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This: The space shuttle Discovery, now in orbit, shook loose some chunks of insulation from its fuel tank as it took off from Cape Canaveral on July 26. This debris, the consistency of pumice stone, caused scrapes to the fragile tiles that protect the shuttle vehicle from catastrophic heating as it re-enters the earth’s atmosphere. Ominously, this is the type of damage that doomed the shuttle Columbia. NASA spokesmen say Discovery’s damage is less severe. They haven’t said explicitly what everyone is thinking: that it would be very nice if Discovery didn’t catch fire and explode on its return, as...

SPACE CENTER, Houston (AP) - Space shuttle Discovery unhitched Saturday from the orbital outpost its astronauts called home for nine days, readying itself for the long, dangerous journey back to Earth. (snip) NASA officials, meanwhile, said they were looking into whether a small crack in the foam on Discovery's fuel tank may have caused a 1-pound section of insulation to break off during its climb to orbit. The piece of foam, which was reminiscent of the one that doomed Columbia, did not hit Discovery. However, the large piece of foam did cause the space agency to suspend future flights until...

NASA Defends Shuttle's Thermal Tiles 1 hour, 30 minutes ago Add Top Stories - AP to My Yahoo! By PAUL RECER, AP Science Writer SPACE CENTER, Houston - NASA (news - web sites) on Wednesday defended the thermal tile system that has come under suspicion in the space shuttle Columbia disaster, saying it has worked well for many flights. AP Photo (Reuters Video) (AP Video) Space Shuttle Columbia Special Coverage The space agency was warned in a technical report at least nine years ago that the heat-protection tiles on the undersides of the shuttle's wings were susceptible to damage...