"The Tank Performed Very, Very Well Indeed"

Though it was frustratingly overshadowed Tuesday by subsequent developments from North Korea, the successful launch of the space shuttle Discovery certainly bears mentioning again... especially as it appears, at least for now, that a major issue on past shuttle launches has been nearly resolved.

"I have a good report," Space Shuttle Program Manager Wayne Hale announced at a Tuesday evening press conference. "The tank performed very, very well indeed."

He's referring, of course, to the shuttle's troubleprone external fuel tank... and the foam insulation covering it. Hale says that based on early analysis of photographs taken during ascent, however, just a few items have been identified for further study.

Some of those issues involve debris particles shed by the massive orange tank, which supplies liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen to the orbiter's three main engines during the climb to orbit. The particles observed are small, though, and all occur after the time frame -- up to two minutes, 15 seconds into ascent -- that engineers consider to be the most aerodynamically sensitive time for the shuttle.

Another object that gave NASA some tense moments -- a large piece of ice that mission commander Steve Lindsey observed floating by the cockpit window about fifteen minutes into the flight -- was determined to be a nonissue. Hale said the ice --which forms exterior of the main engines as the shuttle leaves Earth's atmosphere -- has been observed on previous flights and is not considered a problem.

"We don't see any concern for the orbiter," Hale reported, and added that in the coming days, the STS-121 crew will take a closer look at Discovery using the orbiter boom sensor system as well a slow back flip that will allow further photography of the orbiter from the International Space Station.

As Aero-News reported in Realtime Tuesday, Discovery lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in a spectacular display of sound and light... the ultimate bottle rocket, befitting of Independence Day.

Discovery and its crew of seven astronauts roared from Launch Pad 39B to begin a 15,000-mph chase to rendezvous with the International Space Station. The orbiter is expected to dock with the station Thursday.

FMI: www.nasa.gov