Thunderstorms threaten Discovery's 2nd launch
(AFP)
Updated: 2006-07-03 09:07
"And this is a risk worth taking at this time to get us back on track in
space," he said.
NASA chief safety officer Bryan O'Connor and chief engineer Chris Scolese had
called for a six-month delay to the launch to redesign foam on the fuel tank.
But the two officials backed the launch after NASA said the astronauts could
take refuge on the ISS and wait for a rescue mission should the shuttle suffer
irreparable damage.
The space agency has installed cameras on the shuttle and its fuel tank to
detect any loss of foam during liftoff.
The shuttle's inspection will continue in space as Discovery will perform a
backflip before docking to the ISS so space station crew members can photograph
its heat shield.
The images will show whether NASA's fuel tank modifications have succeeded,
Griffin said.
NASA's chief has said the Discovery mission was crucial to returning to
regular shuttle flights. Griffin wants to conduct four shuttle missions a year
to complete the space station by 2010, when the 25-year-old fleet is scheduled
to retire.
Finishing the ISS is crucial to US space exploration ambitions, which include
returning astronauts to the Moon and eventually sending a manned mission to
Mars, he said.
"It's about creating a toehold off the surface of the Earth and using it as a
stepping stone to Mars, which is a long-term goal for not only NASA and the
United States, but for all mankind," he told Fox News.
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