In sci.space.policy Joann Evans <bondage@frontiernet.net> wrote:
> Rusty Barton wrote:
>> 
>> On Mon, 07 Jul 2003 18:41:56 -0600, OM
>> <om@our_blessed_lady_mary_of_the_holy_NASA_research_facility.org>
>> wrote:
>> 
>> >...From CNN:
>> >
>> >http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/07/07/sprj.colu.shuttle.investigation.ap/index.html
>> >
>> >...Tom Wheeler take note: Now *that* is a hole.
>> >
>> >                               OM
>> 
>> When the foam problem is solved, there still might be a question of
>> bird strikes.
>> 
>> If a 1.5-lb piece of foam going 500-mph does this kind of damage, what
>> would a 3-lb to 7-lb bird struck at 200-mph or 300-mph do? KSC is a
>> wildlife refuge. They've never hit one yet, but there's always a first
>> time.
> 
>   At what altitude does the shuttle reach these speeds?
> 
>   At what maximum altitude do most birds fly?
> 
>   And, falling debris is conscious of nothing. I suspect birds will
> actively tend to avoid the, ah, modest disturbance that a shuttle launch
> generates.

If the shuttle is supersonic, they may not hear it coming.
Even if it isn't, they might not be able to manoever enough to generate a 
miss, as it's not something they train for :)

A quick google for "highest flying bird" reveals that a vulture hit a plane
at 37000 feet.
Call this 12Km.
The shuttle goes supersonic at 40 seconds in, at around 7Km.

I think the altitude at which the shuttle outpaces the noise of ignition
is around 10-12Km, so it's even concievable that the bird might not
even hear it.

-- 
http://inquisitor.i.am/    |  mailto:inquisitor@i.am |             Ian Stirling.
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'Where subtlety fails, we must simply make do with cream pies'   -- David Brin