Space shuttle delivers a feel-good Fourth

Alan Boyle Science editor • Profile • E-mail

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Discovery lifted off Tuesday on NASA's first Independence Day space shuttle launch — producing a swell of patriotism as well as some positive news about shuttle safety.

Discovery commander Steve Lindsey set the patriotic tone during the final minutes of the countdown, saying "I can't think of a better place to be on the Fourth of July." He promised to give observers "an up-close and personal look at the rocket's red glare."

The launch didn't disappoint on that score. After an on-time launch at 2:37:55 p.m. ET, the shuttle ascended on a pillar of fire and exhaust, arcing around a single cloud that passed over Kennedy Space Center.

Tuesday's sunny holiday weather came as a relief to launch managers, who had to postpone the launch on Saturday and Sunday due to threatening clouds.

"No, we did not plan to launch on the Fourth of July, but it sure did work out to be great to launch on Independence Day," shuttle program manager Wayne Hale told reporters. "Great nations dare great things, and take risks along the way, and I can think of no better way to explore the space frontier than the way we set out today."

Consoles at Kennedy Space Center's launch control center were festooned with American flags — and Discovery's seven astronauts waved flags as they headed out to the launch pad. The six Americans carried the Stars and Stripes, while German astronaut Thomas Reiter held his country's tricolor.

Discovery's 12-day mission is aimed at testing safety modifications made since the shuttle's last flight, almost a year ago. The shuttle also will resupply the international space station, install new equipment on the station and leave Reiter behind as the station's third crew member.

Concern over flyaway foam
The day's celebratory air was capped by Hale's first assessment of the external fuel tank's performance — a review that was anxiously awaited, considering that foam loss from the tank during last year's launch led to a halt in shuttle flights until Tuesday.

NASA-TV This image, captured from NASA TV, shows the shuttle's much-reviewed external fuel tank heading to Earth after launch.

More than 100 cameras followed Tuesday's launch from the ground, from the air and from the shuttle and tank itself — and NASA managers as well as journalists quickly started poring over the imagery.

"I think the tank performed very, very well indeed ... very pleased," Hale said at an evening review of the initial imagery. "As opposed to where we were last year, we saw nothing that gives us any kind of concern about the health of the crew or the vehicle."

He acknowledged that the performance wasn't flawless: Bits of foam insulation were seen flying off the tank five times, including one occasion when a piece that may be larger than NASA's standard may have touched the orbiter, he said. But every occasion occurred after the 135-second mark, too late to do significant damage to the orbiter. "The really good news is that it happened late," Hale said.

The performance of the foam has been a key concern for NASA since the 2003 Columbia tragedy, when the loss of the shuttle and its crew was blamed on damage done by tank-foam debris. The tank was redesigned for Discovery's flight last year, then redesigned a second time when cameras spotted potentially hazardous foam loss.

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