Refitted fuel tank poised to work

  

Astronauts assigned to NASA's first space shuttle mission since the 2003 Columbia disaster say they are confident mistakes and technical problems that led to that accident are in the past.

    BEIJING, Jan. 9 (Xinhuanet) -- The seven astronauts of the Discovery, to carry out NASA's first space shuttle mission since the 2003 Columbia disaster, expressed their eagerness to return to orbit and resume America's human spaceflight program.

    "It's time for us to go fly," said the shuttle's commander, Col. Eileen M. Collins of the Air Force, in a news conference, the first for the Discovery crew.

    Two years of research and testing to reduce the shedding of foam from the shuttle's liquid-fuel tank have solved the problem that doomed the Columbia, Colonel Collins said.

    "If it wasn't safe, I wouldn't get on it," she added.

    Launch is set for mid-May and Collins and her five-man, one-woman crew are scheduled to spend 13 days in space on what NASA managers are calling a test flight to practice inspection procedures and heat shield repair techniques developed since the Columbia accident.

    Columbia fell from the sky over Texas on February 1, 2003, breaking up as it re-entered the atmosphere because of damage to the leading edge of its left wing. All seven astronauts aboard were killed.

    Besides Colonel Collins and Dr. Camarda, 52, the crew members are the pilot, Lt. Col. James M. Kelly, 40, of the Air Force; and four mission specialists, Stephen K. Robinson, 49, who has a doctorate in mechanical engineering; Andrew S. W. Thomas, 53, who also has a doctorate in mechanical engineering; Capt. Wendy B. Lawrence, 45, of the Navy; and Soichi Noguchi, 39, of the Japanese Space Agency. Mr. Noguchi and Dr. Camarda are the only crew members without spaceflight experience.

    Dr. Robinson and Mr. Noguchi will conduct three spacewalks to practice repair work. Enditem

    (Agencies)