Space Shuttle Columbia Exploded

unspellable · 02-03-2003, 03:12 AM

Re funding, it's my bet the cause will prove to be a problem with the tiles. The original shuttle design called for a titanium hull. The bean counters and congress critters cut the budget, resulting in an aluminum hull and the requirement for the tiles to protect it. Various problems with the tiles resulted in the thing costing more (in dollars, let alone lives) than the titanium hull would have cost. As they say, penny wise, pound foolish...

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02-03-2003, 03:12 AM	#6
unspellable User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Iowa Posts: 769 Thanks: 0 Thanked 20 Times in 12 Posts	Re funding, it's my bet the cause will prove to be a problem with the tiles. The original shuttle design called for a titanium hull. The bean counters and congress critters cut the budget, resulting in an aluminum hull and the requirement for the tiles to protect it. Various problems with the tiles resulted in the thing costing more (in dollars, let alone lives) than the titanium hull would have cost. As they say, penny wise, pound foolish...