Space Shuttle Wing Damaged

The wing flaps on Space Shuttle Atlantis were damaged last week during routine maintenance at NASA Kennedy Space Center. The damage occurred while test were being done on the elevons – the flaps that move to control the movement of the Shuttle through the atmosphere.

The damage was done to “flipper” doors #4 and #12 on left outboard and right inboard wing over the actuators. The flipper doors have been temporarily closed with the push/pull rods disconnected and taped to the door. The rods caught on the structure during movement thus damaging the rods, rocker arms, and structure.

Repairs are already underway and are not expected to affect the Space Shuttle launch schedule.