(Discovery) is a competency test for us. If we fail in that effort, then we have probably failed to demonstrate the competency to carry out that vision at all. |
[The insulation blanket problem, however,] is a new one, ... I think in the old days we might not have worried about this so much. |
And we're approaching that with a great deal of care. |
Any time you have pieces come off your craft in flight it's a really bad day. |
Are there parts of the shuttle that we haven't identified that we need to worry about? I hope not. But realistically there is something that we will uncover in the days to come that we need to work on. |
As of this day, it's my understanding we are still going to fly with some risk. To characterize otherwise would be inappropriate ... (The risk) is very, very low, but I don't think we've driven it to zero. |
Before we set an official launch date, we've got to get through some of the near term work. I think we're beginning to get our hands well around the problems we have. |
but that would require a near-term lucky find. |
Clearly you can't have many more big, long stand-downs and accomplish the number of flights that it's going to take to assemble the International Space Station by that date. |
could be bad. ... And I'd rather not have that. |
Every EVA is risky business. You need to have a good reason to do it. |
Everything seems to be looking very good for a landing Monday evening at the Kennedy Space Center. |
Final schedule setting will depend on how soon the workforce can get back online. |
Flying a re-entry from 17,500 miles per hour to stop in this 100-ton glider that has got one shot at a runway is not what normal, sane people would normally call safe. |
Flying a re-entry is not what normal sane people would normally call safe. |