NASA: Shuttle Lost Foam In At Least 12 Places

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

NASA: Shuttle Lost Foam In At Least 12 Places

Photos Show Debris Striking Shuttle During Launch

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA manager John Shannon said the damage to space shuttle Endeavour is "very dramatic," but that the agency is still investigating its severity.

At a briefing Thursday, Shannon showed new photos of debris breaking off of the fuel tank and striking the shuttle during its launch. The shuttle lost foam insulation in at least 12 places, officials said.

Shannon said the agency and astronauts are still unsure of the extent of the damage. Observers haven't seen that level of flying debris during a lunch since 2005.

Mission Control told the astronauts late Wednesday that the damage looked less extensive at first glance than what occurred on the last shuttle flight, but it will take days to sort through available data to reach a conclusion.

On Endeavor, astronauts are using cameras and lasers on a robot arm to send down close-up views of the critical areas of the shuttle. The arm, however, cannot reach every area, including the spots that were hit Wednesday. They will inspect the shuttle's underside Friday.

Endeavour's liftoff early Wednesday evening was the sixth try and came more than a month late. It occurred on the eve of the 40th anniversary of the launch of man's first moon landing mission.

"Persistence pays off," launch director Pete Nickolenko told the astronauts, who are carrying up a veranda for Japan's enormous space station lab.

The shuttle had been grounded by hydrogen gas leaks last month and, since the weekend, thunderstorms.

Eight or nine pieces of foam insulation came off the external fuel tank during liftoff, and Endeavour was hit at least two or three times, said Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA's space operations chief. Some scuff marks were spotted, but that probably is coating loss and considered minor, he said.

The impacts that occurred not quite two minutes into the flight were around the edge of the shuttle where the right wing joins the fuselage.

Any additional damage should be evident Friday, when the space station residents use zoom lenses to photograph the entire shuttle as it performs a backflip right before docking.

"The bottom line is we saw some stuff," said Mike Moses, chairman of the mission management team. "Some of it doesn't concern us. Some of it you just can't really speculate on right now. But we have the tools in front of us and the processes in front of us to go clear this vehicle for entry" in 16 days.

At a news conference, Gerstenmaier noted that the Endeavour crew has shuttle repair kits on board. In case of irreparable damage, the astronauts could move into the space station for two to three months and await rescue by another shuttle.

Columbia was destroyed during re-entry in 2003 because of a hole in its wing, left there by flyaway foam at liftoff.

When commander Mark Polansky and his crew catch up with the space station, it will be the first time 13 people are together in space. All of the major space station partners will be represented. The combined crews will have seven Americans, two Canadians, two Russians, one Japanese and one Belgian.

Endeavour will remain docked at the space station for nearly two weeks. During that time, the shuttle astronauts will help install the third and final piece of the Japanese space station lab, a porch for outdoor experiments. Five spacewalks are planned.

NASA was anxious to get Endeavour flying, given time is running out on the shuttle program. Only eight shuttle flights remain, including this one, before NASA retires the fleet next year.

The space agency, at least, finally has a new administrator to oversee everything. Former shuttle commander Charles Bolden was confirmed by the Senate less than two hours after Endeavour's liftoff. He fills a vacancy left by Michael Griffin's departure in January.

http://www.wyff4.com/news/20058835/detail.html#

[HAL 9000 96]

Sh!t... hope they don't have to go to plan B.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

NASA suspends shuttle flights pending probe

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - NASA will suspend flights of its space shuttle fleet until it understands why strips of insulating foam peeled off the fuel tank used by shuttle Endeavour during Wednesday's launch, officials said.

"We're not worried about this one, but we need to understand what's going on for the next flight," said shuttle program manager John Shannon said on Thursday.

NASA has seven more shuttle launches planned to complete construction of the International Space Station. Its next flight is targeted for launch on August 18.

http://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/id...E56F74N20090716

Sh!t... hope they don't have to go to plan B.

You mean the Black Capsule?

[_Simpson_ 250]

Sh!t... hope they don't have to go to plan B.

Me too, I hope it doesnt come down to that

[Fandango 1,439]

Ugh, that's really sucky.

[HAL 9000 96]

NASA suspends shuttle flights pending probe

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - NASA will suspend flights of its space shuttle fleet until it understands why strips of insulating foam peeled off the fuel tank used by shuttle Endeavour during Wednesday's launch, officials said.

"We're not worried about this one, but we need to understand what's going on for the next flight," said shuttle program manager John Shannon said on Thursday.

NASA has seven more shuttle launches planned to complete construction of the International Space Station. Its next flight is targeted for launch on August 18.

http://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/id...E56F74N20090716

Sh!t... hope they don't have to go to plan B.

You mean the Black Capsule?

I'd rather they land safely...

[Teacher Mark 53]

Sh!t... hope they don't have to go to plan B.

Uhhmmmm, what do you mean by "they" Hal? Aren't you calling the shots on this one?

[Niels Bohr 72]

It's freaking managment in NASA. They are more concerned with getting it on time than heeding the advice of the engineers! Exploring Space will require alot of money. It's nothing new.

If Congress wants to explore Space, they will need to understand this too. Or, if not, just shut the Space Program.

Edited July 17, 2009 by Niels Bohr

[HAL 9000 96]

Sh!t... hope they don't have to go to plan B.

Uhhmmmm, what do you mean by "they" Hal? Aren't you calling the shots on this one?

HAL 9000 would not let NASA jeopardize the mission Mr. Saigon...