Pingie: HTTP:: How to Keep the Space Shuttles Safe

HTTP:: How to Keep the Space Shuttles Safe
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Debris falling off the external fuel tank was the main reason why space shuttle Columbia was lost on February 1, 2003. The flying foam breached the structural integrity of the heat shield, and broke a few ceramic tiles apart. Upon atmospheric reentry, the spacecraft's wing came under extreme stress from soaring temperatures, and eventually got ripped apart, destroying the shuttle and killing all seven astronauts aboard. To avoid similar incidents, a team of NASA engineers is pondering the use of a particle-accelerator technology that could help determine the danger posed by debris during a launch. Since the unfortunate accident, the American space agency has set a large number of additional safety protocols in place, such as the mandatory two heat-shield inspections, which are now performed during every shuttle flight. One takes place as soon as the craft reaches the orbit, while the second the day before reentry. However, experts admit that microasteroids could slam into !
the heat shield at any time, and that such an incident could have disastrous consequences. The best thing would be to ensure that, upon launch, the shuttle is in the best shape possible for the flight. The NASA team plans to convert a data-monitoring method used in the Large Hadron Collider, in order to keep track of the falling debris during a ...
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http://news.softpedia.com/news/How-to-Keep-the-Space-Shuttles-Safe-125210.shtml
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