STS-131 Space Shuttle Discovery launch

April 5, 2010. Photo Credit NASA/Ben Cooper

Source: Florida Today

On the eve of its retirement, the nation’s shuttle fleet is flying at peak performance.

The number of problems encountered during launch preparations has been dropping significantly since NASA’s three orbiters returned to flight after the 2003 Columbia accident.

The shuttle’s solid rocket boosters and liquid-fueled main engines have been operating without significant problems.

NASA is making significant progress in solving the external tank foam-shedding problem that doomed Columbia’s astronauts during their atmospheric reentry.

And a FLORIDA TODAY review of NASA records shows a remarkable downward trend in the number of problems Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour have encountered during 18 post-Columbia shuttle missions.

The upshot of all this:

Astronauts have been free to focus on challenging construction jobs rather than shuttle repair work as NASA strives to complete assembly of the $100 billion International Space Station and retire the fleet.

To continue reading this story: http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20100411/NEWS02/4110317/Shuttle+safer+than+ever