Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!usc!sdd.hp.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!emory!wa4mei!ke4zv!gary
From: gary@ke4zv.UUCP (Gary Coffman)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: Board appointed to investigate reasons for damaged shuttle thruster (Forwarded)
Message-ID: <1101@ke4zv.UUCP>
Date: 28 Jul 90 15:42:18 GMT
References: <54666@ames.arc.nasa.gov>
Reply-To: gary@ke4zv.UUCP (Gary Coffman)
Organization: Gannett Technologies Group
Lines: 30

In article <54666@ames.arc.nasa.gov> yee@trident.arc.nasa.gov (Peter E. Yee) writes:
>  KSC Release No. 135-90
>
>  BOARD  APPOINTED  TO  INVESTIGATE  REASONS  FOR  DAMAGED  SHUTTLE
>  THRUSTER
>
>       Center  Director  Forrest  McCartney has appointed an inves-
>  tigation board to examine the circumstances surrounding damage to
>  an orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pod thruster  at  the  Hyper-
>  golic  Maintenance  Facility's  (HMF)  east  test cell located in
>  KSC's Industrial Area.
>
>       On July 18,  1990,  one of the 14 primary thrusters  on  the
>  shuttle  Discovery's  right  OMS  pod was being secured in a test
>  stand in the HMF checkout  cell  for  inspections  of  a  leaking
>  dynatube.  The  thruster,  mounted  in  a piece of ground support
>  equipment,  fell from a work  platform  onto  a  lower  platform,

Now this is what is really wrong at NASA, appointing a Board of Inquiry
because somebody dropped a part and damaged it. At my job, my boss and
I were installing a delicate and expensive part one night and dropped
it. We both said "Damn!", went and got a spare and got on with the
job. When we told our boss about it the next morning, he said "Damn!,
be more careful next time" and that was that. In the real world, people
drop things, bosses understand that, and getting the job done right and
on time is the important thing. I am willing to bet that the cost in
both money and time of this Board will far exceed the cost of the
damage to the shroud of the thruster.

Gary