Former Astronaut Tom Jones on Shuttle Safety

NASA’s “Go” for Launch, But Is the Space Shuttle?, Tom Jones, Popular Mechanics

“With Discovery barely into her first day in orbit, NASA effectively grounded the shuttle fleet until the foam problem could be licked. Whatever relief Discovery’s crew felt at having literally dodged a bullet was crushed by the clear evidence that NASA’s attempts to solve the foam loss problem for good had failed. Now, after nearly a year of troubleshooting and repeated delays, the question remains: Is the shuttle safe?”