Space Shuttle One Step Closer To July Launch

Mictian writes "The risk to the space shuttle from launch debris, mainly ice falling off the external tank, has been reduced and is now low enough to be considered 'an acceptable risk,' NASA's shuttle engineers and managers concluded in the debris verification meeting held Saturday at Kennedy Space Center. The board recommended a green light for a July launch, which Shuttle Program Manager Bill Parsons accepted. The independent Return to Flight Task Group will hold its final meeting on June 27th to determine if the remaining 3 (out of 15) hurdles to launch are cleared, as mentioned in previous Slashdot coverage."

Re:"Acceptable Risk"?

[s20451]

How about "The risk is not unusually large for a situation in which you strap yourself to several hundred tons of explosives and light them."

Re:The risk of ice falling has been reduced!

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah because a humid day in Florida will definitely take care of thousands upon thousands of gallons of cryogenic fuel forming ice on the tank.

Re:Successor to the shuttle?

[__aaclcg7560]

MARS OR BUST! However, what kind of vehicle and who pays for it has not been decided. (Don't you just love unfunded government mandates!) I'm sure the Russians will throw in a few bottles of Vodka and a grandstand for the launching ceremony.

Re:Easy.

[Yr0]

Man that rocks.

A space shuttle lunch, man, that'd be one hell of a sandwich.

Re:Successor to the shuttle?

[Anne_Nonymous]

They switch to a Balsa vehicle and VLRB (Very Large Rubber Band) launcher.