The task group reviewing NASA's progress in meeting the Columbia Accident Investigation Board's (CAIB) recommendations expects the agency will have made enough progress to launch safely by the May date set for return to flight.
NASA has met only six of the 15 recommendations, with two others partially completed, but "it is entirely possible NASA will be able to make sufficient progress on the CAIB recommendations [by May]", says the Return to Flight Task Group. The main concern is that a qualified kit to repair thermal protection system damage in space will not be ready, and that only experimental methods will be tested on the first and second flights.
Task force co-chairman Richard Covey says the lack of a proven repair kit is "probably not significant", because of modifications to the external tank to significantly reduce the risk of damaging debris hitting the orbiter.
tim furniss / london
Source: Flight International
