NASA Expects to Repair Minor Problem Without Shuttle Delay

Technicians will be able to repair a minor insulation problem on a booster rocket without delaying the space shuttle flight planned for August, NASA officials announced Friday.

During an inspection Wednesday, workers found four small areas where insulation had separated from the rocket casing on the bottom edge of one of four segments that make up the right solid fuel rocket. The largest area was 1.4 inches, officials said.

There was concern that if the separation extended deeper into the insulation, the segment would have to be replaced, which could cause a launch delay.

Ultrasound devices were used overnight Thursday to inspect the segment and no additional separation or “debonding” was found.

“There was no evidence the debonding extended beyond the edge,” National Aeronautics and Space Administration spokeswoman Lisa Malone said. “It can be repaired here with no impact on the schedule.”

Malone said similar debondings had been found on other rocket segments in the past and they were repaired here in parallel with other work. Severe debonding could lead to the breakup of a rocket in flight and destroy the shuttle.

Various technical problems have caused two lengthy delays from the original February, 1988, shuttle launch date. The target date for the launch of Discovery now is Aug. 4.

The shuttle fleet has been grounded since Challenger exploded on Jan. 28, 1986, killing the seven crew members. That accident was caused by another booster rocket problem--a faulty joint between segments.