The Primary Buffer Panel by Quietude

GENERAL DISCUSSIONS

The Primary Buffer Panel

POSTED BY: QUIETUDE
UPDATED: Thursday, August 16, 2007 14:48
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Tuesday, August 14, 2007 5:07 PM

Well here is to life imitating art, with a Space Shuttle stuck in orbit because the primary buffer panel fell off the gorram ship. Well from the sounds of the tiles that fell off on launch that's what I would call them anyway.

I wish a safe return to the astronauts.

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Tuesday, August 14, 2007 5:26 PM

AMILLION2ONE

You're talking about the Explorer right?
Haven't heard anything bout it down here yet.

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Tuesday, August 14, 2007 5:33 PM

QUIETUDE

Well from what I have seen on the news. On take off a big chuck of a tile fell off the base of the shuttle when it launched. It is of course these tiles which insulate the craft on re-entry in to earths atmosphere, so indeed the primary buffer. They are considering doing a space walk to try an fix the tile, however this may cause more damage on the way. Apparently they have enough supplies to be up there for quite a while, till October I think, though not certain on that.

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Tuesday, August 14, 2007 5:39 PM

AMILLION2ONE

So if they can't shave the vector to offset the burn through that landings going to be getting pretty interesting

Hope they can get it fixed without further damage.

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Tuesday, August 14, 2007 5:49 PM

QUIETUDE

Define interesting?

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Tuesday, August 14, 2007 5:51 PM

AMILLION2ONE

Oh god. Oh god. They're all gonna die

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Tuesday, August 14, 2007 5:51 PM

AMILLION2ONE

[sorry double post]

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Tuesday, August 14, 2007 6:25 PM

QUIETUDE

Never good to be the Prophet of Doom Amillion2one.

Doomed! We're all Doomed!

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Wednesday, August 15, 2007 3:00 AM

KC5F

Quote:
On take off a big chuck of a tile fell off the base of the shuttle when it launched.

Well, not quite. A softball-sized chunk of foam (much smaller than the one that damaged Challenger) broke away from a bracket supporting a liquid oxygen fuel line attached to the outside of the shuttle and made a 3.48" x 2.31" gouge about 1" deep in two adjacent tiles.

NASA seems to feel it's not critical, but has been investigating three possible repair options. Let's hope the result is no worse than for Serenity, though!

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Wednesday, August 15, 2007 3:14 AM

PENGUIN

Perhaps they should STOP USING FOAM!!!

King of the Mythical Land that is Iowa

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Wednesday, August 15, 2007 3:25 AM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by Penguin:
Perhaps they should STOP USING FOAM!!!

Penguin, they're on a BUDGET, remember?

Rockety Ride Inc. was the lowest bidder....

Looks like Chrisisall

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Wednesday, August 15, 2007 3:48 AM

MSG

Hey no yelling at my brother...oh we're talking about the foam, not the engines...yell away that's not his area:) (He's in charge of engine placement and optimal engine efficiency)

"I'm not all that interested in the mental health of people who want to kill me. "- Leroy Jethro Gibbs

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Wednesday, August 15, 2007 6:56 AM

LAWMAN

just wondering, what exactly is the primary buffer panel on a firefly?

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Wednesday, August 15, 2007 8:26 AM

MOBBEX

I guess it is a panel of heat-shielding hull plating of some sort. Probably a big one, too.

I don't know, but would that seem like a design flaw to you? The obvious advantage of using small tiles is that they don't fall of all at once... what do you say?

"Canceled? Does that seem right to you?"

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Wednesday, August 15, 2007 8:29 AM

LAWMAN

folks, i thought the primary buffer panel was that big extra plate that's sticking out from the face of the firefly. not sure exactly why there's only one since it covers just one half of the front of the firefly.

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Wednesday, August 15, 2007 9:00 AM

MOBBEX

My sweet little ninja

Hmmm :-/ ... are you thinking about the piece of slightly blue-ish material that's strapped on the right side of the cockpit? I just noticed it on wiki... It sort of looks like a solar pannel to me. Guess they could use those as a secondary power source.

In the BDM we can clearly see pieces of plating falling off the nose of the ship, exposing whatever lies underneath. I guess that tends to suggest that the primary buffer pannel was actually a part of the hull itself, maybe specifically designed to be able to withstand extreme heats.

"Canceled? does that seem right to you?"

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Wednesday, August 15, 2007 9:04 AM

LAWMAN

I like that answer. and i think that will end my questioning regarding the primary buffer panel. until the series gets started again, and that issue comes back. clearly, nasa had no hand in producing the firefly. i'm thinking nasa made trans u

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Wednesday, August 15, 2007 9:50 AM

CRUITHNE3753

Quote:
Originally posted by Penguin:
Perhaps they should STOP USING FOAM!!!

The prob is, that tank is filled with liquid hydrogen which has to be kept cold, so the foam is needed for insulation.

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Wednesday, August 15, 2007 11:26 AM

MSG

Also, they need to decrease weight as much as possible as escape velocity takes a lot of power...the lighter the ship, the less power it takes.

"I'm not all that interested in the mental health of people who want to kill me. "- Leroy Jethro Gibbs

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Thursday, August 16, 2007 7:18 AM

DONCOAT

Those of us "of a certain age" will recall that in the early days of the Shuttle program, it was not unusual for several entire tiles to fall off during launch. This is not ideal, of course, but it never came close to causing a loss-of-spacecraft situation.

It's quite possible that NASA will choose to do nothing at all, and just deorbit as is.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm pointin' right at it!

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Thursday, August 16, 2007 8:33 AM

CHRISISALL

Quote:
Originally posted by DonCoat:

It's quite possible that NASA will choose to do nothing at all, and just deorbit as is.

...as long as they shave the vector...

Washisall

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Thursday, August 16, 2007 12:46 PM

MOBBEX

"Storm's getting worse."

I'm afraid that won't be enough unless they can get some extra flow from the engine room... oh well

"We'll pass through it soon enough."

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Thursday, August 16, 2007 2:48 PM

DONCOAT

Kaylee?! What in the sphincter of hell you playin' at?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm pointin' right at it!

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