MS. STILSON: Ranjit from Pune states, ever since the Shuttle disaster and the involvement of rigid polyurethane foam as an insulating material for the External Tank, which presumably was the cause of the disaster, I've been keen to know how this problem has been addressed. MR. LYONS: Well, as I mentioned, we have -- one of our biggest issues was foam coming off the tank. And we have modified the tank to ensure that we don't have that kind of damage. Foam coming off the tank did damage the wing leading edge of Columbia and did result in the accident. So this has been a very important area for us to go correct. And we have done that, both by changes to the foam as well as using heaters.
Most NASA images are in the public domain and free to use. Credit NASA as the source. Check NASA's media usage guidelines for details. Images featuring identifiable individuals may require additional permissions.
NASA ID
ksc_071005_114_lyons-12
Date Created
July 18, 2005
Center
KSC
Media Type
video
Photographer
NASA or National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Download this video in multiple resolutions. All NASA media are free for public use.
Captions
Subtitles