Safety panel says NASA struggling to meet three safety requirements

Safety panel says NASA struggling to meet three safety requirements

A safety panel ruled yesterday that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have failed to meet the three safety requirements for the re-launch of the Space Shuttle after a period of almost 2.5 years. NASA has assured many times in the past that they would comply with the specifications before the launch date of the shuttle. However, the panel has said that they think the Shuttle is safe enough to be considered for the mission.

NASA has been working exhaustively since the last 2.5 years to get the shuttle back to space. However, they have still failed to eliminate the possibility of dangerous pieces of foam and ice from breaking off the external fuel tank during the launch. They also say that the agency has no clear idea of all the potential threats from ice.

There are no updates on whether NASA is indeed going to fly the shuttle to space as scheduled during the middle of the next month. Michael Griffin personally said that he is open to various opinions on the safety of the shuttle and welcomes a healthy debate on the issue. He has already made it clear sometime ago that NASA would have the final word on whether the shuttle is safe enough for the launch or not.

NASA has planned for a daytime launch for the next couple of missions to get a clear view of the launch in ideal lighting conditions. The aim is to check for any damage to the outer shell of the shuttle during the launch time.