UF expert sees no reason to delay shuttle launch

June 26, 2006

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A University of Florida aerospace expert says the approved launch of the space shuttle Discovery on July 1 amid NASA safety concerns does not make it a reckless mission.

During a flight readiness review June 16-17, NASA engineers expressed concern that the space shuttle needs at least six more months of repairs before being safely launched into space, which could make NASA’s goal of retiring the shuttle fleet in 2010 more difficult.

Corin Segal, associate professor at the UF Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, said there will always be reasons to worry but does not mean the shuttle should not launch as planned.

“It doesn’t mean that there’s something wrong with the shuttle,” he said. “It just means that some people see the need for additional improvements. There’s always need for more improvements.”

Segal says the debate over the safety of the shuttle stems from the tendency of foam insulation surrounding the outside tank to peel off during liftoff, striking and damaging the shuttle in some cases, as with the Columbia accident in 2003.

“I think the foam problem was known [before Columbia], but it was never as big of a problem,” he said.

Despite repairs and improvements made to the shuttle, some engineers still fear it is a serious safety problem, enough so that NASA grounded the shuttle fleet last summer after the same problem was discovered on the first shuttle mission since Columbia. The upcoming launch is the first since the grounding.

“With the configuration of the shuttle, it will continue to be a worry,” Segal said. “There is always a concern for the crew and the vehicle safety.”

There are not any other solutions available right now and work on the international space station must be completed, leaving only the aging shuttle fleet to do the job, he said.

“This is a risky business,” Segal said. “The fact is, statistically, there haven’t been all that many accidents. The risk assessment is known by those involved, and the decision was made with careful consideration of the risks and the mission potential payoff.”

Segal can be reached at 352-392-6132 or by e-mail at cor@mae.ufl.edu.