We're going to get to the practical solution to ensure that we don't lose large amounts of foam off that tank. That's clearly something that we've got to do to fly safely. |
We're going to keep (Atlantis) in as near flight-ready condition as we can without putting it through a (modification and overhaul) so we can use those parts. |
We've been concentrating ... on the foam application, so we've put a lower priority on the engine cutoff sensor, but it has been on the list of things to do. |
We've had 10 poles, we've won four races - that's more than anybody else has. |
We've had a really great flight this time. |
We've looked end-to-end at the shuttle to make improvements and make it safer than it has ever been. |
We've put a lot of precautions forward to make sure that there will be no problems, but just to avoid anything that might be lurking out there that maybe we didn't catch, we have decided that we want to be on the ground. |
where might it go and what might it do. |
You don't want to fool around with that because you can't stand for those things to come loose when you go Mach 4. That would be a bad thing. If the answer comes back and says the cable tray will come off, then that's not something we're going to fly with. |
You guys ought to be aware, and we have got to make it clear to everybody we talk to, when we launch the next flight, there is still going to be foam come off the tank. |
Your gut says it's probably an OK thing to do, but you don't want to bet the safety of the vehicle on intuition. |