NASA plans for launch despite foam damage(7.4)

NASA plans for launch despite foam damage

By MIKE SCHNEIDER, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 2 minutes ago

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -
NASA managers hoped to make Discovery the most inspiring sight in the nation's skies Tuesday as the space agency prepared for the first Fourth of July launch in history.
ADVERTISEMENT

The launch attempt came after meetings Monday where NASA managers pondered whether a 5-inch long crack in the external fuel tank's foam, which caused a 3-inch piece of foam to pop out on the launch pad, posed a threat to the shuttle during liftoff.

The patch of foam fell off an area that covers an expandable bracket holding a liquid oxygen feed line against the huge external tank. NASA engineers believe ice built up in that area from condensation caused by rain Sunday.

If Discovery gets off the ground Tuesday, it would be the first manned launch by the United States on the nation's birthday, the first launch in almost a year, and only the second launch since the Columbia disaster killed seven astronauts in 2003.

Fueling began as expected at about 4:45 a.m., and the forecast improved overnight to an 80 percent chance weather would be favorable for launch — the best odds so far. NASA scrubbed launch plans Saturday and Sunday as electrically charged clouds loomed overhead.

NASA managers decided to go ahead with the attempt Tuesday because of three criteria: They are confident enough foam still is on the bracket to prevent a large piece of ice from forming; they don't believe the area will be exposed to extreme heat during ascent; and the area of foam where the piece dropped was still intact.

"They fully have shown that the foam is acceptable and ready to fly," said Bill Gerstenmaier, a NASA associate administrator. "There were no dissenters when we went around the room ... no concerns raised."

The 3-inch triangular piece of foam that dropped from the tank is far smaller than the foam chunk that brought down Columbia. Gerstenmaier showed reporters the piece of foam, which looked like a wedge of toast.

NASA has spent millions of dollars trying to prevent foam from breaking off at liftoff. Engineers were startled when it broke off Discovery during last year's mission, but it didn't harm the shuttle.

The external tank expanded when the super-cold fuel was drained after Sunday's launch was canceled because of the weather. The ice that formed "pinched" some of that foam, causing the quarter-inch-wide crack and the piece of foam to drop off, officials said.

Inspectors spotted the crack in the foam insulation during a check of the shuttle.

The forecast for a Tuesday liftoff was better than previous days, with just a 40 percent chance that bad weather would prevent liftoff.

Griffin decided two weeks ago that the shuttle should go into orbit as planned, despite the concerns of two top agency managers — the top safety officer and chief engineer — who wanted additional repairs to the foam insulation.

But the two agency officials said the foam loss will not threaten the crew because NASA has a plan for the astronauts to move into the international space station if in-orbit inspections find serious damage to the spacecraft. The crew would await rescue 81 days later by a second space shuttle.

The mission for Discovery's crew this time is to test shuttle-inspection techniques, deliver supplies to the international space station and drop off European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Reiter for a six-month stay.