Posts: 1049
From: County Down, Nothern Ireland
Registered: Feb 2002

posted 01-31-2007 10:43 AM               

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Really stupid question but is an orbiter ever washed. I know that the windows etc are cleaned and polished after every flight but are the tiles ever cleaned. i am imagine that due to their delicate nature this is not possible but i thought i would ask anyway.

Gareth

PS this is the picture that got me thinking

Posts: 667
From: uk
Registered: Sep 2002

posted 01-31-2007 03:49 PM               

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Don't know Gareth but thanks for the Tip as i am currently looking for Employment

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Best Wishes
ROB
http://www.picturetrail.com/madon_space

Posts: 2176
From: West Jordan, Utah USA
Registered: Dec 1999

Posts: 1896
From: Cape Canaveral, FL
Registered: May 2000

posted 01-31-2007 05:56 PM               

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No, they don't wash the orbiters :-) ...other than when it rains and it's exposed on the pad.

It's just char from the heat of reentry, and other wear and tear such as launch. It makes it somewhat easy to tell sometimes whether a tile/blanket is newly replaced.