First test-firing for redesigned shuttle booster rocket.

First test-firing for redesigned shuttle booster rocket

It may seem like a tiny step in the long line of U.S. space achievements, but this week's test-firing of a redesigned version of the shuttle booster rocket is critical to the resuscitation of the space program, which has suffered a string of mishaps, beginning with the tragic explosion of the space shuttle Challenger on Jan. 28, 1986. Detailed results of the test, which was conducted in the desert near Brigham City, Utah, are expected to be known shortly. Success of the test is crucial if NASA is to meet its target date of June 1988 for the resumption of shuttle flights. Initial responses of officials from NASA and the rocket's manufacturer, Morton Thiokol, Inc., indicated there were no early signs of problems with the firing. The test was postponed for three days due to problems with various electronic and water-cooling systems, which did not relate directly to the performance of the rocket itself. Analysis of the results will focus on whether any exhaust gas leakage occurred in the joints that connect the booster's main segments. Such a leak, in the rubber O-rings that seal the joints, is believed to have triggered the explosion of Challenger.