OT: We got it up!

[Ben Bradley]

On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 15:43:08 GMT, Richard the Dreaded Libertarian
<eatmyshorts@doubleclick.net> wrote:

On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 20:07:36 +1000, Clifford Heath wrote:

Rich Grise wrote:
The US is a spacefaring nation once again!

Weell, there's a last time for everything...
Pity they've grounded the fleet indefinitely.


This makes me wonder - it's only the last few missions that
have had problems with EFT insulation - why don't they go back
to the original design? Y'know, the one on the first missions,
that _didn't_ fall apart? I still remember the first launch,
and the EFT was white. I remember the launch when the EFT was
that dirty orangish color, and the news reports said that they
didn't paint it, in hopes of saving a couple hundred pounds.

Howcome nobody thought of using the original design, that
didn't fall apart?

Can you be sure it didn't fall apart because of the paint (or other
design changes since the first few flights), or was it just luck that
major problems didn't show up on earlier flights?

Thanks,
Rich

-----
http://www.mindspring.com/~benbradley

 

[Richard Henry]

"Jim Thompson" <thegreatone@example.com> wrote in message
news:iirke110s85667njikpdmt41kn9o2k3vbf@4ax.com...

On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 10:44:45 -0700, "Richard Henry" <rphenry@home.com
wrote:


"Keith Williams" <krw@att.bizzzz> wrote in message
news:MPG.1d5430d426ae8413989b48@news.individual.net...
In article <pan.2005.07.29.15.45.25.162707@doubleclick.net>,
eatmyshorts@doubleclick.net says...
On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 20:07:36 +1000, Clifford Heath wrote:
[snip]
didn't paint it, in hopes of saving a couple hundred pounds.

Howcome nobody thought of using the original design, that
didn't fall apart?

You mean the foam made using CFCs? Can't do that. Ozone hole, ya'
know!

NASA has an exemption.


I don't know if they have an exemption or not, but tile failure was
not a major problem until environmentalists forced the discontinuation
of fluorocarbon(freon)-based foaming agents. NASA used hydrazine
instead, and the tile failures began.

Interesting.

The first thing I remember seeing published by NASA (in the no-longer-mailed
(at lesat to me)) NASA Tech Briefs was a lot of stuff about tile repair and
replacement.

And I didn't know the tiles were foamed, anyway. I thought they were
pressed and sintered slabs of silica fibers.

 

[Jim Thompson]

On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 11:10:13 -0700, "Richard Henry" <rphenry@home.com>
wrote:

"Jim Thompson" <thegreatone@example.com> wrote in message
news:iirke110s85667njikpdmt41kn9o2k3vbf@4ax.com...
On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 10:44:45 -0700, "Richard Henry" <rphenry@home.com
wrote:


"Keith Williams" <krw@att.bizzzz> wrote in message
news:MPG.1d5430d426ae8413989b48@news.individual.net...
In article <pan.2005.07.29.15.45.25.162707@doubleclick.net>,
eatmyshorts@doubleclick.net says...
On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 20:07:36 +1000, Clifford Heath wrote:
[snip]
didn't paint it, in hopes of saving a couple hundred pounds.

Howcome nobody thought of using the original design, that
didn't fall apart?

You mean the foam made using CFCs? Can't do that. Ozone hole, ya'
know!

NASA has an exemption.


I don't know if they have an exemption or not, but tile failure was
not a major problem until environmentalists forced the discontinuation
of fluorocarbon(freon)-based foaming agents. NASA used hydrazine
instead, and the tile failures began.

Interesting.

The first thing I remember seeing published by NASA (in the no-longer-mailed
(at lesat to me)) NASA Tech Briefs was a lot of stuff about tile repair and
replacement.

And I didn't know the tiles were foamed, anyway. I thought they were
pressed and sintered slabs of silica fibers.

No. The _foam_break-away_ failures began after the switch away from
CFC's.

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona Voice480)460-2350 | |
| E-mail Address at Website Fax480)460-2142 | Brass Rat |
| http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |

I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.

 

[Keith Williams]

In article <5jske1hcvccojbu9vet0hb0nshenvhdrsv@4ax.com>,
thegreatone@example.com says...

On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 11:10:13 -0700, "Richard Henry" <rphenry@home.com
wrote:


"Jim Thompson" <thegreatone@example.com> wrote in message
news:iirke110s85667njikpdmt41kn9o2k3vbf@4ax.com...
On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 10:44:45 -0700, "Richard Henry" <rphenry@home.com
wrote:


"Keith Williams" <krw@att.bizzzz> wrote in message
news:MPG.1d5430d426ae8413989b48@news.individual.net...
In article <pan.2005.07.29.15.45.25.162707@doubleclick.net>,
eatmyshorts@doubleclick.net says...
On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 20:07:36 +1000, Clifford Heath wrote:
[snip]
didn't paint it, in hopes of saving a couple hundred pounds.

Howcome nobody thought of using the original design, that
didn't fall apart?

You mean the foam made using CFCs? Can't do that. Ozone hole, ya'
know!

NASA has an exemption.


I don't know if they have an exemption or not, but tile failure was
not a major problem until environmentalists forced the discontinuation
of fluorocarbon(freon)-based foaming agents. NASA used hydrazine
instead, and the tile failures began.

Interesting.

The first thing I remember seeing published by NASA (in the no-longer-mailed
(at lesat to me)) NASA Tech Briefs was a lot of stuff about tile repair and
replacement.

And I didn't know the tiles were foamed, anyway. I thought they were
pressed and sintered slabs of silica fibers.



No. The _foam_break-away_ failures began after the switch away from
CFC's.

Yes, the external fuel tank foam is the issue, not the orbiter heat
tiles.

--
Keith

 

[John Larkin]

On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 18:25:32 +0200, "Frank Bemelman"
<f.bemelmanq@xs4all.invalid.nl> wrote:

"John Larkin" <jjlarkin@highNOTlandTHIStechnologyPART.com> schreef in
bericht news:f0kke15pgvdahs5e7lhos1aloqf9ha38sc@4ax.com...

That's absurd. The first attempt to bring down the WTC was in 1992.
Islamic terrorists have been bringing down planes and ships for
decades. These guys aren't acting on the behalf of, or for the welfare
of, any people but themselves. They want to be the Taliban, to rule
absolutely without anyone's vote or consent, to keep their women down
and send their young men off to die, leaving that many more young
women for themselves.


Those people are fighting for their _lives_. The US is murdering
people. The US is now king planetary bully.

Shiites are killing Sunni women and children in food markets to repel
the US bully? Absurd.

*You* are absurd. You popped out of my killfile, by changing
your address with THIS and THAT, but now that I read your
stupid rants again, well -> PLONK!

So now I'm responsible for maintaining my entry in his killfile?

John

 

[John Larkin]

On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 11:04:06 -0700, Jim Thompson
<thegreatone@example.com> wrote:

On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 10:44:45 -0700, "Richard Henry" <rphenry@home.com
wrote:


"Keith Williams" <krw@att.bizzzz> wrote in message
news:MPG.1d5430d426ae8413989b48@news.individual.net...
In article <pan.2005.07.29.15.45.25.162707@doubleclick.net>,
eatmyshorts@doubleclick.net says...
On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 20:07:36 +1000, Clifford Heath wrote:
[snip]
didn't paint it, in hopes of saving a couple hundred pounds.

Howcome nobody thought of using the original design, that
didn't fall apart?

You mean the foam made using CFCs? Can't do that. Ozone hole, ya'
know!

NASA has an exemption.


I don't know if they have an exemption or not, but tile failure was
not a major problem until environmentalists forced the discontinuation
of fluorocarbon(freon)-based foaming agents. NASA used hydrazine
instead, and the tile failures began.


...Jim Thompson

And the putty used on the SRB segment seals, the stuff that worked,
included asbestos.

John

 

[Keith Williams]

In article <2euke1licikcfuda5ufs4jhve2odi4ls1s@4ax.com>,
jjlarkin@highNOTlandTHIStechnologyPART.com says...

On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 18:25:32 +0200, "Frank Bemelman"
f.bemelmanq@xs4all.invalid.nl> wrote:

"John Larkin" <jjlarkin@highNOTlandTHIStechnologyPART.com> schreef in
bericht news:f0kke15pgvdahs5e7lhos1aloqf9ha38sc@4ax.com...

That's absurd. The first attempt to bring down the WTC was in 1992.
Islamic terrorists have been bringing down planes and ships for
decades. These guys aren't acting on the behalf of, or for the welfare
of, any people but themselves. They want to be the Taliban, to rule
absolutely without anyone's vote or consent, to keep their women down
and send their young men off to die, leaving that many more young
women for themselves.


Those people are fighting for their _lives_. The US is murdering
people. The US is now king planetary bully.

Shiites are killing Sunni women and children in food markets to repel
the US bully? Absurd.

*You* are absurd. You popped out of my killfile, by changing
your address with THIS and THAT, but now that I read your
stupid rants again, well -> PLONK!


So now I'm responsible for maintaining my entry in his killfile?

Certainly! ...and doing a fine job of it too. Keep up the good work.

--
Keith

 

[Richard Henry]

"Jim Thompson" <thegreatone@example.com> wrote in message
news:5jske1hcvccojbu9vet0hb0nshenvhdrsv@4ax.com...

On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 11:10:13 -0700, "Richard Henry" <rphenry@home.com
wrote:


"Jim Thompson" <thegreatone@example.com> wrote in message
news:iirke110s85667njikpdmt41kn9o2k3vbf@4ax.com...
On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 10:44:45 -0700, "Richard Henry" <rphenry@home.com
wrote:


"Keith Williams" <krw@att.bizzzz> wrote in message
news:MPG.1d5430d426ae8413989b48@news.individual.net...
In article <pan.2005.07.29.15.45.25.162707@doubleclick.net>,
eatmyshorts@doubleclick.net says...
On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 20:07:36 +1000, Clifford Heath wrote:
[snip]
didn't paint it, in hopes of saving a couple hundred pounds.

Howcome nobody thought of using the original design, that
didn't fall apart?

You mean the foam made using CFCs? Can't do that. Ozone hole, ya'
know!

NASA has an exemption.


I don't know if they have an exemption or not, but tile failure was
not a major problem until environmentalists forced the discontinuation
of fluorocarbon(freon)-based foaming agents. NASA used hydrazine
instead, and the tile failures began.

Interesting.

The first thing I remember seeing published by NASA (in the
no-longer-mailed
(at lesat to me)) NASA Tech Briefs was a lot of stuff about tile repair
and
replacement.

And I didn't know the tiles were foamed, anyway. I thought they were
pressed and sintered slabs of silica fibers.



No. The _foam_break-away_ failures began after the switch away from
CFC's.

Well, you did say "tile".

This question has come up on sci.space.shuttle, and one response was that
the hand-foamed areas are still done with the old blowing agent. Also, the
big piece that broke off was from one of those areas.

The whole premise (the nasty new foam is killing our astronauts) sound like
a HaHaHanson whine, anyway.

 

[Jim Thompson]

On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 11:52:53 -0700, John Larkin
<jjlarkin@highNOTlandTHIStechnologyPART.com> wrote:

On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 11:04:06 -0700, Jim Thompson
thegreatone@example.com> wrote:

[snip]

I don't know if they have an exemption or not, but tile failure was
not a major problem until environmentalists forced the discontinuation
of fluorocarbon(freon)-based foaming agents. NASA used hydrazine
instead, and the tile failures began.


...Jim Thompson

And the putty used on the SRB segment seals, the stuff that worked,
included asbestos.

John

Absolutely! Asbestos was wonderful stuff, dangerous only to asbestos
workers/handlers. So, instead of fixing the worker safety issue,
we're denied the benefits.

Same situation with RoHS... bunch of bureaucratic BS that'll do more
damage than good. And beware, the replacements will end up being more
dangerous than the originals.

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona Voice480)460-2350 | |
| E-mail Address at Website Fax480)460-2142 | Brass Rat |
| http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |

I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.

 

[Jim Thompson]

On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 11:48:56 -0700, John Larkin
<jjlarkin@highNOTlandTHIStechnologyPART.com> wrote:

On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 18:25:32 +0200, "Frank Bemelman"
f.bemelmanq@xs4all.invalid.nl> wrote:

[snip]

*You* are absurd. You popped out of my killfile, by changing
your address with THIS and THAT, but now that I read your
stupid rants again, well -> PLONK!


So now I'm responsible for maintaining my entry in his killfile?

John

Bemelman is nonexistent ;-)

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona Voice480)460-2350 | |
| E-mail Address at Website Fax480)460-2142 | Brass Rat |
| http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |

I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.

 

[Richard the Dreaded Liber]

On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 08:59:23 -0700, John Larkin wrote:

On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 15:39:38 GMT, Richard the Dreaded Libertarian
eatmyshorts@doubleclick.net> wrote:

The point was, "terrorism" is the last line of defense of a people
who are being invaded by the inexorable US war machine.

That's absurd. The first attempt to bring down the WTC was in 1992.

Kinda about the time Israel was occupying the Sinai Peninsula by
force?

Islamic terrorists have been bringing down planes and ships for
decades. These guys aren't acting on the behalf of, or for the welfare
of, any people but themselves. They want to be the Taliban, to rule
absolutely without anyone's vote or consent, to keep their women down
and send their young men off to die, leaving that many more young
women for themselves.

They want us to get off their back so that they can run their
sovereign state in tha manner of their own choosing, just like
we did. We threw off the chains of the King, and we jumped in
to defend Europe from Hitler - can't you see, from their Point
of View, that we're indistinguishable from Hitler, on our jihad
of conquest?

When somebody sends a hundred billion dollars' worth of weapons
of mass destruction, and a hundred and fifteen thousand soldiers,
into your back yard, isn't that an invasion?

Who _cares_ what they want? They are not us. In the US, there are
laws against discrimination. (or, there used to be - nowadays, it
seems, you can discriminate against people who look like ay-rabs.)
But we made a decision a couple hundred years ago, and wrote it
into the constitution - we are not a theocracy. If somebody else
wants to be a theocracy, isn't that their right? Didn't women,
in their own right, get the right to vote? Didn't the slaves get
emancipated by their own wherewithal, and the help of one
sane president? If the women of the muslimic countries want to
throw off the chains of their oppressors, maybe they could follow
the example of Lady Mo - seduce the soldiers, and when they fall
asleep, cut their throat.

What sickness is it that impels you to meddle in other peoples'
internal affaris?

Those people are fighting for their _lives_. The US is murdering
people. The US is now king planetary bully.

Shiites are killing Sunni women and children in food markets to repel
the US bully? Absurd.

Well, aren't those people grown-ups? Are we big uncle sugardaddy to
the whole fucking _WORLD?_ We're not supposed to be, you know. That's
the part about Freedom that so horrifies the neonazis - "Freedom is
Good, as long as you're free in _MY_ style." They think that "Freedom"
means "Free to be just like us, if you've got the proper white skin
and embrace _our_ values, and to hell with Allah".

Fighting for peace is like fucking for virginity.

My father and uncles fought for the peace you enjoy. Neither Germany,
Japan, Austria, nor Italy have attacked anyone since.

Maybe that's because Germany, Japan, Austria, and Italy have somehow,
along the line, acquired "SANITY"?

Freedom means, "I might disagree with you, but you have a right to
be as foolish as you choose to be, and it's not my place to retrain
you, unless you ask me to." My dear ol' Dad, rest his soul, used to
quip, "I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the
death your right to remain uninformed."

Personally, I don't totally embrace that philosophy - I will continue
to attempt to inform you of your own stupidity. And warmongering is
just plain bad.

Who cares who started it? Let's be the bigger man and end it! It's
in our power, you know. "OK, sorry about invading you and murdering
your women and children - if we stop invading you and murdering your
citizens, will you stop fighting back?"

What do we have to lose, but our immortal souls?

Thanks,
Rich

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

Jim Thompson wrote:

Same here. Richard the <insert pseudonym here> should be sent to Fort
Bliss and used for target practice ;-)

Jim Thompson

No, they should send his sorry drunken ass through basic training.
He would try to blow his brains out with his M-16 before it was over.
No booze, no drugs and no transvestite whores there to keep him happy.

--
Link to my "Computers for disabled Veterans" project website deleted
after threats were telephoned to my church.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

 

[Richard the Dreaded Liber]

On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 09:45:34 -0700, Jim Thompson wrote:

On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 08:59:23 -0700, John Larkin
jjlarkin@highNOTlandTHIStechnologyPART.com> wrote
On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 15:39:38 GMT, Richard the Dreaded Libertarian
eatmyshorts@doubleclick.net> wrote:

[snip]

My father and uncles fought for the peace you enjoy. Neither Germany,
Japan, Austria, nor Italy have attacked anyone since.

Same here. Richard the <insert pseudonym here> should be sent to Fort
Bliss and used for target practice ;-)

Boy, you're really addicted to killing, aren't you?

What psychosis is it that you have that impels you to embrace murder?

I'm just amazed that such an otherwise brilliant man, a pillar of
society, can embrace a philosophy so linear as "He doesn't agree
with me - KILL HIM!".

You're the kind of people who shouldn't be allowed to vote. Have
you got your KKK robe back from the cleaners yet?

FOAD, nazi.

 

[Aubrey McIntosh, Ph.D.]

John Larkin wrote:

On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 15:39:38 GMT, Richard the Dreaded Libertarian
eatmyshorts@doubleclick.net> wrote:


The point was, "terrorism" is the last line of defense of a people
who are being invaded by the inexorable US war machine.

That's absurd. The first attempt to bring down the WTC was in 1992.
Islamic terrorists have been bringing down planes and ships for
decades. These guys aren't acting on the behalf of, or for the welfare
of, any people but themselves. They want to be the Taliban, to rule
absolutely without anyone's vote or consent, to keep their women down
and send their young men off to die, leaving that many more young
women for themselves.

There is an article at

<http://www.legalaffairs.org/issues/July-August-2005/feature_burgess_julaug05.msp>

that argues to legally define "terrorists" as "pirates" in order to
bring mature and accepted law to bear.

One of the implications is the jurisdiction issue: pirates could be
captured wherever they were found, by anyone who found them.

Now, we just need an electronic pirate locator circuit.

 

[Richard the Dreaded Liber]

On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 09:17:20 -0700, Joel Kolstad wrote:

"Ken Smith" <kensmith@green.rahul.net> wrote in message
news:dcc272$eil$2@blue.rahul.net...
In article <59she1hnhejgmau2v27gf4riql5s0vll2b@4ax.com>,
John Larkin <jjlarkin@highNOTlandTHIStechnologyPART.com> wrote:
So spend the money on medical research. Dumping a billion dollars on
each shuttle flight is about as inefficient a way to do medical
research imaginable.

Very little of the research needs to go on in space and none of it needs a
shuttle to do. Mice have bones and can withstand G forces.

Assuming this were true -- and I imagine that, while some research probably
could be performed at lower cost, either here on earth or in unmanned
spaceships -- the usual problem is that just because NASA has a budget of
however-many-billions of dollars, taking away a dollar from NASA in no way
implies that that same dollar would (a) exist at all (in the government
coffers) or (b) go to any other program that you might think is less of a
boondoggle.

When you start looking at programs on a "cost per capita" basis, they often
seem quite reasonable. It's just that there are soooo many of of them these
days...

I remember the days of the first Moon shot - the hand-wringers were
saying, "But why don't we spend all of that money on Earth here, and
allieviate poverty, and give universal medical care, and buy everybody a
house..." and on and on and on. Well, we've been doing that precise thing
for almost fifty years now, and what do we have to show for it? i.e.,
that hasn't worked either.

It's time for America to sane up.

Thanks,
Rich

 

[Michael A. Terrell]

Jim Thompson wrote:

I don't know if they have an exemption or not, but tile failure was
not a major problem until environmentalists forced the discontinuation
of fluorocarbon(freon)-based foaming agents. NASA used hydrazine
instead, and the tile failures began.

Jim Thompson

They should send up a few shuttle loads of greenies to make them see
the light. They could take Rich while they ae at it. Just tell him
that all the booze is stored in the cargo hold outside, and if he's
quick enough he can get a bottle and be back inside before his head
explodes in the vacuum of outer space.

--
Link to my "Computers for disabled Veterans" project website deleted
after threats were telephoned to my church.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida

 

[Aubrey McIntosh, Ph.D.]

Ben Bradley wrote:

On Thu, 28 Jul 2005 11:34:02 -0700, John Larkin
jjlarkin@highNOTlandTHIStechnologyPART.com> wrote:




It would take thousands of asteroid passes


Each one with 'good aim' - uh huh. I hope they end up with a system
more reliable than the Shuttle...

I hear the dinosaurs got a system up to 6 9s reliability...

 

[Richard the Dreaded Liber]

On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 11:04:06 -0700, Jim Thompson wrote:

On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 10:44:45 -0700, "Richard Henry" <rphenry@home.com
wrote:


"Keith Williams" <krw@att.bizzzz> wrote in message
news:MPG.1d5430d426ae8413989b48@news.individual.net...
In article <pan.2005.07.29.15.45.25.162707@doubleclick.net>,
eatmyshorts@doubleclick.net says...
On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 20:07:36 +1000, Clifford Heath wrote:
[snip]
didn't paint it, in hopes of saving a couple hundred pounds.

Howcome nobody thought of using the original design, that
didn't fall apart?

You mean the foam made using CFCs? Can't do that. Ozone hole, ya'
know!

NASA has an exemption.


I don't know if they have an exemption or not, but tile failure was
not a major problem until environmentalists forced the discontinuation
of fluorocarbon(freon)-based foaming agents. NASA used hydrazine
instead, and the tile failures began.

Oddly (possibly), I'm of one mind with Mr. T here - the enviro-loonies
shouldn't be given such leverage. Let's go back to what WORKED! Hell,
the environment is doomed anyway, unless we can either get people to
stop breeding, or go turn down the thermostat on the Sun.

Cheers!
Rich

 

[Aubrey McIntosh, Ph.D.]

Jim Thompson wrote:

Absolutely! Asbestos was wonderful stuff, dangerous only to asbestos
workers/handlers. So, instead of fixing the worker safety issue,
we're denied the benefits.

I think the data say that asbestos is only dangerous to smokers. I.e.,
tobacco is the culprit.

 

[Richard the Dreaded Liber]

On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 11:10:13 -0700, Richard Henry wrote:

"Jim Thompson" <thegreatone@example.com> wrote in message
news:iirke110s85667njikpdmt41kn9o2k3vbf@4ax.com...
On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 10:44:45 -0700, "Richard Henry" <rphenry@home.com
wrote:


"Keith Williams" <krw@att.bizzzz> wrote in message
news:MPG.1d5430d426ae8413989b48@news.individual.net...
In article <pan.2005.07.29.15.45.25.162707@doubleclick.net>,
eatmyshorts@doubleclick.net says...
On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 20:07:36 +1000, Clifford Heath wrote:
[snip]
didn't paint it, in hopes of saving a couple hundred pounds.

Howcome nobody thought of using the original design, that
didn't fall apart?

You mean the foam made using CFCs? Can't do that. Ozone hole, ya'
know!

NASA has an exemption.


I don't know if they have an exemption or not, but tile failure was
not a major problem until environmentalists forced the discontinuation
of fluorocarbon(freon)-based foaming agents. NASA used hydrazine
instead, and the tile failures began.

Interesting.

The first thing I remember seeing published by NASA (in the no-longer-mailed
(at lesat to me)) NASA Tech Briefs was a lot of stuff about tile repair and
replacement.

And I didn't know the tiles were foamed, anyway. I thought they were
pressed and sintered slabs of silica fibers.

The tiles aren't - they're that miraculous graphite composite - the foam
is around the External Fuel Tank.

And it didn't used to fall off. I think it's disgusting that this kind of
cost-cutting measure gets written into procurement contracts.

And really, if you use a little common sense, what's the environmental
harm in using insulation that works, even if it's "toxic", since the
whole tank is supposed to burn up on reentry anyway?

Thanks,
Rich