Air bubbles in foam could have contributed to Columbia accident
Posted: Thu, Mar 27, 2003, 1:56 PM ET (1856 GMT)
Shuttle investigators said this week that air bubbles in insulating foam on the shuttle’s external tank may have made it easier for the foam to fall off and strike the shuttle during launch. Investigators said they discovered air bubbles in foam on an external tank at the Michoud, Louisiana facility where the tanks are built. The bubbles could make it easier for the foam to come off during flight; it could also provide a place for ice to form within the foam itself, increasing the density and mass of any chunks that fell off the tank. Investigators plan to test the foam impact theory by firing pieces of foam at pieces of the thermal protection systems taken from the shuttles Enterprise and Discovery. If the foam is at fault, it could take a considerable amount of time to affect changes to the foam itself: the Dallas Morning News reported this week that NASA officials said it normally takes "four to five years" to make changes in the foam insulation, although that process could be accelerated somewhat.
Shuttle investigators said this week that air bubbles in insulating foam on the shuttle’s external tank may have made it easier for the foam to fall off and strike the shuttle during launch. Investigators said they discovered air bubbles in foam on an external tank at the Michoud, Louisiana facility where the tanks are built. The bubbles could make it easier for the foam to come off during flight; it could also provide a place for ice to form within the foam itself, increasing the density and mass of any chunks that fell off the tank. Investigators plan to test the foam impact theory by firing pieces of foam at pieces of the thermal protection systems taken from the shuttles Enterprise and Discovery. If the foam is at fault, it could take a considerable amount of time to affect changes to the foam itself: the Dallas Morning News reported this week that NASA officials said it normally takes "four to five years" to make changes in the foam insulation, although that process could be accelerated somewhat.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
Retired Air Force officer nominated to be NASA deputy administrator
Posted: Sat, May 10 9:44 AM ET (1344 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Sunday, May 11
Spire Global Schedules First Quarter 2025 Results Conference Call
Spire — 4:15 pm ET (2015 GMT) NASA's Webb Lifts Veil on Common but Mysterious Type of Exoplanet
STScI — 9:50 am ET (1350 GMT) Northrop Grumman to Develop Additional Relay Ground Stations to Support US Space Force’s Next-Generation OPIR Program
Northrop Grumman — 9:50 am ET (1350 GMT) AAC Clyde Space wins EUR 570 000 order for power systems
AAC Clyde Space — 9:47 am ET (1347 GMT) Stratolaunch Successfully Completes Reusable Hypersonic Flight and Recovery with Talon-A2 Vehicle
Stratolaunch Systems — 9:46 am ET (1346 GMT) |
