What does a Space Craft look like ....
 

when dropped. This bird damaged about Sept 2003:
Tiros-N
[IMG]C:\Documents and Settings\Tom Wason\My Documents\My Pictures\09.06.03.noaa-n.jpg[/IMG]

Now I don't feel so bad about spilling Coke on my keyboard.

No picture.:(

quote the post, copy the url, paste into your browser, hit enter

Re: What does a Space Craft look like ....
 

Or click the Tiros-N link.

uh...yeah, that works, too. duh

Prutty sapce ship fall down go BOOM !!!!:( :(

I bet some body lost their job over that slip-up .

I wounder how much the investigation into the insedent will cost ?

"Hey there's a tiny screw on the floor. Gee, I wonder where it goes. Oh well..."

zippyt, FYI

At least 3 people fired and one director shuffled around

Welcome to the Cellar, burns.:) IIRC, wasn't there a very large insurance payout, also?

xoxoxoxoxBruce,

No, It was not insured. The are usually not insured when at the factory. Insured during launch by LLoyds of London. Lockmart declared a huge loss. I sure it was over $100 Million.

Ouch! Explain that to the stock analysts. Plus it looked like it was close to launch ready, so I suppose the rocket and peripheral support was ready too.:rolleyes:

All of the sudden I'm really glad I have a job where most fuckups can be forgiven with a simple "whoops" and promises not to let it happen again in the future.

NOAA 19
 

Here is a follow up on an old story with a happy ending ie NOAA19 made it to orbit. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NOAA-19 NOAA changes the name of the satellite after it is launched, ie. NOAA N'= NOAA19

Nice followup burns334, thank you.

I found the article interesting, and the main point kind of baffling. I understand the need to check stuff, and to document stuff, I do. But is there really (or should there have been) a procedure to check the twenty-four bolts used to secure the adapter plate? I actually don't know what an adapter plate is though I can imagine it and I wonder how *my* life would be different if I had to check my lug nuts before I started the car each time or had to check the gas supply line each time I started my clothes dryer.

I mean, who would ever expect that, gee, I took those bolts out, sorry! The guy that took them out should have left a fucking note or something to make it OBVIOUS that the thing is under construction. I do this with my own work, never mind when I'm working with a team. Just... baffling.

All the (literally) millions of dollars' worth of education, and there wasn't enough smart in the room to keep the thing standing upright.

Welcome to Elbonia.

Short story recall
 

Thanks BigV, let me explain a little as far as I remember. First the adapter plate is the large circular plate with the hole in the middle on the bottom of the S/C that bolts to the large similar white plate on the turnover cart. The turnover cart was shared by two programs and it was in storage, program "A", Tiros, was getting ready to use the cart and did an inspection on it while in storage and verified that the infamous 24 bolts were installed as specified. This was then signed off in program A test procedure. There was a several day delay and program B went to the cart and borrowed the bolts for another installation, when program "A" went back to get the turnover cart they never looked for the bolts as they showed as being installed and torqued. I think your seeing what happen next, a failure to communicate.

It's easy to see what how that can happen, thanks.