[Windflier]

I was thinking along the lines of an access hole, maybe 6" in diameter drilled/machined through the head when it was constructed. Pull out a blank plug, insert a shaft driven drill of suitable type, water cool the bit, examine shavings washed backwards for what the head is up against.

I don't know for a fact that the cutter head isn't designed with such a feature already. I've only done a bit of light reading on this machine in the last few days.

Who knows? Maybe the reporters don't know what the hell they're talking about. I'd say that's a virtual certainty, given what we know of today's media. Bertha is as sophisticated as anything we fly in space. I doubt the engineers would have forgotten something so basic to the design.

[The Cajun]

I was just thinking if they have some capability like that, which common sense says they should, they should have a sample of what's hanging them up by now.

One would think?