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CNN Live Today

Shuttle Fleet Expected to Fly Again in September

Aired August 02, 2002 - 13:38   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Two months after NASA grounded its entire space shuttle fleet due to the discovery of tiny cracks, officials are talking about when to resume space flights.
CNN Miami Bureau Chief, John Zarrella joins us now with details -- hi, John.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN MIAMI BUREAU CHIEF: Kyra, I kind of almost forgot we had a shuttle fleet for a while it has been so long, the end of June. Columbia was supposed to fly in early July. The shuttle was scrubbed, that mission, because of these tiny cracks, really hairline cracks that they found in all four shuttle vehicles, and that forced them to go ahead and ground those, and they found them right where you are looking now, in the metal liners, and you can see those cracks. Those are metal liners in the fuel flow lines, the lines that flow that super-cold liquid hydrogen to the main engines.

Well they announced today that they expect to be able to fly again, by the end of September, the first mission, but they said, they are not going to fly as is. That would be too dangerous. They are going to fix the cracks first.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RON DITTEMORE, SHUTTLE PROGRAM MANAGER: Our challenge has been to determine the most probable cause and then to identify repair options that mitigate these concerns. We looked at great length with flying as is, and determined in the end that there were just too many unknowns associated with that, too many assumptions that had to be made, and it would take us some period of time and fairly extensive science projects to get all of the unknowns resolved and all of the assumptions verified.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZARRELLA: So by the end of this week, now today into Monday, they should start with the welding process. What they are going to do is start welding those cracks. Then it is going to take them about seven to ten days to reinstall the main engines. And then, of course, the shakedowns, lead you all to about September 28 when Atlantis is expected to fly on a mission to the International Space Station, followed by a mission in November to the International Space Station to change out the crews, and then before the end of the year, the Columbia mission with the first Israeli astronaut, that was the one that was supposed to go in July. That should go by the end of the year. Now, that mid-November mission may get interrupted. I know, Kyra, you are a big fan of Lance Bass and 'NSync, and the reports we're hearing today is that the November mission could slide because by Monday we are expecting that Lance Bass and the Russians may ink a final deal for him to be the third space faring tourist, and he may head up to the International Space Station sometime in that November time frame. So, we will be watching for further developments on that front -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: All right, John. The last time I heard Lance Bass, when the kiddies were throwing a barbecue next door for some 12-year- old's birthday party, all right. I'm talking Frank Sinatra, pal, all right?

ZARRELLA: Fly me to the moon.

PHILLIPS: Exactly. You are just too smart, Zarrella. You got me. Very good. Thank you so much, John.

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