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| An investigation into the Columbia disaster found that foam debris falling from the bipod, a fitting on the upper section of the external fuel tank used to attach it to the orbiter, punctured the left wing, allowing superheated atmospheric gases to penetrate the shuttle and destroy it on re-entry. The old bipod design used the thick sheets of foam as protective insulation against ice buildup from ultra-cold fuel contained in the external tank. NASA has replaced the foam insulation with new electric heaters designed to melt any ice. |
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