Aresearch.56
net.columbia
utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!mhtsa!research!sjb
Tue Sep 22 21:34:43 1981
fuel spill
A delay in the launch of the shuttle may be up to 1 or 2
weeks, as technicians must reglue some 300 tiles.  When
nitrogen tetroxide fuel was spilled on the ship, 52 tiles
fell off as the acid ate away at the super-glue that binds
them, and some 250 others were loosened.  NASA officials
hope that the orbiter will not have to be taken off the
pad and rolled back to the Vehicle Assembly Building, where
it would be disconnected from the SRB's and external tank,
in order to re-apply the tiles.  No specific delay time
was announced.