Discussion: Return to Flight Delayed to July

[Fraser]

SUMMARY: NASA has decided to push back the launch of the space shuttle Discovery to July to give engineers more time to deal with some potential safety concerns with the return to flight. Managers are concerned about ice building up on the shuttle external tank, which could fall off and damage the orbiter during take off. The shuttle will be rolled back to the assembly building to make additional improvements. NASA is currently targeting a launch window of July 13 to 31.

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[SunPin]

NASA has no balls.

[antoniseb]

Originally posted by SunPin@May 3 2005, 06:28 PM
NASA has no balls.

Now there's a good risk management position!

Come on NASA, you've still got three shuttles left, and only five and a half years to go until you're going to retire them, take a chance. What's the worst that could happen?

[Roger Sadowsky]

The loss of another crew would not be a good thing at all!

Yes, there will be loss of life. The business of space travel is risky but until things are proven out on the ground it's a good idea to use caution a common sense.

There's no need to get "GO Fever"! That's one of the things that took out the Challenger crew and Apollo 1 crew.

If NASA can continue the change of its internal atmosphere to a more "can do attitude" like in the early days I'm all for that.

I know if I was strapped in the shuttle I would want to know that everyone was doing all that they could to make sure my little pink body returned home after the mission...

I want to see NASA get the shuttle back into space as soon as Safely possible. Just like a lot of people do. As far as retiring the shuttle fleet I think that date will be pushed back. Just a guess...

[TuTone]

NASA needs advice on how to make a succesful ship from the Russians. Evidently they're doing something right.

[spacer]

Originally posted by antoniseb+May 3 2005, 06:46 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (antoniseb @ May 3 2005, 06:46 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-SunPin@May 3 2005, 06:28 PM
NASA has no balls.

Now there&#39;s a good risk management position&#33;

Come on NASA, you&#39;ve still got three shuttles left, and only five and a half years to go until you&#39;re going to retire them, take a chance. What&#39;s the worst that could happen? [/b][/quote]
You have a good point

However the later NASA leaves its launch and lift-off work the more difficult it will be for NASA to catch up on the Space science, finish its experiments and get moving up and down to finish the projects on the ISS
if NASA continues to post-pone the mission the work may become more difficult and more pressure will be put on the shuttle crews to finish the work and catch up on the space science