Space Shuttle Damage

15,000 Hits And Counting HITS CAUSING DAMAGE AT LEAST ONE INCH IN DIAMETER Shuttle flights since April 1983 50 100 150 200 The space shuttles have been hit by debris thousands of times during the program. Over the next week, NASA will look for possible debris damage the Discovery may have suffered during yesterday's launching and assessing whether it poses a risk to the shuttle. 1983 Challenger Explosion "84 85 250 300 "86 "88 89 "90 Atlantis Struck by debris from the nose cone of a solid rocket 91 LOWER SURFACE IMPACTS For 99 shuttle flights from April 1983 to April 2002 92 booster 85 seconds after liftoff causing 707 dents, 298 larger than one inch in diameter. • Hits causing damage less than one inch in diameter 93 • Hits causing damage at least one inch in diameter "94 Columbia Foam debris "95 from the external tank causes more than 100 "96 dents and spurs NASA to begin a program to resolve foam-shedding. REINFORCED "97 CARBON-CARBON PANELS 98 Area of debris damage to Columbia 2000 Columbia WHEEL WELLS-- "01 Disintegration *02 "03 RIGHT WING LEFT WING EXTERNAL TANK ATTACH FITTING Nate: Diagram does not include the 1986 Challenger mission. Sources: Stafford-Covey Return to Flight Task Group: Columbia Accident Investigation Report: NASA David Constantine/The New York Times