Shuttles May Fly Without Heat Shield Fix

SHUTTLE NEWS

Discovery is expected to fly sometime from mid next year.

Cape Canaveral FL (UPI) Dec 07, 2004
Astronauts may be back in space before NASA has a reliable fix for damaged tiles on the shuttle's heat shield, USA Today reported Tuesday.

Program manager William Parsons told the newspaper NASA was working on a repair plan, but added future missions would continue even if a plan were not in place.

Parsons said changes in the shuttle's design would avoid holes by making sure foam will not fall off the fuel tank.

NASA's three remaining shuttles have been grounded since a hole about 6 inches wide caused gases to melt the shuttle Columbia's interior in February 2003. All seven crewmembers were killed.

Flights may resume next May or June, the newspaper reported.

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SHUTTLE NEWS

NASA Reaches Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster Milestone

Kennedy Space Center, FL (SPX) Nov 25, 2004
Major hardware for the Space Shuttle's Return to Flight mission, STS-114, is coming together at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla. An important milestone was achieved Monday, when technicians began stacking Space Shuttle Discovery's right Solid Rocket Booster in the Vehicle Assembly Building. This signifies the beginning of assembly for the flight, which is planned for launch next spring.

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