Post-Columbia reality dawns

By Irene Mona Klotz
at the Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas

The US space agency says the next shuttle mission may have to fly without the means to repair a wing breach in orbit - something Columbia accident investigators said it should be able to do.

Nasa failed to do all that was possible to safeguard the crew

Nasa officials also admit the first launch, originally targeted for next March or April, may now actually slip to later in the year.

They made their comments here at the start of a three-day meeting that will set out the engineering tasks required to get the orbiter flying again.

The first vehicle to the launch pad will be Atlantis, commanded by astronaut Eileen Collins.

Step by step

"There is a fair chance that we'll have a capability [for wing panel] repair before return-to-flight," said Steve Poulos, the head of the Nasa's shuttle engineering office.

"If we cannot make that work, then we as an agency need to sit down and... decide [if that is] a risk we're willing to take."

Nasa intends to take its time deciding.

"There is no fast path to return-to-flight," said astronaut Jim Halsell, who is heading a team overseeing post-Columbia changes to the fleet. "It is a process that you have to go through."

And shuttle programme manager Bill Parsons added: "We need to take this slow and easy."

Safe haven

During the first day of the workshop, Poulos said he was not in a position to commit to having a wing repair technique in hand before Atlantis launches.

Right now the shuttle remains the quickest way to the space station Bill Gerstenmair, station program manager

Rather he and other managers emphasised that their driving concern was cutting down the amount of debris shed by the shuttle fuel tank during launch and preventing damage to the orbiter in the first place.

The backup plan is to use the space station as a safe haven until a rescue mission can be launched.

Preliminary studies showed nine people could remain on board the outpost for about 80 days before running out of fresh air or water, said station programme manager Bill Gerstenmair.

However, said shuttle manager Parsons, "The first defence is to not let [damage] happen."

Camera collection

The agency is spending close to $50 m for new cameras and upgrades to make sure the next shuttle launch is well documented.

The number of ground-based cameras and tracking imagers would jump from 14 to at least 23 units, said Bob Page, with the Kennedy Space Center shuttle program integration office.

In depth guide: Columbia's last mission

And the agency is trying to arrange for ship and aircraft-based camera platforms as well.

Cameras also will be anchored to the shuttle's solid rocket motors, external fuel tank and the orbiter's umbilical region.

Flight director Paul Hill wants the imagery analysed and passed on to him while there is still enough time to take action in case a serious flaw is uncovered.

Module queue

When the shuttle fleet finally returns to space, Nasa wants to devote at least the first mission - and possibly the first two flights - to testing the tools, techniques and materials that are being developed to improve the shuttle's safety.

Space station assembly, already far behind schedule, will have to wait.

Managers said Atlantis would not ferry new crew members to the orbital outpost as originally planned, but instead would rely on the Russian Soyuz capsules to handle crew transport for the immediate future.

Ultimately, however, the station is dependent on the shuttle fleet to complete assembly.

Europe and Japan have science modules being prepared for launch at the Kennedy Space Center and 75% of the station's laboratory facilities and equipment are awaiting rides to orbit.

"Right now," said Gerstenmair, "the shuttle remains the quickest way to the space station."