The Space shuttle Discovery was re-launched successfully on Tuesday. This was the first flight after the Columbia disaster on 2003. The Joy of the NASA members who where involved in this lauch was short lived as they came to know that the one of the chuck of the heat shield has broken apart. This was seen through the high definition cameras mounted all around the space shuttle launch pad. The extent of damage will known after the final tape is received and analyzed frame by frame. But as per know they are hoping that the damage is not so sever as it was in Columbia shuttle of 2003.
One more thing to check for these kind of damage they have modified the flight plan. When the shuttle is 800 fts from ISS then the pilot will turn the shuttle upside down and the tiles under the belly of the shuttle will be scanned for damages if there is any damage then the shuttle will be grounded on ISS till some rescue mission is launched from Houston.
At present we can just wait, watch and pray that the Columbia disaster is not repeated.
One more thing to check for these kind of damage they have modified the flight plan. When the shuttle is 800 fts from ISS then the pilot will turn the shuttle upside down and the tiles under the belly of the shuttle will be scanned for damages if there is any damage then the shuttle will be grounded on ISS till some rescue mission is launched from Houston.
At present we can just wait, watch and pray that the Columbia disaster is not repeated.
1 comment:
The launch pic on NASA's site is amazing
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