The discovery of elongated bolt holes on the space shuttle Columbia has left NASA considering whether its sister shuttle Endeavour is safe to launch, or must be taken apart for safety checks.
The next shuttle mission to the International Space Station could be set back from November 2001 until early 2002 after the suspect connection joints were found.
The distorted bolt holes are located at the point where two engine pods are joined on to the shuttle. They are used for manoeuvring while in orbit. The defects increase the chance that the join could fail under stress.
The same defects may lie beneath Endeavour’s engine pods. If engineers decide this poses too great a risk they will ground the shuttle and carry out safety inspections.
Advertisement
Thruster and brake
The affected engine pods are fixed to the rear of the space shuttle. These pods contains an engine, manoeuvring thrusters and fuel tanks. They are crucial to a shuttle’s ability to manoeuvre precisely in orbit and also help slow the craft down for re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere.
Endeavour’s mission, currently scheduled to begin on 29 November, is to take a four person crew to the ISS and deliver fresh supplies to the orbiting base.
The flaws found on Columbia could lead a safety overhaul of all NASA’ s shuttle fleet. Shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to visit the ISS in February but Discovery is already undergoing routine maintenance.
