NASA Nixes Foam Ramp for Next Space Shuttle Flight

Published: Dec 16, 2005
Source: www.space.com



NASA will not fly a protective foam ramp aboard the fuel tank for its next space shuttle mission, eliminating a potential launch debris hazard that cropped up during July’s launch of the Discovery orbiter, a top agency official said Thursday.

Flying NASA’s STS-121 shuttle mission – the second flight since the 2003 Columbia accident – without the ramp could push the spaceflight past a May 2006 launch window depending on the extent of modifications required, said William Gerstenmaier, NASA’s associate administrator for space operations, in a teleconference with reporters.continue..