NASA Clears Shuttle for Thursday Landing

from National Public Radio

The space shuttle has been cleared to return to Earth on Thursday after NASA experts determined that unidentified material seen near the shuttle came was most likely insignificant bits of the shuttle itself. While debris as small as four inches can be tracked from earth, hundreds of thousands of smaller particles are orbiting earth, often the scattered remnants of jettisoned launch vehicles whose left over fuel exploded. These tiny bits traveling at high speeds relative to manned and unmanned vehicles in different orbits can do serious damage if the two orbits intersect. Robert Siegel talks with Dr. Mark Matney, Space Debris scientist at NASA Johnson Space Center.

Broadcast Dates

• All Things Considered, September 20, 2006