What Choice Do They Have?

Russia and Japan, two key partners in the International Space Station, understand the need to delay the U.S. space shuttles' return to flight until next year, a top NASA official said on Friday. "They're not going to push us or rush us in that regard ... They are comfortable with where we're going," said Michael Kostelnik, the No. 2 official in NASA's shuttle and space station program. He pointed out one key reason why: "There is no other vehicle to complete assembly" of the space station.

The three-ship shuttle fleet has been grounded since the fatal mid-air disintegration of shuttle Columbia on Feb. 1, 2003. Since then, NASA officials have proposed various launch windows for a return to flight, each one later than the last. On Thursday, NASA announced an expected launch window of March 6, 2005 to April 18, 2005 -- about six months later than the previous launch window -- meant to give NASA time to test its external fuel tank and develop a camera boom to let shuttle crews examine the outside of the craft while in flight.

The fuel tank analysis is critical, because investigators who probed the Columbia disaster blamed it on foam insulation that fell from the external tank on liftoff and struck the shuttle's left wing. This foam strike caused a break in the wing's leading edge which let superheated gas get into the shuttle on re-entry, ultimately tearing the ship apart and killing all seven aboard. The camera boom is important because investigators recommended that astronauts be able to inspect the craft while in orbit for any possible damage.

Kostelnik said Russia, Japan and other partners in the International Space Station have no objection to the delay in returning the shuttle to flight, though he acknowledged, "Obviously, it costs everybody more money when we sit on the ground when we're ready to go."

The global partners -- which also include the space agencies of Europe and Canada -- met last week to discuss President Bush vision for space exploration, including a human moon mission by 2020 and an eventual human mission to Mars. The Bush program will affect construction of the orbiting space station, which since shortly after the Columbia accident has operated with a two-person skeleton crew who can now be reached only with Russian Soyuz and Progress vehicles. Under Bush's plan, the shuttle fleet would be retired after completing the station by the end of this decade. But repeated delays in returning to flight could postpone construction.

FMI: www.nasa.gov