[ale] OT: Space Shuttle Columbia

[Jeff Hubbs]

> The bottom is smooth. Nowhere to hold on/attach to. Adding attachment
> points would result in an unacceptable amount of friction at that point
> and would likely result in the same thing we saw Saturday. 

I know that the bottom is smooth.  But, we all know that they've had the
MMU for YEARS and it's not very big; why is it not standard equipment? 
It needs no attachment points.  Barring that, what about slinging some
nylon rope.  Why was there no EVA suit?

> Besides, even
> if they knew, what options did they really have? 

Read on.

> Can't fix it.  

Point taken, but could they not fix it because it's IMPOSSIBLE or
because they didn't have a few pounds of tools or parts?  

> Can't
> re-enter any other way. 

I am not satisfied of that.  When you say "any other way," you mean with
a normal wheel landing at the Cape or at Edwards.  I am not satisfied
that, knowing serious damage was present, that an abnormal re-entry
wasn't an option, even if it meant a mid-ocean ditch.  Besides, there
are emergency runways all over the world - IIRC, Dobbins is one.

> Can't dock at the ISS. Can't just fire up Atlantis
> and send them a ride. They took their chances and lost. That's life on the
> edge. The same thing happens in military aviation, just on a much smaller
> scale. You put your fate in the hands of the Almighty and do your job as
> ordered.

I'm not sure of your point.  This was not a military mission nor was it
an all-military crew.

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