[olivia3boys]

I recently watched a great really long documentary about this launch—it must be hard to be the naysayer but he was right. Like the guy in “The Big Short” (great movie).

And weren’t these O rings/new kind of foam a consequence of a new “green” policy as well?

RIP. And to the crew on the flight as well.

[dfwgator]

Like the guy in “The Big Short” (great movie).

Or Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park.

[heartwood]

Not so much green as pork. Boosters were disassembled and shipped by rail to Utah IIRC for maintenance by manufacturer. Then back to Florida.

One piece boosters would have been too big to travel.

[KarlInOhio]

The foam issue was on the Columbia. A new propellant was used in the foam coating the mail fuel tank, although Wikipedia said the tank on the Columbia used the older CFC propellant when spraying on the foam.

[VTenigma]

And weren’t these O rings/new kind of foam a consequence of a new “green” policy as well?

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No. That was the foam insulation on the liquid fuel tank that would shed frozen foam and damage the orbiters tiles possibly leading to the Columbia re-entry breakup.