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launch videos seemed to implicate the

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foam strike near panel 8l as the cause

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of the breach at the time of the

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Columbia accident it was unknown whether

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or not a foam impact could break an RCC

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panel to find out NASA began ballistic

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impact tests while the RCC panel was

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still being investigated NASA Glenn

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ballistics impact researchers

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constructed a unique gas gun for small

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scale ballistic testing of external tank

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foam impacting RCC the gun barrel was

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mounted to a vacuum chamber a critical

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capability enabling impact tests at low

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pressure low temperature conditions

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similar to those during the Columbia

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foam strike the small-scale tests proved

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a foam strike could indeed break the RCC

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material

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the ballistics impact facility was

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modified to run tests to support

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full-scale testing of an actual RCC

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panel 8l with similar flight history

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NASA Glenn personnel joined other NASA

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experts at the Southwest Research

26
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Institute near San Antonio Texas where

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the full-scale impact tests were

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conducted NASA Glenn provided extensive

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photographic instrumentation and data

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acquisition equipment as well as

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analysis expertise for the tests when

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the angles speed and size of the foam

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projectile were set to simulate

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the impact created a whole 16 by 17

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inches in RCC panel 8l confirming

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findings of other investigation teams