Jan said:
From NY times today:
<quote>
Workers also replaced the suspect part of the chain of electronics between
controllers and the sensor, known as the point sensor box. The component,
like many parts of the shuttle, is based on 1980's technology and still
uses components like transistors soldered onto circuit boards. (Today,
semiconductor technology places millions of transistors within a single
chip.)
Some of the transistors, which are made by Fairchild Semiconductor, came
from a lot that was suspected of having manufacturing problems, said Steve
Poulos, the manager of NASA's vehicle engineering office.
</quote>
Really, man with a budget like that you'd expect them to have somebody
redesign those units.
That would only cost a couple of thousand, and less then the travel expenses
of all the people involved discussing it.
I am not sure I take NASA seriously anymore.
You must be REALLY of your rocker to use 'reject' parts after all that happened
and with that much money available.
Where did the money REALLY go!
THIS requires an investigation!
I haven't read the entire thread, but, as I recall, everything that goes
into the shuttle has to be certified, recertified, and then checked
again. I suspect that is particularly true these days. Thus, replacing a
part or set of parts becomes a hundred million dollar project, whereas
just getting and testing old but still certified parts is far cheaper.
If it works, don't fix it.
Do you remember when your toaster lasted 20 years? The KISS principle
often pays off. I owned a 1968 cessna. The engine could have easily been
designed in the 30s. It used magnetos, and had a carburetor. The engine
was certified for 1500 hours, and, although I knew at least 50 other
pilots at the time, I only knew of one engine failure, and that was on a
plane that with 1700 hours on the engine. On the other hand, my car,
which is built with bleeding edge technology, is in the shop on a yearly
basis for little electrical stuff, generally related to some computer
problem.
--
Regards,
Bob Monsen
If a little knowledge is dangerous, where is the man who has
so much as to be out of danger?
Thomas Henry Huxley, 1877