IT’S a recurring nightmare for NASA. But while damage to the shuttle Endeavour during launch should not endanger the lives of the astronauts, the problem could delay future shuttle launches.
A chunk of insulating foam broke off Endeavour’s external fuel tank 58 seconds after its launch on 8 August, smacking into the shuttle’s underside and gouging out a 9-centimetre tear. On Sunday, astronauts scanned the damage with a laser on the end of a robot arm and discovered that the gash ran all the way through the thin tiles that protect the shuttle from heat on re-entry.
“A chunk of foam broke off Endeavour’s external…
