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Originally Posted by Ibram
Holy shit, when they say foam I didnt realize they meant, like, styrofoam
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Polyurthane foam, sprayed on. Just like a picnic cooler, and for the very same reason: the ET is filled with liquid H2 and liquid O2, and the slower it boils off the less they have to top it prelaunch. There is some additional insulation that is pre-molded.
But yes...the piece of foam that killed Columbia was essentially styrofoam. That's why it was hard at first to get anybody to beleve it could put a hole in the leading edge of the wing.
But then they tested the theory...