Jul 16 1987
From The Space Library
NASA announced that it had chosen the final design for the Space Shuttle's new rockets. Also, the Agency declared it had resolved the problem of Challenger's leaking seals. Hot gasses escaped during launch and the seals failed to close properly because of cold weather. John Thomas, Manager of the rockets design team at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, stated that henceforth the o-ring seals would be heated in cold weather rather than constructed of new materials. He also said that the new design would contain three o-ring seals instead of two. Thomas emphasized that up to eight more test firings of the Space Shuttle's solid rocket motor were planned before flights resume. (NY Times, July 17/87; W Post, July 17/87; W Times, July 17/87)
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