Space Technology Advancement: Space Shuttle Columbia's LOST.
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Space Technology Advancement: Space Shuttle Columbia's LOST.
The Lost of US's Space Shuttle Columbia is a consequence of a long-term space technology advancement.
-Current space technology is expensive.
-The need to research and invent new space technologies which is expensive left current space shuttle fleet to be financially impossible to replace.
-New space shuttles are expensive to construct.
-NASA is also currently on a project to invent a totally new space shuttle which does noes not requires additional rockets to propel it into space. It could simply lift off like a aeroplane and go into space.
-Current space shuttle = a person climbing up a ladder up to next storey with a lot effort at a time
VS.
-Future space shuttle = person taking a ramp of a longer distance but with little effort at a time.
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The problem remains with the "re-entry" stage, where the space shuttle will have to get back into earth's rotational speed.
In getting back into earth's speed, the shuttle will have to re-enter at an angle that will encounter the least friction; yet it still encounter the high temperatures of re-entry.
Current technology has offered the heat insulation tiles, which the present series of space shuttle are relying on during re-entry.
For a multi-million dollar space vehicle to depend on a few low cost tiles, that are screwed individually into position, it is almost like using sticky paper to number and identify the various wires inside a control panel - before the availability of plastic numbered ring tags.