News Archive

Thursday, March 27, 2003 Investigators find a flaw in the Shuttle's fuel tank's foam Accident investigators found air pockets in the insulating foam of a spare shuttle fuel tank. Theses could be potentially treacherous flaws that may have been present on the tank that shed debris during Columbia's final liftoff two months ago. The tank was a little newer than the one on Columbia. "We found some voids that shouldn't be there," said Navy Rear Adm. Stephen Turcotte, an investigation board member. "Was that the smoking gun? We don't know." Turcotte said the board does not know the cause the small air pockets found in tank's foam last week at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. "We're looking at the processes that were used, obviously, and when they were done and what propellants were used to spray it -- all of those factors," he said. @ 17:05 EST