One Careful owner!

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
grober

grober

MB Master
Joined
Jun 22, 2003
Messages
31,634
Location
Perth, Scotland
Car
W204 ESTATE
The SPACE SHUTTLE Discovery blasted off for its last " journey into space" yesterday 24th FEB 2011. These missions have become so routine that we tend not to notice them unless there's a disaster. That said this vehicle has quite a history since it's first launch in 1984!!
Some pretty impressive stats:-

Top speed- 17,400 mph

Miles travelled- 143 million

Earth Orbits to date - 5628

Weeks in Space- 51

Number of Missions-39 counting this one

Most Significant Payload- the Hubble Space Telescope

International plaudits- first rendezvous with the Russian Mir space station

Discovery final resting place is due to be National Air and Space Museum's Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy Centre near Dulles International Airport Washington.

One careful owner - NASA :cool:
 
Agree totally - many years ago - 5.6.1983 - it came to UK on the back of a Boeing 747 IIRC. Landed at Stanstead stayed awhile and then flew back to USA passing over London as it went. I have colour slides of it lit up at Stanstead somewhere.
find it on google - Space Shuttle at Stanstead
 
O yes, a mighty bit of kit indeed.

I seem to remember reading years ago, NASA produced some numbers on hugh type failures of these craft, I recall they were saying 1 in 100 was a number they hoped to beat or at least not exceed.

I have not checked, but think these craft have done 200/300 missions and two have been lost, I hope the nbr two remains for the history books.

My thoughts with all involved on the two missions that failed and I hope the last missions are all very safe and as routine as possible.
 
Miles travelled- 143 million

Thats an awful lot of nectar points on fuel:rolleyes:
 
Discussed the visit to Stanstead with our son over the weekend. He reminded me of how long it took to get there from Kent and how long the queue to the airport was. Took ages to park and get to the display area in the dark. We got home at about 4.00am and he had school the next day!

Was worth the trip and currently trying to find the colour slides.
 
On final complete orbit 202 over Pacific. Now 17,000 people watching the broadcast.
 
Value Motering said:
I seem to remember reading years ago, NASA produced some numbers on hugh type failures of these craft, I recall they were saying 1 in 100 was a number they hoped to beat or at least not exceed.
Click to expand...

I think the 1 in 100 is the retrospective number after the investigation following the loss of Challenger.

Richard Feynman's words:

"It appears that there are enormous differences of opinion as to the probability of a failure with loss of vehicle and of human life. The estimates range from roughly 1 in 100 to 1 in 100,000. The higher figures come from the working engineers, and the very low figures from management. What are the causes and consequences of this lack of agreement? Since 1 part in 100,000 would imply that one could put a Shuttle up each day for 300 years expecting to lose only one, we could properly ask "What is the cause of management's fantastic faith in the machinery?"

Feynman's Appendix to the Rogers Commission Report on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident

I well remember reading Feynman's book where he gives an account of how he got these estimates. Every project manager and company exec should read that section as the psychology behind it is common within large organisations undertaking complex projects that involve risk.
 
Impressive live coverage from NASA.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top Bottom