VaBeachGuy

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  2. Posted

    lthumb.1057958309.shuttle_investigation_wx109.jpg

    Click for Spoiler:

    NASA investigator Dan Bell examines a 16-inch hole seen in a carbon-reinforced wing panel removed from shuttle Atlantis after a 1.67-pound piece of fuel-tank foam insulation was shot out of a 35-foot nitrogen-pressurized gun and slammed into it during a test in San Antonio, Monday July 7, 2003. The Columbia investigation team said the test was the 'smoking gun' that proves what brought down the Columbia shuttle. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

     

     

     

     

    ~ Shuttle Columbia on Yahoo News

     

    WASHINGTON - Columbia accident investigators said Friday the foam test that gouged a large hole in a replica of a space shuttle's wing has allowed them to "connect the dots even further" and solve some lingering puzzles about the disaster.

     

    The experiment not only demonstrated the catastrophic effect of breakaway foam insulation but provided compelling evidence about the identities of a mystery object that floated from Columbia in orbit and the many parts that peeled away from the shuttle as it flew over the United States to its disintegration over Texas.

     

     

    Those shedding pieces probably were fragments of the wing panel that had been damaged on takeoff two weeks earlier, said Scott Hubbard, the Columbia Accident Investigation Board member who managed the foam-impact experiments.

     

     

    "This single test, together with what else we know, is really allowing us to really connect the dots even further and draw some lines between various pieces of evidence," Hubbard said.

     

     

    The gaping 16-inch hole created by the chunk of foam insulation during Monday's test in San Antonio probably was larger than the gap in Columbia's left wing where scorching gases entered during re-entry Feb. 1, said James Hallock, a physicist on the investigation board. A hole that big would have let in so much heat all at once that the shuttle would have broken apart much sooner than it did.

     

    "Columbia would not have made it to the state of Texas," he said.

     

    Hallock said the hole in the leading edge of Columbia's wing was probably 6 inches to 10 inches in size, based on thermal and other calculations.

     

     

    "For us to create a piece of damage which was so close to the predicted piece, we find to be compelling," said the board's chairman, retired Navy Adm. Harold Gehman Jr. "But yet, I wouldn't get into inches. The fact that this hole is even larger than what the thermodynamic analysis indicates and how much heat got into the wing, it's in the right ball park. We found this to be important."

     

     

    Gehman said Monday's test will enable him and the 12 other board members to use stronger language when describing the accident's cause. They plan to release their final report by the end of August, a month later than planned.

     

     

    Click for Spoiler:

    Hubbard, a high-ranking NASA official, said Monday's test "brought home to people in a very visceral and emotional way what most of us had known intellectually" — that a piece of foam weighing just 1 1/2 pounds could mortally wound a space shuttle.

     

     

    "At the beginning, there were people who didn't appreciate maybe the calculation. Or maybe they did the calculation, but it didn't sink in how much force can be transmitted at 500 mph by even a light material like foam," he said.

     

    The chunk of foam from Columbia's external fuel tank broke off 81 seconds after liftoff in January and slammed into the vulnerable leading edge of the left wing. Camera views were so blurred that NASA could not make out the precise impact spot or any damage.

     

     

    Based on Monday's foam-shooting test, the investigators believe the object that drifted away from Columbia on its second day in orbit probably was a shard of the damaged wing panel. No one knew about the mystery object until it was spotted after the accident as a result of poring through scores of Air Force radar images of the orbiting spaceship.

     

     

    The foam almost certainly punched through the reinforced carbon wing panel along the leading edge, and fragments were wedged inside. One of those pieces easily could have been bumped out on Flight Day 2 after a shuttle maneuver, Hubbard said.

     

     

    Besides creating a gaping hole, the foam strike in Monday's test left a maze of cracks in the wing panel — some nearly a foot long — and broke an attachment lug on an adjoining seal. If the same lug had been damaged aboard Columbia, the loose seal would have flapped back and forth, which is what the shuttle debris indicates happened because of the scorch marks, Hubbard said.

     

     

    In addition, all the cracks in the panel would have caused sections of the reinforced carbon to rip off during Columbia's re-entry in zipperlike fashion, which probably was what witnesses saw dropping away from the shuttle as it descended over California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and, finally, Texas.

     

     

    The shuttle ultimately shattered into tens of thousands of pieces, and all seven astronauts were killed.

     

    Gehman said he still believes NASA can resume shuttle flights in six to nine months, despite the dramatic foam-test results.

     

    "My crystal ball tells me that probably the most difficult, challenging return to flight recommendation has already been issued, and that's the on-orbit repair," he said.

     

    Gehman estimated the investigation will have cost as much as $20 million by its completion.

     

     

     

     

    You can also visit the Columbia Accident Investigation Board website for more information.

     

    This story and photo are from http://news.yahoo.com/

  3. Posted

    lthumb.1057958309.shuttle_investigation_wx109.jpg

    Click for Spoiler:

    NASA investigator Dan Bell examines a 16-inch hole seen in a carbon-reinforced wing panel removed from shuttle Atlantis after a 1.67-pound piece of fuel-tank foam insulation was shot out of a 35-foot nitrogen-pressurized gun and slammed into it during a test in San Antonio, Monday July 7, 2003. The Columbia investigation team said the test was the 'smoking gun' that proves what brought down the Columbia shuttle. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

     

    ~ Shuttle Columbia on Yahoo News

     

    WASHINGTON - Columbia accident investigators said Friday the foam test that gouged a large hole in a replica of a space shuttle's wing has allowed them to "connect the dots even further" and solve some lingering puzzles about the disaster.

     

    The experiment not only demonstrated the catastrophic effect of breakaway foam insulation but provided compelling evidence about the identities of a mystery object that floated from Columbia in orbit and the many parts that peeled away from the shuttle as it flew over the United States to its disintegration over Texas.

     

     

    Those shedding pieces probably were fragments of the wing panel that had been damaged on takeoff two weeks earlier, said Scott Hubbard, the Columbia Accident Investigation Board member who managed the foam-impact experiments.

     

     

    "This single test, together with what else we know, is really allowing us to really connect the dots even further and draw some lines between various pieces of evidence," Hubbard said.

     

    Click for Spoiler:

    The gaping 16-inch hole created by the chunk of foam insulation during Monday's test in San Antonio probably was larger than the gap in Columbia's left wing where scorching gases entered during re-entry Feb. 1, said James Hallock, a physicist on the investigation board. A hole that big would have let in so much heat all at once that the shuttle would have broken apart much sooner than it did.

     

    "Columbia would not have made it to the state of Texas," he said.

     

    Hallock said the hole in the leading edge of Columbia's wing was probably 6 inches to 10 inches in size, based on thermal and other calculations.

     

     

    "For us to create a piece of damage which was so close to the predicted piece, we find to be compelling," said the board's chairman, retired Navy Adm. Harold Gehman Jr. "But yet, I wouldn't get into inches. The fact that this hole is even larger than what the thermodynamic analysis indicates and how much heat got into the wing, it's in the right ball park. We found this to be important."

     

     

    Gehman said Monday's test will enable him and the 12 other board members to use stronger language when describing the accident's cause. They plan to release their final report by the end of August, a month later than planned.

     

     

    Hubbard, a high-ranking NASA official, said Monday's test "brought home to people in a very visceral and emotional way what most of us had known intellectually" — that a piece of foam weighing just 1 1/2 pounds could mortally wound a space shuttle.

     

     

    "At the beginning, there were people who didn't appreciate maybe the calculation. Or maybe they did the calculation, but it didn't sink in how much force can be transmitted at 500 mph by even a light material like foam," he said.

     

    The chunk of foam from Columbia's external fuel tank broke off 81 seconds after liftoff in January and slammed into the vulnerable leading edge of the left wing. Camera views were so blurred that NASA could not make out the precise impact spot or any damage.

     

     

    Based on Monday's foam-shooting test, the investigators believe the object that drifted away from Columbia on its second day in orbit probably was a shard of the damaged wing panel. No one knew about the mystery object until it was spotted after the accident as a result of poring through scores of Air Force radar images of the orbiting spaceship.

     

     

    The foam almost certainly punched through the reinforced carbon wing panel along the leading edge, and fragments were wedged inside. One of those pieces easily could have been bumped out on Flight Day 2 after a shuttle maneuver, Hubbard said.

     

     

    Besides creating a gaping hole, the foam strike in Monday's test left a maze of cracks in the wing panel — some nearly a foot long — and broke an attachment lug on an adjoining seal. If the same lug had been damaged aboard Columbia, the loose seal would have flapped back and forth, which is what the shuttle debris indicates happened because of the scorch marks, Hubbard said.

     

     

    In addition, all the cracks in the panel would have caused sections of the reinforced carbon to rip off during Columbia's re-entry in zipperlike fashion, which probably was what witnesses saw dropping away from the shuttle as it descended over California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and, finally, Texas.

     

     

    The shuttle ultimately shattered into tens of thousands of pieces, and all seven astronauts were killed.

     

    Gehman said he still believes NASA can resume shuttle flights in six to nine months, despite the dramatic foam-test results.

     

    "My crystal ball tells me that probably the most difficult, challenging return to flight recommendation has already been issued, and that's the on-orbit repair," he said.

     

    Gehman estimated the investigation will have cost as much as $20 million by its completion.

     

     

     

     

    To discuss this please visit the Science and Technology section here.

     

     

    You can also visit the Columbia Accident Investigation Board website for more information.

     

    This story and photo are from http://news.yahoo.com/

  4. Posted

    The last couple of weeks I posted several things that were patriotic for Americans and were sources of pride for us. What are some similar things for you?

     

    For instance, in America we have the Pledge of Allegiance which I posted. Is there something similar in New Zealand, Germany, England or where ever you might be from?

     

    I'm just curious to learn about the other cultures on the board.

  5. Posted

    For the members that live in countries other then the United States:

     

     

    Putting aside politics and Presidents and wars and all that, what do you think of when you think of America?

     

    I'd be interested in knowing your thoughts or impressions.

     

    Also, as Americans what would you want us to think of when we think of your country?

     

    (This is a 2 part post and part 2 will be a new topic)

  8. Posted

    I have to say Fall, not too hot and not too cold. The brisk air always reminds me of being 10 to 12 years old. Playing in my neighborhood, or going trick or treating. I loved fall.

     

    Summer is just too hot and winter can get too cold.

  9. Posted

    Stardate:213526.5

     

     

    OMG it was Gabe Logan!!!!!!!I was a member of his board,the United Federation of Planets I belive it was called,before I came here.As a matter of fact it was Bevfank's post at that board that brought me here.

     

    A few weeks after I joined this board he sent me an email calling me a traitor and what not.I went back to his board and found it was shut down.How sad,I think he is jealous of you VBG.

     

    Anyways we are all behind you in your decision.You were alot more generous to him then I would of been

    I think that was the whole story. He and I had a lot of the same members. As this site began to expand and upgrade I think fewer and fewer people logged onto his board and he resented that. When he moved to the InvisionFree board I offered to help him skin it and told him I'd do what I could to help when or if he needed/wanted it. But he opted to take the path he is on now. He actually PMd me about 2 or 3 weeks before he shut down and asked to be a Co-Admin here. I have a feeling he didn't like it when I said no. I explained to him that it wouldn't be fair to the members here that wanted to become Mods if I just made him a "Co-Admin". Then a few weeks later someone brought it to my attention that someone was attacking us on a couple of other forums. It turned out to be Gabe.

     

    Oh well, life happens I guess.

  10. Posted

    I've never felt that the Vulcan - human relationship was being portrayed right on Enterprise. I've just never liked the hostile nature of it. If I were someone with any power I don't think I'd have them change it but it's just never set right with me.

     

    How about you, what do you think?

  13. Posted

    I don't mind having people with different views, in fact I think it's a good thing to have opposing views come together. That's how you get different opinions, what fun would it be if we all come on here and just agreed with eachother all the time? I draw the line at threats though.

  14. Posted

    You gotta do what you gotta do bossman.  I think I have an inkling of why he was banned.  I read the post he put up on the Trek BBS-complete bullhockey!!

    If TrekBBS was all there was to it I would ignore him, but he PMd me with threats and on another message board even challanged me to a physical fight lol.

  15. Posted

    I'm sorry to have to report that I have had to ban a member. It wasn't a member that was a regular poster to the boards, it is the user named Federation. In the past this user has started trouble on other forums and accused me and some of our members of wrongdoing that simply was not true.

     

    I let all of that slid though, but today he sent me an inflamatory PM that crossed the line.

     

    I make this announcement only because this is an open forum and there are no secrets. If anyone believes that this banning is unjust I will supply you with the reasons for this action.

     

    I wish "Federation" well in his life.

  18. Posted

    I hope this answers your question, I have often wished that TPTB had paid closer attention to the rank structure and insignia that they used. We really should have seen more enlisted ranks, not everyone is an officer and anyone that's been in the military knows that the bulk of any real work is done by the enlisted ranks (Usually by the E-5s and below).

    We have seen a few other enlisted crew. The engineers serving under O'Brien like Muniz and those other guys in the episode "Starship Down" were enlisted crew, I believe, and not officers. I seem to recall O'Brien telling Worf as such in order to get him to be easier on the grunts in the middle of a crisis. However, we don't know what their exact ranks were.

     

    The official Star Trek site lists O'Brien's rank as "Chief petty officer, senior chief specialist". I'm not sure what the second part of that rank means, though.

    I'm not sure what "senior chief specialist" might be, probably a division within his rank structure. Like in the Army ranks above, Master Sergeant and First Sergeant are the same except that a First Sergeant (E-8) is in charge of a Company and a Master Sergeant is just an E-8 doing whatever his job is. Same with Sergeant Major vs. Command Sergeant Major. The Command Sergeant Major (E-9) is in charge of a Battalion where the Sergeant Major is just an E-9 doing his job.

     

    We didn't see many enlisted people in the series though, we did see the few you mentioned but not many more.

  19. Posted

    Nah, i think the sex is what makes it. I want to see more. Marriage will be an outdated institution by the time of Enterprise. It's dying out like the church now anyway!

    The church has been arround for thousands of years. Just becuase today's world has thrown ethics and morals to the wind in favor of a "good time", doesn't mean the church will fade away. Same goes for marriage. Marriage is not an "institution", it's a union between Man and Woman.

    I would LOVE to discuss this with Phlox!!! :laugh:

     

    @ vabeachguy : Yes, the Tv show I was thinking of was Moonlightning, with Bruce Willis...?

     

    It became boring with the two beginning a romance. The first "mating" was much fun for the fans (german TV showed it around Midnight...) but the fun ends after a few episodes.

     

    Well, enough speculating, normally I would like to propose to the writers a quite nice story of Captain Archer, traveling back in time, end up in a german sports bar where a very nice lady (see avatar on the left) is serving him a drink... each of them feels the same strange attraction disregarding time and space, they where MEANT for each other! And then.....ooops....I´m spamming again, sorry. :lol:

     

    But back to marriage in the future:

    Yes, religion IS a way of mastering your life, but not for everyone. Even today people have a lot of different opinions regarding this topic. I can imagine that in the future totally new concepts of living in groups can be developed. Think of Phlox 3 wifes... to increase genetic variation is one of natures tricks to keep things going......

    Not only does Phlox have 3 wives but each of his 3 wives have 3 husbands and so on. That's a BIG extended family! LOL

  20. Posted

    Here's an idea!  Make Enterprise be about explorring space, then the Romulan War, and finally the founding of the Federation.  Not Archer and T'Pol! :laugh:

    That is what the show is about, it is supposed to be a sci-fi show that is "reality based". In reality there is sexual tension between men and women. That's just how it is in real life. Not all people in real life act on those tensions and urges but many do. I'm not here to say it's right or wrong, but it is how real life is. If we want Enterprise to be as real as possible then they have to have the sexual tensions there, otherwise why not make it into a cartoon for Staurday mornings? Or make it into another "Lost In Space" like the one in the 60's.

  24. Posted

    I new some TV series who ended after the leading actors have become a couple, and I think this would happen to Enterprise if ever the needs of the FANS will be satisfied.

    I agree, there was a show here in the United States back in the middle 1980's called Moonlighting. The 2 main characters were always fighting but it was in a flirtatious way. Once the 2 of them got together the show was doomed. The writers played it out for about 2 or 3 years before finally letting them get together, but once they had there was no place else to take it.

     

    As far as T'Pol staying "true to her Vulcan culture" goes, she's already strayed far from her culture. She didn't return to Vulcan to get married as her culture demanded. She chose to eat a slice of Pecan Pie in one episode, seemingly because Trip told her it was enjoyable. She chose to skip her nightly meditations in order to see what her dreams would be like and the list goes on. She has already shown an openness to experiencing the human culture. She did so even before she was aboard Enterprise while she was in San Francisco in the Jazz Club. Will she ever mate with a human? Probably not, but then again, do we know what Sareks mother's name is? Or his Grandmother? It was never said that Sarek is 100% Vulcan (someone correct me if I am wrong) and Sarek has shown tendencies to allow emotion out at times.

     

    Anyway, I too hope they (the writers) don't get them "together". They need to let the sexual tension remain.

  25. Posted

    Why would a feringi have any interest in starfleet?

    I think it was because of two factors, Jake's influnce on him and his father Rom wanting something better for Nog.

    I also think that another influence was Rom joining the stations Enginieering staff and thus showing Nog that a Ferengi was not predetermined to behave like the rest of there society.

    Nog announced his desire to join Starfleet in Heart of Stone (Season 3 episode 19. Rom didn't join the stations engineering until Season 4 episode 16. So that couldn't have been it. The reason that Nog gives to Sisko is that he doesn't want to turn out like his father, he doesn't want to be just another Ferengi lusting after profits. He has seen how his uncle treats his father and he knows that he himself (Nog) doesn't have the "Lobes" for business... more like he doesn't have the desire to make that his lifes calling. So he picks Sisko as a role model and wants to join Starfleet.

     

    He's an "enlightened" Ferengi lol