By TonyF on 5 March 2007 at 11:19PM
Will the damaged Shuttle external tank be repaired in time for an April launch, or will it have to be swapped out? NASA reports…
03.05.07
Space Shuttle Atlantis has rolled back to the Vehicle Assembly Building from Launch Pad 39A. The vehicle was roll backed due to hail damage that occurred on the tank during a severe thunderstorm that happened on Feb. 26.
The vehicle was "hard down" inside the Vehicle Assembly Building around 5:49 p.m. on Sunday, March 4.
The hail caused approximately 1,000 to 2,000 divots in the giant tank's foam insulation and minor surface damage to about 26 heat shield tiles on the orbiter's left wing.
Further inspection of the tank is necessary to get an accurate appraisal of foam damage and must be done in the Vehicle Assembly Building, where the entire tank can be more easily accessed.
Once an up-close look at the damage is complete, the type of repair required and the time needed for that work can be determined.
Continue reading STS-117: Repair Or Replace?
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