Come home safely, Shuttle!

[ChrisJ]

Here's a composite from the last successful mission, STS-113. Probably the last night launch ever for the Shuttle.

http://chrisandjoy.smugmug.com/photos/29872969-L.jpg

Canon EOS Elan, cheap EF 100-300 at full zoom, scanned from the negatives. Taken from the non-VIP launch viewing area at the Cape.

[Nir]

Amen!

[wxwax]

They'll need your prayers, unfortunately. Shuttle fleet just grounded again, too much tile off the shuttle, near the nose landing gear, I think.

[DJ-S1]

So far the nose gear door chip seems to be okay, although they are going to check it more closely. Also there was another ding in the tiles further down the belly that they are going to investigate further.

The reason for grounding them is the foam shedding off the tank. The PAL area is foam that is applied by hand and some of that came off. Here is a NASA discussion (http://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/pdf/114015main_PAL_FS.pdf) of the area and the rationale used for not changing the design before this flight.

There was also other foam loss on the tank, and they know they cannot allow it. So the fight for September will surely be called off, and probably there won't be any more flights this year.

The good news is that they learned from Columbia; all the extra imaging showed these problems; they have good data to work to instead of guessing; and so far Discovery appears to be okay, pending further looking.

[ChrisJ]

The most recent report (http://www.nasa.gov/returntoflight/crew/rtf_docking.html) seems to indicate that everything is okay. :clap But they're still doing more detailed analysis, of course.

One thing that came to mind... when the original Shuttles launched with the painted external fuel tank (costing mega-bucks), did it have foam on it too?

[DJ-S1]

One thing that came to mind... when the original Shuttles launched with the painted external fuel tank (costing mega-bucks), did it have foam on it too?
Yes, the foam was painted white on the first 2 shuttle flights only.