Posted By Andrew Cartridge The question is simple. Would any of us have taken the same risk as NASA did by launching the shuttle against the advice of their head of safety & their head of engineering? Taking into account the previous accident. It appears that all went well, cost against risk, so much for safety first!!!!!!!!! Discuss Andy

Posted By Andy Walker Andy Is it not the same scenario that happens frequently in all areas on difffering scales. H+S person advises, Engineering advise, Management go against the advice and get away with it once, twice, maybe three times but inevitably it all goes wrong. The problem being for the once, twice, maybe three times we, (Safety and Engineering) are over reacting or scaremongering. Then when the you know what hits the rotating thing and its finger pointing time. Everyone runs for cover and H+S and Engineering are left trying to defend the indefensible. That said you'd never get me to sit in an overgrown firework. Andy W

Posted By 9-Ship Yes - launch its about risk management. The only way to stop being killed in flying accidents/space flight is not to fly. The holiday jet that most of you will no doubt be flying in, in the next few weeks is quite likely to have cracks in its structure - but you will still fly in it.... Just the holiday company and airlines don't tell you. Having authorised aircraft to fly with cracks it, I don't see a problem.

Posted By 9-Ship Thats why you have engineers to assess the damage and to give their opinion on the particular aircraft/system/structure. Some cracks are 'safe', some are dangerous. Won't bore you too much with crack propagation theory, stress concentration points etc, primary, secondary and tertiary stuctures etc Just don't put square windows in your jet - see Comet accidents 1950's The Shuttle might well do 17500mph, but not in the atmosphere - it would melt. Guess you will find such high speeds are in space - no air resistance to cause frictional heating. The fact remains - most aerial vehicles have acceptable defects/cracks in them - otherwise cancel your holiday to the West Indies.

Posted By Barry x I believe that the Head of Safety and Head of Engineering were worried about the Re usability aspect of the space shuttle in this instance and were not concerned with any immediate dangers to the shuttle in this flight. Therefore yes i would have launched. Just because parts might break or wear out in the future should not prevent any items of equipment from being used.

Posted By Andy Walker Why would the Head of Safety be concerned with reuseability? Andy W

Posted By Andy Walker Just like I said in my 1st posting Andy W