![]() ![]() We informed the foam technicians at our plant in Michoud Louisiana that they were the cause of the loss of Columbia and then worked them overtime in training with new and exhaustive techniques on how to apply foam with no defects. Only when small defects were embedded in the foam would some of that foam pop out under those strenuous conditions.Īll the tests and analyses lead to the conclusion that defects in the application of the foam insulation could cause foam debris to be generated during the early supersonic phase of shuttle flight. Adding high velocity airflow to mimic the high-speed flight conditions, virtually all the time the foam stayed on the tank. This test article was chilled on one side to the cold temperature of the cryogenic hydrogen fuel, and heated on the other side with flames simulating the heat generated by supersonic flight through the lower atmosphere. One of the most powerful series of test performed used a partial panel, about 2 feet square, of the aluminum skin of the tank covered with insulating foam. Tens of thousands of experiments, tests, and analyses were performed to discover why foam was lost from the external tank and how to prevent it. Dodging A BulletĪfter the loss of Columbia, it became very clear that the loss of insulating foam off of the external tank caused damage to the heat shield which led to the loss of the good ship and crew. – In the video below, the foam strike sequence. One we should have seen coming but didn’t. That counts as the third “return to flight” mission for Discovery. It was not until Discovery again flew in July of 2006 before she flew safely. Many improvements were made but safety was not assured. Many improvements were made which resulted in a safe space flight.ĭiscovery was the shuttle return to flight vehicle after Columbia was lost two and half years were spent from Februuntil Discovery flew in July 2005. So don’t question whether we were motivated to prevent another loss.ĭiscovery was the shuttle return to flight vehicle after the Challenger was lost two and a half years were spent from Januuntil Discovery flew in September 1988. It is not an easy thing to lose a colleague especially one who entrusted their safety to you. We had met with them daily, we had visited in their homes, we knew their families, their children. Many of us knew the astronauts on Columbia and those on Challenger well. Now that Discovery is safely delivered to the Smithsonian, I think I can tell the story of how we nearly lost her in July of 2005, and how well-intentioned, highly motivated, hard-working, smart people can miss the most obvious. Shuttle Discovery flying on top of a Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (Credits: NASA). ![]()
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