Atlantis - Shuttle tests following the hailstorm are still ongoing

Only on April 10 will it be finally determined whether the shuttle is fit to fly for mission STS-117

At a press conference held on March 21, NASA officials reported on the progress of repair work on the outer fuel tank of the space shuttle Atlantis that was damaged in a hailstorm on February 26 at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The press conference that was held on a remote broadcast, was held following discussions that dealt with the progress of the facts. Managers decided that additional tests and analyzes were needed to determine whether the tank would be used by the STS-117 mission or perhaps replaced by another tank. On April 10, the teams expect to have the data required to make decisions and estimate when the shuttle can be launched.

All places where the insulating foam coating on the fuel tank was damaged were mapped. The repair work has already been completed in the lower part of the tank - the part where the liquid hydrogen is stored. The damage to the central part of the tank was minimal and few repairs will be needed. There are about 2,500 impact pits, mostly on the top of the tank that will need to be examined to determine what type of repairs will be required.

During the 11 days of the mission, the six crew members of STS-117 will install a new component to the shuttle fairing, remove a series of solar collectors and deploy a new series on the starboard side of the shuttle. Following the lessons learned from two previous similar missions, NASA will provide astronauts with new techniques and tools to carry out their mission.

For information on the NASA website