Foam Test Damages Shuttle Wing’s Leading Edge
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Yesterday (May 28) a 1.67 pound block of foam was fired at 530 mph toward the leading edge of a Space Shuttle wing to test what damage might occur.
The leading edge moved and deformed when it was hit, and a T-seal between sections of the leading edge broke loose, exposing a gap between those sections.
This is what is believed to have happened to Columbia’s wing upon liftoff. The gap in the wing edge allowed 3000-degree-plus gases to get inside the wing during re-entry and caused Columbia to destabilize and break apart.
Final foam tests are scheduled for early June.
