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ANOTHER SHUTTLE WING DANGER

WASHINGTON (July 9, 2003) - Superheated gases penetrated the left wing of the space shuttle Atlantis during its fiery return to Earth nearly three years before a larger breach in nearly the same location is believed to have doomed the shuttle Columbia and its seven astronauts, internal NASA documents show. Atlantis suffered no irreparable damage after the May 2000 episode, and, after repairs, it returned to flight four months later. But after the incident, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration ordered fleetwide changes in how employees install protective wing panels and sealants. The small leak through a seam in Atlantis' wing during its return from the International Space Station was disclosed in documents sought by The Associated Press under the Freedom of Information Act. NASA blamed the breach on an improperly installed seal that became dislodged, opening a quarter-inch gap between insulating materials.

We at Spaceport666 thank Mr. Bridis for that excerpt. We would also like to comment that this wing incident,too, follows the pattern of alien terroristic activity mentioned in our previous story on the shuttle wing disaster.