atmosphere and hit with a much great speed & force then the peices that came off today, those came off much higher in the atmosphere in a lower gravity environment, thats why it looked like they just kinda floated off, and not torn off at high speed like the Columbia foam.
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Offline B4Buster

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Re: SST-133
« Reply #9 on: February 24, 2011, 06:04:03 PM »
Yup. Listening to the NASA audio off the NASA website, it sounds as though they had a bit of foam loss but they aren't concerned about it.
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Offline flight17

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Re: SST-133
« Reply #10 on: February 24, 2011, 06:05:36 PM »
will find out in next few days when they inspect the heat shield for damage. hopefully will be down there for the June launch.
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Offline Babalonian

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Re: SST-133
« Reply #11 on: February 24, 2011, 06:06:37 PM »
It's probabley ice, it is February in the northern hemisphere.
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Offline Tac

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Re: SST-133
« Reply #12 on: February 24, 2011, 06:16:25 PM »
Anyone saw the launch live? I noticed a bunch of debris from the center tank belly camera flying off from the shuttle at T+3:50... couldn't tell whether it was thermal shield material or remnants of isulation...

Anyway, was quite a sight for its last launch ever!

Yes I saw it. Big damn cloud blocked the high altitude view of it :(.

The debris scared the crap out of me.. especially since they were firing the thrusters and what I saw in a snap moment was something floating, then impacting then little flames coming from somewhere..cripes!

Offline B4Buster

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Re: SST-133
« Reply #13 on: February 24, 2011, 06:20:11 PM »
There's two gases loaded into the rockets for fuel with a temp from -200 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Ice can form no matter what the outside temp. NASA had confirmed foam loss as I said in my previous post though. Think those numbers are accurate. If not, someone feel free to correct me.
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Offline B4Buster

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Re: SST-133
« Reply #14 on: February 24, 2011, 06:24:43 PM »
Sorry. That was -400 Fahrenheit.
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