[burzum]

It could all be fixed if the friggin NASA people would go against the Greenies and go BACK to manufacturing the foam the old way.

Not true. Snopes really should have an article on this by now. The foam that destroyed the Columbia was BX-250, a freon based foam. Additionally, foam fell off of 80% of flights that were observed (low resolution videos) by the CAIB. Foam fell off of the orbiter before most parts of the external fuel tank had their foam changed to non-freon based foam.

I would say that the shuttle probably sheds less foam that it ever has, before and after the EPA regulation change.

[SierraWasp]

Where did you come up with this? I don't believe it for a minute. There were way too many MSM articles about this being the cause of the last shuttle disaster to have ALL been wrong!!! GANG-GREEN KILLS!!!

[alecqss]

Well, speaking of events...

You're correct CFC 11 (BX-250), but - only literally.

BX-250 was banned in 2001 in favor of HCFC 141b, an agent friendlier to the environment. The EPA allowed to continue use of recycled or recovered CFC 11 until HCFC 141b was certified for use on the Shuttle.

Mandated by EPA use of the recycled foam caused much larger than before break-offs and doomed Columbia.

Just like ban on asbestos doomed Challenger.

[Ronaldus Magnus]

foam fell off of 80% of flights that were observed (low resolution videos) by the CAIB.

If this is correct, then the entire shuttle program is inexcusably flawed with a catastrophic design error.