Talk:'Gouge' found on wing of Space Shuttle Endeavour

Moisture on lens
I watched the liftoff and saw the water flying on the camera lens. DragonFire1024 (Talk to the Dragon) 04:43, 11 August 2007 (UTC)

There should be a mention that this is STS-118, and what the heck this shuttle is doing up in space. Without it, there is a lack of context. 130.89.169.27 11:49, 11 August 2007 (UTC)

"If the damage is found to be irreversible and cannot be fixed, the crew of Endeavour would stay on the ISS. NASA says that supplies would last until a rescue mission could be launched October 8 by sending up what would be the last remaining shuttle of the fleet, Discovery."

This is NOT correect ... Atlantis would also be left ... There would be 2 remaining


 * Fixed. WODU P  11:47, 13 August 2007 (UTC)

Misleading
This "news report" bothers me for a number of reasons. First of all, the area in question is not "on the wing", It is on the underside (belly) of the orbiter, which covers both wings, and the belly. The area in question is on the starboard wing side of the underside of the orbiter, and thus, not the same type of damage received by Columbia (i.e. not leading-edge tiles). Per CBS News: This is "not a Columbia class problem. They had a four-to-six-inch hole in the leading edge of the lift wing that destroyed the ship on re-entry. What we're talking about here is a very small pit in the belly of the shuttle and the area that's gone down close to the skin of the orbiter is only a tenth of an inch by an inch so it's much smaller damage than Columbia had."

NASA Quote:

"I did poll the team and it was still unanimous that there was no change in the thought process. If we were in a significant emergency case we would feel comfortable deorbiting this vehicle. However, not being in an emergency case, we're going to proceed very methodically, understand exactly what we have and go get the vehicle in the best configuration we can for re-entry." - John Shannon, Deputy Manager of NASA's Space Shuttle Program, and Chairman of NASA's Mission Management Team:

Even the ABC article referenced in this news item states clearly both of those points.

I would prefer to see references from CBS News, which are much less "sensationalistic" and don't jump all over stories for headlines, Bill Harwood has been reporting space missions for decades, and is one of the most neutral, unbiased reporters out there. I cannot say the same for Ms. Sunseri, she nearly always asks questions designed to get "sensationalistic" headlines at press conferences, or questions with the aim of getting "worst case" scenarios. Both of these practices are not only bad form, but they are not in keeping with NASA's careful, methodical, meticulous process regarding any issues in space.

I would encourage the wording of this article to be changed to reflect the accurate details, and the headline most certainly is misleading and should be changed. Ariel ♥ Gold 20:38, 13 August 2007 (UTC)
 * NASA states the heatshield damage is under the starboard wing of the shuttle. DragonFire1024 (Talk to the Dragon) 20:46, 13 August 2007 (UTC)
 * Imagine the shuttle in your head: Now, turn it upside down. Nearly 2/3 of it will be "under a wing". However, there is a huge difference; the entire thermal protection system used on the underside of an orbiter is vastly different than that used on the wing. The top and leading edge of the wing, and the underside of the orbiter are distinctly different areas. If you'd like me to provide you with technical drawings of the orbiter's TPS I'd be happy to do so, but the title of the article is still incorrect and not factual in its current wording "found on wing". Ariel ♥ Gold 07:37, 14 August 2007 (UTC)
 * Sure. Here is where the 'big gouge' is and then some more. The 'gouges' are on the underside of the starboard wing. The heatshield is only on the underside of the shuttle. DragonFire1024 (Talk to the Dragon) 09:17, 14 August 2007 (UTC)

Sadly, you're most incorrect in saying that the " The heatshield is only on the underside of the shuttle."

"The thermal protection system consists of various materials applied externally to the outer structural skin of the orbiter to maintain the skin within acceptable temperatures, primarily during the entry phase of the mission." - NASA

The entire orbiter is covered in a heat shield, comprised of a variety of materials. The underside of the orbiter is the only part that is comprised of HRSI tiles, rather than RCC tiles, but the entire orbiter is protected from the extremely high heat of re-entry with a heat shield.

I would direct you to read that article you cited again: Nowhere does it say the damage is "on the wing". In fact, it specifically says "the belly", which as I explained, is a vastly different area. They even show an image of the shuttle's underside, which shows clearly that the damaged area is not "on" the wing, in fact is is near the center of the underside of the orbiter.

I'm sure this is simply a matter of knowledge about the design of the shuttle, as it appears you aren't well versed in the shuttle technical details. I'm not trying to sound mean, but it does bother me that you're so intent on arguing, rather than realize that some people may know more than you do on some subjects, and go do your own research given the suggestions offered to you. The article's title is incorrect and misleading, damage to the wing, and damage to the underside of the orbiter are completely different things. Sadly, I doubt I'll continue to bother with this; while I do feel it should be changed, I also realize when it is pointless to continue to try to explain something, and sadly, you do not seem interested in changing it to reflect facts.

I would also urge you to get your space related news from CBS News Space, or NASA's press page rather than sites such as USA Today, which are neither neutral, nor well-educated in their reporting. Bill Harwood reports for CBS and has done so for decades, and is one of the most neutral, fact-based reporters to cover the shuttle program.Ariel ♥ Gold 18:35, 14 August 2007 (UTC)