The engineers want more changes to be made to the vehicle's fuel tank, reports USA Today. They are also concerned about tiny defects in some of its electronic boxes.
NASA shuttle program manager Wayne Hale was quoted as saying the section of foam on the tank most prone to causing damage to the shuttle has been removed. But, the report said, he agreed other foam from the tank could still be hazardous.
Some engineers had earlier said the National Aeronautics and Space Administration should redesign small foam features that plummet off the tank during liftoff.
Hale said NASA officials opted to fly the tank without redesigning the ramps because a tank renovation should be tested on its own during a flight before other changes are made.
Discovery's mission to test repair techniques and work on the International Space Station is scheduled to lift off between July 1 and July 19.
Copyright 2006 by United Press International
Related stories:
Space Shuttle External Tank ET-128 Sets New Performance Standard During STS-124 Mission
When NASA's space shuttle Discovery launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., May 31, it was lifted from the launch pad with the help of a "new" external fuel tank, ET-128, which featured design changes made to improve performance and flight safety.
NASA to modify shuttle fuel sensors
U.S. space officials said they will modify a fuel sensor system on the space shuttle Atlantis to correct false readings.
Atlantis Returns to Kennedy Space Center
The space shuttle Atlantis and its seven-member crew lifted off Friday from NASA's Kennedy Space Center at 7:38 p.m. EDT to continue construction of the International Space Station.
Shuttle Atlantis Rolls Back Out to Launch Pad
Space shuttle Atlantis is back at its launch pad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla. Teams are preparing Atlantis for its mission, STS-117, to the International Space Station. Launch is targeted for June 8.
NASA may use a new shuttle fuel tank
NASA said it will transport a new shuttle external fuel tank to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida this week.
Atlantis Tank Repairs Under Way
Space Shuttle Atlantis is in the Vehicle Assembly Building for assessment and repairs due to a late February thunderstorm with hail.
Handheld 'T-ray' Device earns new $30,000 Lemelson-Rensselaer Student Prize
"T-rays" have been touted as the next breakthrough in sensing and imaging, but the need for bulky equipment has been an obstacle to reaching the field's potential. Enter Brian Schulkin, winner of the first-ever $30,000 Lemelson-Rensselaer Student Prize. Schulkin has invented an ultralight, handheld terahertz spectrometer — an advance that could help catapult T-ray technology from the lab bench to the marketplace.
NASA Names Manned Lunar Spaceship Contractor
Lessons from the past are guiding NASA's next step into the future, as the space agency prepares to replace the space shuttle with an Apollo-style vehicle for human explorers.
