49-cent brush may fix shuttle

http://www.sptimes.com/2003/10/09/Worldandnation/49_cent_brush_may_fix.shtml

WASHINGTON - A simple foam paint brush that costs only pennies at hardware stores could be an essential tool in returning the space shuttle to orbit, NASA's administrator said Wednesday.

Space agency engineers found that the brush may be just what astronauts need to spread a patching compound on a space shuttle's damaged heat shield while the craft is in orbit.

<snip>

For the lightweight tiles, engineers have found a sealant that is formed when two compounds are mixed. Tests showed that the combination expanded when heated. This led to a plan to "underfill" a hole and then let the heat of re-entry swell the patch and seal the hole.

<snip>

Experts looked at a variety of sophisticated tools made from exotic materials, he said. They settled on what he called "an elegant piece of sophisticated hardware" - a foam paint brush with a wooden handle.



Sorry, but I'm not the one who made up this headline. Anyway, isn't it amazing what people can come up with when they put their minds to it. Too bad the attitude prior to the Columbia tragedy was that there was nothing they could do about this type of problem, so why even bother trying.

Look at the Russian space program, for example. Yes, it has problems to be sure. But somehow they manage to get lots of Soyuz vehicles up and back without incident. (It's the real shuttle, actually. Cheap and reliable.)

I've seen so many projects collapse because they were overengineered. Simple is often good.

by one of the ground engineers on the Apollo 13 mission. He said duct tape and bungee cords are standard equipment on all space flights; it's amazing how often they come in handy.

Just ask a member of the armed forces or the members of the SCA.

of getting to the underside of the shuttle (at least on this mission) since they did not have the EVA thruster packs that would have been required. I assume they will remedy this situation when they resume launches.

A crew living on the space station up there now? I heard a couple of months ago that they were running out of supplies and NASA was trying to figure out how to get to them. The poor guys have probably starved to death by now, forgotten by the Ahnuld crazy media!

The next crew to call the International Space Station home is slated to arrive onboard Oct. 20. After relieving the Expedition 7 crew, Expedition 8 Commander and NASA ISS Science Officer Michael Foale and Flight Engineer Alexander Kaleri are scheduled to spend about six months aboard the orbital outpost maintaining ISS operations and continuing science investigations.

The Expedition 8 crewmembers will travel to the Station aboard the ISS Soyuz 7 spacecraft. They will be joined by European Space Agency (ESA) Astronaut Pedro Duque, who will fly as part of a contract between ESA and Rosaviakosmos, the Russian Aviation and Space Agency.

Expedition 8 is slated to launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, on Oct. 18. There will be a week of joint operations and handover activities before Duque and the Expedition 7 crew depart the ISS and return to Earth on Oct. 27 (U.S. time) aboard the ISS Soyuz 6 spacecraft.

more...

http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=12692

He was the US astronaut on the Mir when the big fire happened. I remember hearing a recording of his transmission to Houston immediately after the incident, when the lights were out and the station was full of smoke. It was obvious he fully expected an evacuation order, but they told him instead to sit tight an soldier on. His voice was incredulous, but he maintained. Brave guy.

...they fixed the moon buggy by whacking it with a hammer. No joke.

a pen that could be used in Space (with no gravity to force the ink to the tip)?

It transpired that the Russians used pencils.....

:-)

P.

The Russians used pencils and had no end of problems with pencil led dust and pencil shavings contaminating air filters and other equipment. On a lifecycle cost basis, NASA's million dollar pens were probably cheaper.