Spacewalking Astronauts Test Repair Goo

'Caulk-like' stuff could avert disaster
By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 21, 2008 12:31 PM CDT
Spacewalking Astronauts Test Repair Goo
This image from NASA TV shows astronauts during a spacewalk Thursday, March 20, 2008.   (AP Photo/NASA)

Spacewalking astronauts successfully tested a high-tech goo that can be used to repair heat shields and help avert a repeat of the 2003 Columbia shuttle disaster, the Houston Chronicle reports. In work reminiscent of a “tile-and-grout” job, astronauts sprayed the pink caulk onto shuttle sections that were purposely damaged. “Having this in our bag of tricks is really going to be helpful," said one of the astronauts.

“I'm thrilled with what we saw today,” said a flight director. The goo is intended to repair tiles on the underbelly of shuttles, Space.com reports, but NASA hopes never to have to use it. Such damaged tiles are what doomed Columbia. The astronauts head Earthward on the shuttle Endeavour on Monday after a record-long 16-day mission. (More International Space Station stories.)

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