RE: What is the most risque food you have ever eaten?

not what you call risque food but I have eaten swordfish and it is the most delicious fish I have ever tasted and the most tender. The greeks do it in olive oil and it really does swim in the stuff but we got to know an English guy who had a restraunt there and he grilled the fish. it was great justd one to perfection.

I hear Ozzy Osbourne does a good line on fried bats heads.

lol

Merlin

RE: Space Shuttle Columbia Lost over Texas

I have just heard on the news that the fuel tank insulation that was thought to have damaged the leading edge of the port wing has all but been ruled out as the cause of the accident.

The have looked at the footage and the piece of insulation similar to that on the fuel tanks and it could not have been this that caused the damage. The reason being that the insulation is little more than polystyrene foam. Much like something you would find toys packaged in.

This was reported by NASA and they are still looking for the cause.

Had I know the insulation was foam I would not have speculated that it was this that caused the damage. Still we do have the dent on the port wing the only problem now is if it wasnt the insulation that caused it what the hell did.

Regards Merlin

RE: Space Shuttle Columbia Lost over Texas

Just heard on todays news that all the crews bodies have now been accounted for. I had posted before that about 2000 pieces of wreckage had been found but in todays news it was reported that over 1000 pieces have been collected. And I was rather disappointed to hear that some sicko had seen fit to offer pieces of columbia for auction on a website but when the website realised what was going on they shut down operation and no doubt forwarded details to the authorities.

Does anyone know which site this was. Well done to them for spotting the idiot who was doing this.

I know that a few patches were found and also two helmets have now featured on the news. Do they have to show these items on public TV. I feel that as these are such personal item ie items that would have been worn around the body of the families loved one, That just to be a little bit understanding in how the families might feel about seeing this on TV.

Fair enough that the wreckage has been show. Although this aswell could be said to be hard for the families it is of global interest for people to see. And this I think should be shown as global interest But personal items such as clothing patches helmets shouldnt be show as this would have been the last thing the families would have seen their families wearing. I just think it all just too much.

NASA has been releasing a statement saying that they are investigating the build up of heat on the body of the orbiter near the tyre area. The think this is where the damaged area was but I dont know if it is the same area hit by the tank insulation or not. Before break up the sensors registered this bulid up before the readings were lost.

Can anyone else add to the story I havent really heard any more news than I have already posted in this post and my others.

As I have said before my thoughts and feelings are with the families.

Regards Merlin

RE: email programs

outlook and netscape but mainly outlook also various web based emails (hotmail, yahoo, msn etc)

RE: Shuttle lost (blows up?) on re-entry

Guy have a look over on the flypast forum about the same topic. You will see my post about Columbia. Dont take what you see there as the truth just a summary of what I have listened to and seen on the news.

Arthur you mentioned 3 remaining shuttles. Well I dont know if NASA got it wrong and missed one out but they mentioned only 2 remain operational. ???

I dont know the whole story but it seems NASA have forgotten about one of their shuttles. Anyone else cast light on the situation.

My thoughts are with the families.

I have lived through two shuttle accidents and I just pray I never see another.

Merlin

RE: Space Shuttle Columbia Lost over Texas

guys,

in regard to the piece that broke away from the configuration and struck the left wing.

A piece of auxillary fuel tank insulation (actually thought to be ice in the first immediate instance) detached from the tank during the rotation period and struck the port wing of the shuttle Columbia. They could not abort because they were well on their way and it was thought that it did no damage so the mission continued. ( I guess they can bring the shuttle back after take of and before entering orbit)

While the shuttle was in orbit some 80 experiments were carried out and no faults were reported so everything must have been all right then.On re-entry they did the stall move to bring them back into the earths atmoshere and they rotated and fired the rockets to fall back in. When they were re-entering they started reporting faults all on the left side. Some sensors were out and the tyre pressures were reading strange. This was the last transmission. As mission control asked them to repeat the last transmission they had heard the part about the tyre pressure but broke up on the last sentance. The crew member said roger and I think he started to say something about the tyre pressures but this was the point of the break in communication.

Next if you look at the footage of the debris. The one mass coming down is the Columbia coming down normally and if the speech and footage are put in real time.You see one big ball (columbia coming in looking ok) then a little fire ball comes off but they still have contact and you see the trail fanning out slightly then going back into a straight trail and then another and at the point where a big puff of smoke is and several trails leading off that is when all contact was lost. It was a break up in several small stages I dont know if the crew knew what was happening but it takes several seconds before it breaks up into small enough bit that the crew could be definately called perished.

It was said that the trajectory was right for a “Natural disintegration” This is what a Russian expert has said.NASA had said this too that it wasnt an explosion.

My thoughts and feelings go out to the crew members families and I hope these people didnt die for nothing and they find the fault and fix it so as the space program can continue. I feel that if all manned flight were to be stopped permanent then the people and those who died on Challenger will have died for nothing. After all how many test pilots are killed trying to improve the aircraft they are testing. This was their job its what they are good at and if anything can be learnt from their sacrifice then they didnt die in vain.

Please do not take this as solid information I have only put this together through watching all the footage and listening to some of the technical aspect that former crew have been saying.

Merlin