Defective Bolt Holes Found on Shuttle Parts
NASA said misshapen holes were found in the two orbital-engine compartments intended for space shuttle Columbia, which is being readied for a flight to the Hubble Space Telescope early next year.
NASA spokesman James Hartsfield said Friday that the holes were in one of 12 attachment points for the pods that hold the orbital maneuvering system.
Each shuttle has two pods on its tail, and the attached engines and thrusters steer the shuttles in orbit and during descent. Workers at Kennedy Space Center were installing the pods on Columbia when the defects were found a few weeks ago.
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