Shuttle Atlantis - small knob/big damage

[Marc]

Following work after her last flight a small but potentially very much problem has been aboard at Atlantis.

A small knob has become wedged between the instrument panel and the cockpit class (the shuttle explands in space then contracts when back on Earth which allowed the knob to get stuck).

The shuttle can't fly because it could cause a failure resulting in a loss of shuttle and crew.

If it can't be removed safely but other means it will take 6 months to disassemble the instrumetn and remove the object (and that's assuming it doesn't reveal any damange requiring furthre repairs.

Atlantis was due to fly 10 missions next year but the question comes down to cost and time to repair. Speculation is that it could lead to Atlantis being grounded earlier than planned.

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2009...tlantis-threatens-six-month-delay-to-sts-129/

 

[noknowes]

Following work after her last flight a small but potentially very much problem has been aboard at Atlantis.

A small knob has become wedged between the instrument panel and the cockpit class (the shuttle explands in space then contracts when back on Earth which allowed the knob to get stuck).

The shuttle can't fly because it could cause a failure resulting in a loss of shuttle and crew.

If it can't be removed safely but other means it will take 6 months to disassemble the instrumetn and remove the object (and that's assuming it doesn't reveal any damange requiring furthre repairs.

Atlantis was due to fly 10 missions next year but the question comes down to cost and time to repair. Speculation is that it could lead to Atlantis being grounded earlier than planned.

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2009...tlantis-threatens-six-month-delay-to-sts-129/

WHY CAN'T THEY PRISE IT OUT WITH A SCREW DRIVER OR A THIN ROD?

This is just astonishing.Where did the knob come from?

All they have to do is put super glue onto a large flat panel at the end of the thin wedge rod.hold it against knob.wait for it to set then pul it out.simple.

 

[SilentP]

If you believe you can just yank out something that it's location could pontentially cause a hull breach, i.e either cause atmospheric venting in vacuum or wreck structural integrity during re-entry, you really are...gah, what's the point?

Space travel isn't a duct-tape repair level of sophistication mode of transport, otherwise a trip to Mars wouldn't cost '2 trillion', would it noknowes?

 

[Trekker4747]

Following work after her last flight a small but potentially very much problem has been aboard at Atlantis.

A small knob has become wedged between the instrument panel and the cockpit class (the shuttle explands in space then contracts when back on Earth which allowed the knob to get stuck).

The shuttle can't fly because it could cause a failure resulting in a loss of shuttle and crew.

If it can't be removed safely but other means it will take 6 months to disassemble the instrumetn and remove the object (and that's assuming it doesn't reveal any damange requiring furthre repairs.

Atlantis was due to fly 10 missions next year but the question comes down to cost and time to repair. Speculation is that it could lead to Atlantis being grounded earlier than planned.

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2009...tlantis-threatens-six-month-delay-to-sts-129/

WHY CAN'T THEY PRISE IT OUT WITH A SCREW DRIVER OR A THIN ROD?

This is just astonishing.Where did the knob come from?

All they have to do is put super glue onto a large flat panel at the end of the thin wedge rod.hold it against knob.wait for it to set then pul it out.simple.

I hope you realize that this is a space-shuttle that is going to be traveling at many times the speed of sound, experienceing tremendous G-forces, tremendous heat, and tremendous pressures.

It's not exactly something you fix with super-glue (!) and a prying screwdriver.



You can't treat this like your dad's '76 F-150.

 

[Marc]

Following work after her last flight a small but potentially very much problem has been aboard at Atlantis.

A small knob has become wedged between the instrument panel and the cockpit class (the shuttle explands in space then contracts when back on Earth which allowed the knob to get stuck).

The shuttle can't fly because it could cause a failure resulting in a loss of shuttle and crew.

If it can't be removed safely but other means it will take 6 months to disassemble the instrumetn and remove the object (and that's assuming it doesn't reveal any damange requiring furthre repairs.

Atlantis was due to fly 10 missions next year but the question comes down to cost and time to repair. Speculation is that it could lead to Atlantis being grounded earlier than planned.

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2009...tlantis-threatens-six-month-delay-to-sts-129/

WHY CAN'T THEY PRISE IT OUT WITH A SCREW DRIVER OR A THIN ROD?

This is just astonishing.Where did the knob come from?

All they have to do is put super glue onto a large flat panel at the end of the thin wedge rod.hold it against knob.wait for it to set then pul it out.simple.

RTFA

a) the nob came from the mount of a crew lamp
b) it is firmly wedged in place because the shuttle expanded space and the gap became larger so the knob might of just rested there
c) when shuttle returned to the earth the shuttle returned to it's normal size and the knob became wedged in such a way it cannot be easily removed.

 

[Mr. B]

Cut the knob in half?

 

[Marc]

Cut the knob in half?

not possible

The article has several pictures that show the knob and how it's wedged.

 

[Brent]

It is lucky it didn't cause any damage to the shuttle on re-entry and landing. Could you imagine the shuttle disintegrating during re-entry all because of one little knob

 

[Plecostomus]

If you believe you can just yank out something that it's location could pontentially cause a hull breach, i.e either cause atmospheric venting in vacuum or wreck structural integrity during re-entry, you really are...gah, what's the point?

Space travel isn't a duct-tape repair level of sophistication mode of transport, otherwise a trip to Mars wouldn't cost '2 trillion', would it noknowes?

If I recall correctly and I do they managed to save Apollo 13 with chewing gum and bailing wire and it was halfway to the motherfucking moon. Why can't NASA pull off miracles like that anymore?

Too much political crapola, managers afraid of losing retirement benefits and an inbred "toe the line do as your told and ask no questions" mentality caused by the first two problems I'd wager.

 

[Trekker4747]

If I recall correctly and I do they managed to save Apollo 13 with chewing gum and bailing wire and it was halfway to the motherfucking moon. Why can't NASA pull off miracles like that anymore?

You do not recall correctly. The "closest" they came to something like that was using duct-tape, food bags, and paper from the flight manual to rig-up an "adapter" to fit a SCM air CO2 filter into the LEM's air-handling system.

The CSM, with help from the LEM, traveled to, around, and past the moon back to Earth with no use of "chewing gum" or "bailing wire" or any other extra ordinary techniques beyond the ship's own systems, universal laws of physics, and one inventive rigging of a filter.

Hardly at all the same thing as getting a screw/knob out of a tightly wedged space that could pose a risk to viability of the entire ship if not done right. Inventive means may be used -like the use of dry ice to contract the knob- but it's hardly something where going at it like an ape locked in a cage with a suitcase will work. That Apollo 13 situation also took a few hours of testing, discussing, and planning among several engineers.

I think it's more that they should teach their astronauts to retrieve things they drop into the dash. They're lucky that the knob didn't roll into the shuttle's defrogger vents. They they'd have been really screwed!

(Actualy, they appear lucky that the wedging of the knob didn't pose any serious risk to the window as it contracted during re-entry.)

 

[Plecostomus]

If I recall correctly and I do they managed to save Apollo 13 with chewing gum and bailing wire and it was halfway to the motherfucking moon. Why can't NASA pull off miracles like that anymore?

You do not recall correctly. The "closest" they came to something like that was using duct-tape, food bags, and paper from the flight manual to rig-up an "adapter" to fit a SCM air CO2 filter into the LEM's air-handling system.

Hyperbole for the sake of making a point.

That point is that sort of innovative thinking sadly lacks at NASA now, hell there was a strong suspicion that Columbia might have been damaged but no one wanted to talk about it for fear of being wrong... so they sent everyone to their doom rather than risk speaking out.

NASA becomes more and more irrelevant every passing year. No funding, box-bound management and thinking and a lack of drive.

China will be on the moon well before us, mark my words.

 

[Marc]

If I recall correctly and I do they managed to save Apollo 13 with chewing gum and bailing wire and it was halfway to the motherfucking moon. Why can't NASA pull off miracles like that anymore?

You do not recall correctly. The "closest" they came to something like that was using duct-tape, food bags, and paper from the flight manual to rig-up an "adapter" to fit a SCM air CO2 filter into the LEM's air-handling system.

Hyperbole for the sake of making a point.

That point is that sort of innovative thinking sadly lacks at NASA now, hell there was a strong suspicion that Columbia might have been damaged but no one wanted to talk about it for fear of being wrong... so they sent everyone to their doom rather than risk speaking out.

NASA becomes more and more irrelevant every passing year. No funding, box-bound management and thinking and a lack of drive.

China will be on the moon well before us, mark my words.

Problem for NASA is the Chinese could lose 100 sinonaunts and a) would deny it ever happened and b)not give too much of damn (though if some-one really cocked up Mr Firing Squad will be ready).

 

[Mr. B]

Cut the knob in half?

not possible

The article has several pictures that show the knob and how it's wedged.

Is there room to get a metal wire behind it? A rotating metal wire loop might work... would take a little while though.

 

[Trekker4747]

The knob is pressing against a window -you know something that protects the occupants of the vechile from the vaccum of space- the way it is in there as-is has already caused impressions in the "glass." Why make it worse by going after it like Tim Taylor?

 

[Jadzia]

This calls for a dremel with the bendy attachment.

 

[JB2005]

^stick a balloon in behind it, inflate it and the knob will pop right out...

 

[Marc]

^stick a balloon in behind it, inflate it and the knob will pop right out...

are we talking fixing the shuttle or erectile disfunction here?

 

[TheGodBen]

I hope you realize that this is a space-shuttle that is going to be traveling any many times the speed of sound, experienceing tremendous G-forces, tremendous heat, and tremendous pressures.

Space shuttle? Bah, why it's just a glorified bus.

Where's Macgyver when you need him? He'd be able to pop it out no bother, then he'd turn a coffin into a jet-ski and attack some nazis. Everybody wins!

(Except the nazis.)

 

[Trekker4747]

MacGyver's coffin is a jetski. Why? Because Richard Dean Anderson wills it.

 

[Garrovick]

I bet NASA has a "remove the knob" public hot line.

Some times engineers can't see the forest for the trees.