The Nation : Booster Rocket Test Set

The first redesigned space shuttle booster rocket was set to be test-fired today in a crucial milestone that will go a long way in determining whether NASA will be able to resume shuttle flights next year. The shuttle fleet has been grounded since the January, 1986, Challenger explosion triggered by the failure of a joint between two segments of one of the ship’s twin solid propellant boosters. The joints in the 14-story-tall rocket have since been redesigned and a variety of other changes has been made to prevent a repeat of the accident that killed seven crew members. “We want to get on with it, we want to show the world we’ve done a good job on the redesign,” said Royce Mitchell, National Aeronautics and Space Administration project manager for the shuttle’s solid-rocket motor program.