Items in sci.space.shuttle

Subject:Re: Shuttle Foam Test Yields Hole in Wing - Associated Press
Date:Tue, 08 Jul 2003 11:09:30 +0200
From:Jan C. Vorbrüggen <jvorbrueggen@mediasec.de>
Newsgroups:sci.space.shuttle
> It was my impression that the tests used the same foam mass and speed, and
> the main variables were 1) the first RCC test used an (age unknown) panel 6
> while today's used panel 8 from Discovery (the fleet leader), and 2) the
> angle of impact (corner vs. full-side).

I believe that the panel 6 that was used was also from Discovery, or possibly
Atlantis, which have seen a similar number of missions. The big difference is
that panel 6 is short and only slightly curved, while panel 8 is the largest
of all and strongly curved.

Seems Columbia suffered the hit at the worst possible spot.

	Jan