EARTH TO NASA

Why on earth doesn’t NASA repair the shuttles while they are on the ground? Better yet, why not build a new one and save all the money they spend on repairs?

How many times has something happened to the shuttle on lift-off? The Endeavour was built in 1991 and has had 20 flights. It is getting old. Most people don’t keep their cars that long and they certainly don’t travel that many miles.

The orbiters are subjected to many different forces on lift-off and tremendous heat on re-entry.

Now the recently launched Endeavour has a deep gouge in its belly which to my mind threatens a safe re-entry for the astronauts on board. NASA says the exposed area is relatively small and poses no real danger.

From what I have read, it penetrated through the protective thermal tiles and is down to a thin layer of coated felt over the shuttle’s aluminum frame. I find it hard to believe that a thin piece of coated felt and an aluminum frame is going to shield the astronauts from the more than 2,000 degree heat of re-entry

NASA says there are four options, none of which has been tested in space. The spacewalking astronauts can apply a black paint to the gouge, screw on a protective plate, squirt in goo or forgedaboudit .

"This is not a catastrophic-loss-of-orbiter case at all. This is a case where you want to do the prudent thing for the vehicle," said John Shannon, chairman of the mission management team.

Well folks, I just heard on the news that NASA has decided on the forgedaboudit method of repair.

I would hate to be an astronaut and have my life riding on what these scientists on the ground decide.

Did they forget that there are real, live people inside The Endeavour?

The California Curmudgeon