I think I need to differ with you on the shuttle being hit by lightning on
the pad...There are long wires going from the top ot the launch platform
(they look like and inverted v antenna, just a lot longer) with one of the
best grounding systems made attached to them. I talked with Mike Mullane,
monday I think maybe sunday. After the shuttle was held for fear of
lightning and water droplets that the shuttle might fly thru...
The shuttle should not fly thru water droplets due to the fact that it
would make the tiles on the shuttle rough and mess up the atmospheric drag.
Anyway...he said that there is no way lightning could hit the shuttle on
the pad due to the lightning protection system at both pads...39-a and 39-b.
As for the foam problem ...I think that I could fix that but I do not know
about the added weight problems ...
Just add a scrim of fiberglass or carbon fiber over the foam and glue it to
the foam with latex or some other adhesive. That way if some foam did come
lose it could not go anywhere. Like I said, I do not know the total surface
area of the tank and do not know how much weight that would add..
I do know that no matter what it adds, that it would take something from
the cargo capacity....
Joe KI4ILB
Subject: [TowerTalk] NASA lightning protection
> Gary,
> The shuttle has been hit both on pad and in air.
> The wire you mentioned is less effective than your rabbits foot as it
doesn't stop down strokes with multiple branches.
> Please tell NASA of your discovery before they finally get rid of the 30
year old technology shuttle and we get on with space exploration.
>
> Have you any thoughts on their insulation problems?
>
> Nick
> WB7PEK
>
>
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