Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mcvax!hp4nl!eutrc3!exiphm
From: exiphm@eutrc3.UUCP (h.munk)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: Orbiter tiles affected by rain?
Summary: Shuttle Accident report remarks on rain affecting tiles
Message-ID: <698@eutrc3.UUCP>
Date: 26 May 89 08:14:55 GMT
References: <1015@syma.sussex.ac.uk> <685@eutrc3.UUCP>
Organization: Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands
Lines: 41

In article <685@eutrc3.UUCP>, exiphm@eutrc3.UUCP (h.munk) writes:
> 
> I remember reading about the shuttle tiles being affected by raindrops
> and even fog droplets. It's somewhere in the report on the Challenger
> accident. It was stated there that drops could strip the ntiles from
> the orbiter, not only on reentry, but also during abort, return to launch site.
> 
> If you're interested, I'll look it up (I don't have a copy of the report
> in my office)
> 

I found the section on weather affecting the Orbiter tiles. It's
on pages 186 and 190 of the report of the presidential commission on the
Space Shuttle Challenger accident. For those of you who haven't
got a copy (yet), I have copied the passage:

"...
The program also allows consideration of launching with a light
rain shower over the Kennedy runway. Although engineering
assesments indicate that the tile damage that would result would
not affect Shuttle controllability, it would be a serious setback
to the program in terms of budget and schedule.
..."

On page 190:

"...
Returning the orbiter also imposes an additional handling risk to
the vehicle in both the loading operation and the ferry flight
itself. Encountering light precipitation during the ferry flight
has caused substantial damage to the Orbiter thermal protection
system. These costs and risks, however, are minimal when compared
with those of a Space Shuttle mission.
..."

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* Harm Munk              *  My boss still doesn't know that    *
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* Eindhoven              *  know if he wants me doing this.    *
X The Netherlands        X                                     X
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