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NASA Decides No Fix Needed for Endeavor's Tiles

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the damn-the-tiles-full-speed-ahead dept.

bhmit1 writes "It looks like NASA is reporting that no repairs are needed for Endeavor. 'After meeting for five hours, mission managers opted Thursday night against any risky spacewalk repairs, after receiving the results of one final thermal test. The massive amount of data indicated Endeavor would suffer no serious structural damage during next week's re-entry. Their worry was not that Endeavor might be destroyed and its seven astronauts killed in a replay of the Columbia disaster — the gouge is too small to be catastrophic. They were concerned that the heat of re-entry could weaken the shuttle's aluminum frame at the damaged spot and result in lengthy post-flight repairs.'"

2 of 209 comments (clear)

  1. Re:To err on the side of caution... by Spirilis · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Unless, during a spacewalk, one of the astronauts accidentally bumps some of the adjacent tiles and break them... (IIRC, they are EXTREMELY fragile, a mere tap is all that is required to snap 'em). That's the kind of risk they're probably worried about.

    --
    the real at&t mix
  2. Re:I'm glad I don't have to make these calls by emotionus · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Ya, but by not fixing it, they've set the grounds for one really good TV Show.