NASA updates media on Space Shuttle External Tank work

Allard Beutel/Katherine Trinidad
Headquarters, Washington August 10, 2005
(Phone: 202/358-4769, -3749)

June Malone
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
(Phone: 256/544-0034)

MEDIA ADVISORY: M05-133

NASA UPDATES MEDIA ON SPACE SHUTTLE EXTERNAL TANK WORK

NASA will update reporters on the work of two engineering teams looking
into why a large piece of External Tank insulating foam broke off during
Space Shuttle Discovery's liftoff. International Space Station Program
Manager Bill Gerstenmaier, who is leading the effort, will speak with the
media Thursday, Aug. 11, at 2 p.m. EDT via telephone conference call.

Media interested in participating in the event should contact Ashley Nutter,
NASA Public Affairs, by noon EDT Thursday at 202/358-0468.

Audio of the teleconference also will be streamed live on the Internet at:

http://www.nasa.gov/newsaudio

The engineering teams already have begun work to understand the causes
behind the foam loss, which was identified in imagery taken during
Discovery's launch July 26. The first team, known as the Marshall Action
Team, was set up by the Space Shuttle Program to look at the in-flight
anomaly of the foam loss. The team is led by Dr. Raymond "Corky" Clinton of
the Exploration Science and Technology Division based at NASA's Marshall
Space Flight Center (MSFC), Huntsville, Ala. The team includes some of the
agency's top experts on the Space Shuttle External Tank, as well as
contractors. Work is divided among five sub-teams.

The Marshall Action Team has begun working through a fault-tree analysis, a
methodical look at nearly all possible causes of an incident. Once that work
is complete, the group is expected to produce a plan to address the cause of
the foam loss.

The second team, known as the External Tank Tiger Team, was chartered by the
Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington to
perform an independent engineering assessment of work to resolve the foam
loss issue. The tiger team will participate in and review work done by the
Marshall Action Team. As necessary, the team will make recommendations to
NASA Space Operations and Safety management.

In NASA parlance, a "tiger team" is a panel set up to work on a specific
issue or task. In this case, the tiger team brings together engineering
expertise from around the agency. Its leader is Dr. Richard Gilbrech, deputy
director of the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC), Langley, Va. The
Tiger Team's work does not specifically fall under NESC activities, but
Gilbrech's experience at NESC is expected to help the Tiger Team in its
oversight role.

Members of the External Tank Tiger Team a
--David Hamilton, NESC Chief Engineer, Johnson Space Center (JSC), Houston
--Dr. Michael P. Nemeth, Langley Research Center, Langley, Va.
--Dr. Donald Pettit, Astronaut, JSC
--Dr. Charles Schafer, MSFC
--Timmy Wilson, NESC Chief Engineer, Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Fla.
--Harry Dean, MSFC, Close-Call Investigation Ex-Officio Member

On August 5, NASA Administrator Michael Griffin discussed the teams' work
with reporters. A transcript is available at:

http://www.nasa.gov/returntoflight

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Jacques :-)

www.spacepatches.info