The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has already promised to put into practice any recommendations from the Columbia Accident Investigation Board, which is looking into the February 1 disaster which killed all seven astronauts on the shuttle.

The board said that before flights to the orbiting space station start again, that NASA should "develop a practicable capability to inspect and effect emergency repairs to the widest possible range of damage."

It said US shuttles should take "advantage of the additional capabilities available while in proximity to and docked at the ISS."

The board has said that the high-speed impact of a piece of insulation foam hitting Columbia's left wing was the "most probable cause" of the shuttle's burnup on reentry into the atmosphere.

Its latest recommendations said when shuttles do not go to the space station, NASA should "develop a comprehensive autonomous inspection and repair capability to cover the widest practicable range of damage scenarios."

Inspections should be carried out at the start of each mission in orbit, the board added.

"The ultimate objective should be a fully autonomous capability for all missions, to address the possibility that an ISS mission does not achieve the necessary orbit, fails to dock successfully, or suffers damage during or after undocking."

SPACE.WIRE