Here is the definitive, comprehensive history of the space shuttle missions of 2007. The 2007 Agenda: Building the Orbital Outpost
For NASA, the ghost of the 2003 Columbia disaster loomed large. A breach in the Thermal Protection System (TPS) was no longer a minor maintenance issue; it was a potential catastrophe. The 2007 mission became a definitive proving ground for a suite of newly developed, crack-free repair techniques, laser inspection systems, and spacewalk protocols that ultimately saved the mission and redefined orbital safety. The Launch and the Gouge: A Familiar Threat space shuttle mission 2007 crack free
Purpose
Following the tragic loss of the Columbia in 2003, the primary directive for every subsequent Space Shuttle mission was safety and the absolute integrity of the Thermal Protection System (TPS). The 2007 mission of Space Shuttle Atlantis, designated STS-117, became a critical test of this post-Columbia era, particularly after pre-launch damage threatened to cause a crack or failure in the orbiter’s structure. Here is the definitive, comprehensive history of the