What is Digg?101 Comments
- cr250guy, on 05/08/2008, -0/+60I doubt that's a feature they've added just because the ships are getting old, its probably always been there "just in case.''
- wonderchemist, on 05/08/2008, -0/+41Actually the range safety system has already been used. About 35 seconds after breakup of the Challenger both surviving solid rocket boosters were destroyed by range safety.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STS-51-L_Mission_time ... - IphtashuFitz, on 05/08/2008, -0/+39Back in the 50's & 60's my dad worked for MIT's Lincoln Labs and did a lot of work on navigation systems for the Gemini & Apollo systems. He told me how once an unmanned test launch started out smoothly but after a minute or so when a steering correction occurred the rocket started to change direction as expected but then continued turning until it was pointing almost straight back to earth. They blew up the rocket at that point. After a lot of research they discovered that the problem was caused by a single missing character in the code controlling the navigation system. He explained that it was a result of some code something like this:
if (time_of_burn = 5 seconds) then shutdown_steering_rockets;
Well this code was checked at roughly 4.9 seconds then again at 5.05 seconds, so the test never passed. It should have been something like (time_of_burn >= 5 seconds). Talk about a costly bug... - tmaiden, on 05/08/2008, -1/+20OMG I am an idiot. I was looking at that map for 5 minutes trying to understand it.
Here, If you are like me.... GRAY is LAND and WHITE is WATER. - sat0shi, on 05/08/2008, -1/+17I must've put a decimal in the wrong spot or something...
- RealmDown, on 05/08/2008, -0/+12But they do know it is a very real possibility.
They go anyway. They go with purpose, determination and pride.
They are astronauts. - Kent767, on 05/08/2008, -0/+11if you RTFA you'd know that the self destruct could only occur before it went into orbit, i.e. immediately after launch, up to 2 minutes. (you can also get that from the description)
- MacEnvy, on 05/08/2008, -1/+11*orchestra crescendo*
*melancholy french horn solo* - jp12380, on 05/08/2008, -1/+11Dugg for Office Space reference.
- avengingturnip, on 05/08/2008, -0/+9No, I worked in Flight Dynamics and Design for awhile at Johnson Space Center back in the day. Glad you are smarter than me though.
- RealmDown, on 05/08/2008, -0/+9In spite of bad press, NASA tends to come through time and time again.
It is way, WAY to big to ever be without problems needing correcting, but I am *tremendously* proud of them. - avengingturnip, on 05/08/2008, -1/+9" After that, problems severe enough to threaten people on the ground would leave the crew with two options: Enter orbit and fly around the Earth for a landing at California’s Edwards Air Force Base, or steer into the ocean." - This is not really accurate. There are several abort modes for a shuttle during the launch phase: RTLS - Return to Launch Site, TAL-Tans-Atlantic Landing, and AOA-Abort Once Around, which will take them back to Edwards as the article says. There IS a bail-out abort mode but that assumes the craft is controllable and can be locked into a glide on auto-pilot long enough for the crew to egress. The scenario in the article assumes the vehicle is totally out of control.
- RealmDown, on 05/08/2008, -3/+11Nonsense. It is probably the scariest, most stressful chair in the room.
- avengingturnip, on 05/08/2008, -3/+11You seriously need help. Only a psychopath would hope for the chance to end someone's life.
- doctechnical, on 05/08/2008, -1/+9I don't understand, how is this a "deadman" switch? Someone has to go through several distinct steps to activate the destruct, it can't go off through inaction.
- RealmDown, on 05/08/2008, -7/+15A bit of a redesign because the Range Officer is not on the ship, but this is a version of a "deadman switch".
I am saddened, but not not surprised, that its existence is required. - BufordT, on 05/08/2008, -0/+8Exactly, and judging by the looks of that control panel, it has been a feature for at least 30 years.
- doctechnical, on 05/08/2008, -0/+7Yeah, they should pimp that out a bit, add some blue LEDs or something.
- dafragsta, on 05/08/2008, -0/+7Anyone else think the "safe" and "destruct" buttons are a little too close?
- Monk22, on 05/08/2008, -0/+7if it aint broke dont fix it
- matschig, on 05/08/2008, -3/+10oh? Whats this? A JOKE!? HEAVEN FORBID!!!!
- doctechnical, on 05/08/2008, -0/+7Yes - the early hours of the Challenger disaster had some people wondering if the self-destruct had malfunctioned. I (and I imagine a lot of other people) didn't even know the thing existed until then.
- RealmDown, on 05/08/2008, -0/+6In this case, your sarcasm is well deserved. It is a panel with a necessary, terrible purpose. It should be bleak.
- darny, on 05/08/2008, -3/+9I strongly agree with the three who commented before me, however, if the destruction of the shuttle was imminent, the crew would most likely be doomed. The man at the button wouldn't be taking the crew's life any more than NASA itself. He would be saving the lives of many.
- Chrontius, on 05/08/2008, -0/+6Dugg you up - there's a reason for that, and you don't deserve to be dugg down for stating the truth. The reason is that they haven't had to use it in a few decades, and saw no reason to improve it.
- avengingturnip, on 05/08/2008, -1/+7Can't be. Jokes are supposed to be funny.
- inactive, on 05/08/2008, -0/+5I agree. NASA does good work and seem to be a rare example of an organization who doesn't hoard the money they receive selfishly. They aren't perfect, but who is?
- bstew22, on 05/08/2008, -3/+8actually, i'm pretty sure whoever works that button does NOT think that. i couldn't imagine living with that if i had to push the button.
- herebejames, on 09/17/2008, -1/+6To be honest, it would be far worse for the people on the Shuttle when reaching a stage they know makes this inevitable/likely.
- DarkNemesis618, on 05/08/2008, -0/+5There wouldn't be any debris in orbit, once the solid rocket boosters detach, the termination button no longer works. The SRBs detach well before the shuttle enters orbit.
- avengingturnip, on 05/08/2008, -0/+5And my point was that there IS a bail out abort mode but it assumes the vehicle is controllable. Did you not get that?
- mllawso, on 05/08/2008, -0/+5Why does this sadden you? Even if the shuttle had a perfect record, they'd still have it. There's always a chance of something going wrong.
- teh_techie, on 05/08/2008, -0/+5... to potentially save the lives of hundreds or more people that the shuttle would otherwise be endangering, and they'd likely die upon impact to a populated area anyways
- Chirp08, on 05/08/2008, -0/+4It lowered their insurance premiums by a couple grand
- Chrontius, on 05/08/2008, -0/+4They expected damage to a craft, not the loss of a craft. Someone made a wee little miscalculation. Also, since we now have the luxury of a (diminished) space fleet, we can actually consider things like rescue missions - let's face it, it'd be cheaper to park a shuttle in orbit for a year or three while we develop a patching compound (since created) than it would be to write it off and replace it.
- Zippo, on 05/08/2008, -0/+4If the diagram is accurate, The dotted line just barely scratches the southern part of the Avalon Peninsula. Chances are it would hit the ocean or burn up. I don't think anyone in Newfoundland (or anywhere for that matter) is in any real danger.
If not, it'll make NTV news. - RealmDown, on 05/08/2008, -2/+5Just because I recognize a joke doesn't mean that I can't disdain or ridicule it.
- loper, on 05/08/2008, -1/+4So it can cross the dotted lines if it's functional but they'll blow it up if it threatens to cross the solid lines? Where does that leave my parents in Newfoundland ?..
- Donboy2k, on 05/08/2008, -0/+3No, because in the first two minutes, the spacecraft has not reached orbit, and therefore the debris would not orbit the earth. If the RSO pressed the button, the debris would scatter over the Atlantic. Furthermore, NASA publishes notices to airmen and seamen letting them know that a launch is scheduled and to avoid the overfly area, so in the event of such a disaster, there should be no planes or boats in the area.
- MtheoryX, on 05/08/2008, -1/+4Whoosh!!
- NoCt1, on 05/08/2008, -1/+4You both should Read articles and descriptions. You get answers and avoid clutter on the comments and people dont get all crazy like some of the posts telling you to RTFA. I know reading is work and kinda hard. but hey.. Knowledge is...
- mllawso, on 05/08/2008, -0/+3I'm sure if we asked really nicely, the Russians would bail out the crew.
- inactive, on 05/08/2008, -0/+3I don't think you know what a dead mans switch is.
A dead mans switch is a switch an operator has to hold down in order to operate a device like a train, trolley, lawn mower. If something happens to the operator, the device shuts off.
All rail vehicles have a deads man switch to force the conductor to drive the train (basically sit and watch the track). - Satsuyath, on 05/08/2008, -0/+2I'm pretty sure 'the government' isn't all-powerful enough to hide a huge explosion. I'm betting at least one person would be watching it closely enough to notice. Also, if they would hide the use of the self-destruct button, why not hide Columbia? I'm sure Elvis and some UFO's could pull that one off.
- stix213, on 05/08/2008, -0/+2Dugg for electronics store style homemade control panel
- teh_techie, on 05/08/2008, -0/+2You couldn't live with a choice that is designed to SAVE LIVES?
- lithera, on 05/08/2008, -1/+3Why is this news?
Or, I at least always assumed that every space going rocket/missile/shuttle had such a panic button already. Seems logical to me. - tuxthepenguin, on 05/08/2008, -0/+2Actually you're half way wrong Guru, in the event that the shuttle can not survive a reentry, they DO let it burn up on reentry (shuttle bay doors open to help), however they also have another shuttle on standby. The other shuttle flies with a skeleton crew and is suppose to be ready in a very short time, within 40 days of the original launch. Like for example the next shuttle launch http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STS-124#Contingency_m ... Each mission is given a contingency mission in the event there are any issues. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STS-3xx
- GOVStooge, on 05/08/2008, -0/+2When the Challenger exploded, they detonated the Boosters as they were flying free from the rest of the vehicle.
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