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Shuttle repair techniques not required for return to flight<br /><br />KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. (CBS) - NASA remains on track for launching the shuttle Discovery on the first post-Columbia mission next May or June, senior agency managers said today. While certified techniques for on-orbit repair of tile or wing leading edge damage may not be available by then, efforts to minimize foam debris impacts, coupled with a variety of other safety upgrades and the "safe haven" provided by the space station, give managers confidence the shuttle can safely return to flight sometime next spring. <br /><br />The next available launch window for mission STS-114 opens May 12 and closes June 3. Engineers at the Kennedy Space Center currently are in the process of stacking the ship's twin solid-fuel boosters and installing three hydrogen-fueled main engines. Discovery's external fuel tank, the subject of extensive insulation design changes in the wake of the 2003 Columbia disaster, is scheduled to arrive at the spaceport around Jan. 5. <br /><br />Rest of Article Here:<br />http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n0412/06rtfupdate/ <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>"1) Give no quarter; 2) Take no prisoners; 3) Sink everything." Admiral Jackie Fisher</p> </div>