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The external tank of Atlantis is pitted with hail marks Credit: NASA/KSC CAPE CANAVERAL: A hailstorm inflicted hundreds of small dents on the external fuel tank and wing of the space shuttle Atlantis, causing NASA to postpone next month's launch. The launch, which had been set for March 15, was yesterday pushed back to at least late April, to give the U.S. space agency time to make repairs. NASA technicians planned to move the orbiter back to a giant hangar to examine the damage and decide whether repairs can be made at the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. The damage was concentrated in the upper third of the 47-metre-tall external tank, a section that holds liquid oxygen propellant. "This constitutes, in our evaluation, the worst damage we have ever seen of hail on the external tank," said Wayne Hale, manager of the space shuttle program. NASA expects the damage will not however affect their schedule of five planned shuttle launches to continue construction of the International Space Station this year. During their 11 days in space, Atlantis' astronauts must deliver a 16,000 kg addition to the international space station, the heaviest ever, along with a new pair of solar arrays. Crew members are also supposed to unfurl the solar arrays, fold up an old pair and conduct at least three spacewalks. Monday evening's thunderstorms moved quickly and had winds of up to 96 km per hour. The hail was between 1.5 and 5 cm in diameter and landed only at the NASA space centre. We consider three-quarters-of-an-inch-sized (two-centimetre-sized) hail to be "severe," said David Sharp, a meteorologist with The U.S. National Weather Service. "Most people didn't see thunderstorms, let alone severe thunderstorms," Sharp said. "It only occurred in one location, and that was NASA's Kennedy Space Centre complex." In 1999, hail from a storm caused extensive damage to the space shuttle Discovery's external tank, forcing NASA to delay a launch and return the spacecraft to the Vehicle Assembly Building. Previously, in 1995, fuel-tank damage to Discovery was caused by a pair of woodpeckers that drilled about 200 holes in the rust-coloured foam insulation, apparently in an attempt to roost and build nests. Hail also hit the external tank of Atlantis in 1990, causing minor damage. The insulating foam on the external tank is of special concern to NASA since foam flew off space shuttle Columbia during lift off in 2003 and struck the orbiter. The damage allowed fiery gases to penetrate the shuttle during re-entry, breaking up the craft and killing the seven astronauts aboard. NASA then redesigned the external tank, removing large amounts of foam, before last year's three successful shuttle missions. The space agency plans another design change to the tank before the shuttle program ends in 2010. More information: 
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