Re: Report: NASA caved to schedule, Pressure contributed to Discovery's foam shedding, investigators say

Monte Davis wrote:
> place-to-place over the surface of the tank? And if that's not
> possible, redesign the ET from scratch, or else redesign the whole STS
> to put the orbiter on top (with all the new problems that would
> bring)?
>
> One could ask: how many billions are you bringing to the task? Or one
> could ask: if you think the shuttle should be retired at once, why not
> say so instead of crying for the moon?

I am one who advocates pushing back the 2010 deadline because the
Shuttle has remained grounded for far longer than the CAIB had
anticipated. So no, I cannot be accused of wanting the shuttle grounded
now. It should at the very least complete the station and bring back hubble.

The problem lies in the nasa stating that the foam problem had been
fixed and that NASA had complied with CAIB recommedations and that the
shuttle was fit to fly according to the new more stringent standards
imposed post Columbia.

The expectation was that NASA had fixed the foam problem once and for
all. The reality was revealed after Doscovery when it was revealed that
NASA had only modified one small section of the ET and not changed other
sections known to be problematic dur to shape etc.
.

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