Shuttle Needs Additional Repairs

Shuttle Discovery

As the Space Shuttle fleet nears the end of its 30+ year service, repairs continue to cause headaches and delays for the program. Shuttle Discovery, originally slated for launch in early November, is now expected to launch into orbit in early February on a mission which will carry additional supplies to the International Space Station.

The flight may be delayed, however, as NASA orders additional repairs after cracks were found in the external fuel tank. The first delay was due to a hydrogen fuel leak detected in the ET during a launch sequence.

The latest cracks were not actually leaking fuel. These cracks are actually in the foam insulation which covers the tank. Cracks could allow the foam to separate from the tank and strike the shuttle during the launch. It was this type of debris separation that damaged the Shuttle Columbia in 2003 and eventually led to its break up during re-entry.