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[::..about this blog..::]
"...all these worlds..." is a blog by David Hitt. It covers space exploration, decent science fiction, humor (by its very nature), and whatever else I happen to find cool. (Formerly "You Must Fight The Bear")
Name: David Hitt About Me: Inspiring the next generation of explorers... See my complete profile
[::..disclaimer..::]
The opinions expressed on this page are those of the author, and very likely no one else.
[::..archive..::]
:: Friday, April 18, 2003 ::
Ah, USA Today Man, I was excited to see a link this morning to a story saying that the CAIB had "pinpointed" the location of the hole which allowed plasma into Columbia's wing. As the details have gradually come together, this is one mystery that has yet to be solved exactly. Investigators know roughly what happened, but not precisely where. Originally, it was believed that Carrier Panel 6 on the left wing's leading edge was where the breach occurred--until Carrier Panel 6 was discovered, intact, in the debris. Currently, they believe it may have been a T-seal near Panel 8, except that this is further down the wing from where the foam was seen to have struck, making it more difficult to explain how a breach could have occurred there. While the basic concepts are the same, knowing the exact location of the breach would determine exactly what happened, whether a hole was created by direct impact, or whether the impact sort of knocked the panels together, creating the breach further down. But, according to a USA today article late yesterday, "the panel looking into the accident has pinpointed the hole's likely location: the panels and seals that make up the wing's front edge." Wow. Way to stay on top of things, guys.