Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: Shuttle tiles
Message-ID: <1990Nov13.041019.10680@zoo.toronto.edu>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
References: <17415@thorin.cs.unc.edu>
Date: Tue, 13 Nov 90 04:10:19 GMT

In article <17415@thorin.cs.unc.edu> ornat@ornat.cs.unc.edu (Steven Ornat) writes:
>Does NASA still have to replace tiles on the shuttle after they
>return or has that problem been solved?

The tiles generally no longer fall off -- just as well! -- but still suffer
minor damage during takeoff and landing.  A few dozen tiles are replaced
after each mission, usually because of surface nicks and dents.

The really labor-intensive part of the tiles -- inspecting, testing the
strength of the bond to the orbiter skin, and measuring edge gaps for
*each and every tile* after each mission -- continues, however.  It has
been reduced a bit by using large one-piece blankets rather than small
tiles in low-temperature areas.
-- 
"I don't *want* to be normal!"         | Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
"Not to worry."                        |  henry@zoo.toronto.edu   utzoo!henry