spacetoday.net: Crack found in Columbia's engines

Posted: Wed, Jul 3, 2002, 8:48 PM ET (0048 GMT)
Shuttle main engine inspection (NASA/KSC)

Engineers have found at least one crack in flow liners in the engines of shuttle Columbia, the third orbiter where such cracks have been discovered. NASA officials confirmed late Tuesday that one crack had been found in a flow liner of a liquid hydrogen line in Columbia's main engines; the crack was described as similar in size to those previously found in the engine assemblies in Atlantis and Discovery. Investigations of Columbia's engines are expected to continue into next week, and studies of how the cracks formed and how much of a threat they post to shuttle safety are ongoing. Endeavour, which returned to the Kennedy Space Center last weekend, will also be inspected. NASA has made no statement regarding what impact the flow liner problem will have on the schedule of upcoming launches, but in the worst case the entire fleet could be grounded for months while repairs of the orbiters' engines are made.