But Rollout Delayed Because Of... Yikes... External Tank Foam Problems

The space shuttle Discovery is standing tall on Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, after a 10 hour 30 minute journey from the Vehicle Assembly Center that was delayed by the discovery of a crack in the insulation surrounding the space plane's external fuel tank.

It was a reminder of the insulation foam that fell from Columbia's external fuel tank as the nation's oldest shuttle blasted into space for the last time January 16th, 2003. Damage caused by that chunk of foam led to Columbia's disintegration as it re-entered Earth's atmosphere February 1st, 2003. All seven astronauts on board were lost.

The remaining shuttle fleet has been grounded since then, as NASA worked to refit the space planes according to safety recommendations made by the Columbia Accident Investigation Board.

"It's a very, very tiny crack," Launch Director Mike Leinbach told the Washington Post. "Very, very narrow ... well within our experience base. It was an acceptable condition for flight, so we rolled on out and we're going to fly with it just as it is." Leinbach said the crack was located high up on the tank, in an area that makes it unlikely to cause any damage to the orbiter itself.

"It's a great sight to see Discovery rolling out to the launch pad," said shuttle commander Eileen Collins, watching the one-mile an hour procession to the pad from her vantage point at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Collins will lead the crew on the next mission. "We know we are getting close."

FMI: www.nasa.gov/returntoflight/main/index.html