| Leading edge sensor
Fitted within the shuttle's reinforced carbon leading edges, these tiny sensors will monitor for debris striking the orbiter's wings during take-off and orbital flight.
Their readings will be fed to a laptop computer on the flight deck, before being beamed back to mission control on the ground.
Damage to the leading edge of Columbia's left wing was determined to be the main cause of the 2003 accident.
The investigation board recommended that all leading edge wing panels on all remaining shuttles – made from Reinforced Carbon, and in the most part dating from the 1970s – should be replaced.
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