Jul 16, 2009
Posted by Ray Katz in NASA, current
Shuttle lauched, hit by debris
Endeavor lifts off, insepcts itself for damage, and heads for ISS
It seems like the shuttle became a lot more fragile in recent years. In the first 25 years or so, the shuttle seemed pretty robust. Now, on almost every launch, foam crashes into the vehicle, possibly causing critical damage.
The first job of most shuttle flights, after liftoff, is to inspect itself to see if it can safely return to earth. That’s what Endeavor will be doing today—inspecting for debris damage.
Nonetheless, this was a good few days for NASA. Endeavor launched (on the sixth try) and a new agency administrator was confirmed.
