[Cincinatus]

Environmental requirements requiring removal of freon from the process for spraying the foam insulation onto the tank. NASA has said that the freon-free application method resulted in foam that initially did not adhere to the tank as well, but changes were later made to strengthen the bond of the environmentally friendly foam.

We saved the ozone layer, but destroyed the Shuttle. RIP, Columbia astronauts.

[anymouse]

Thank Al-bore for this "save the Planet - kill astronauts" politics over safety decision.

[Paleo Conservative]

The new method should not have been used in launch vehicles till the bugs were worked out.

[snopercod]

The problem is worse than this article states.

Challenger and two Titan III's were lost partially due to the replacement of asbestos-bearing putty with zinc chromate putty to seal the booster segments.

Also, the solvents and adhesives used in the booster mating procecures were changed, resulting in O-ring blowby similar to that which brought down the Challenger.

It continues to this day. NASA is a pitifull, helpless, giant...

[brityank]

The foam was never attached correctly from the start. There is no reinforcing mesh embedded or used between adjacent sections. Additionally, no protective impermeable membrane is covering, allowing gaseous liquefaction in the voids against the super cold Hydrogen and Oxygen tanks of the ET.

I posted Bill Harwood's report on bonesmccoy's thread, there is a lot of good info in the preceding 3000 posts there too.

[Malsua]

The fact that enviro-nazis ensured that those Astronauts died is despicable.

When the Shuttle launched and Ice and foam didn't detach from the main tank because of "EVIL" pollution the world was a better place. Columbia died because of green policies. Sickening.