Editing Space Shuttle Enterprise (section)

===Post-''Columbia''===
[[File:Enterprise wing panel.jpg|thumb|Damage to the leading edge of the wing from the post-''Columbia'' impact tests]]

In 2003 after the [[Space Shuttle Columbia disaster|breakup]] of {{OV|Columbia|full=no}} during re-entry, the [[Columbia Accident Investigation Board|''Columbia'' Accident Investigation Board]] conducted tests at [[Southwest Research Institute]], which used an air cannon to shoot foam blocks of similar size, mass and speed to that which struck ''Columbia'' at a test structure which mechanically replicated the orbiter wing leading edge. They removed a section of fiberglass leading edge from ''Enterprise''{{'s}} wing to perform analysis of the material and attached it to the test structure, then shot a foam block at it.<ref name="Harwood">{{Cite news |url=http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts107/030604foamtest/ |title=Critical foam impact test planned for Thursday |work=Spaceflight Now |first=William |last=Harwood |date=June 4, 2003 |access-date=July 12, 2007 |archive-date=September 29, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929083549/http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts107/030604foamtest/ |url-status=live }}</ref> While the leading edge was not broken as a result of the test, which took place on May 29, 2003, the impact was enough to permanently deform a seal and leave a thin gap {{cvt|22|in|cm}} long.<ref name="caib20030529">{{cite press release |url=http://www.caib.us:80/news/press_releases/pr030529.html |title=Shuttle Leading Edge Foam Impact Test Update |publisher=Columbia Accident Investigation Board |date=May 29, 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030622092018/http://www.caib.us/news/press_releases/pr030529.html |archive-date=June 22, 2003 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="usatoday20030529">{{cite news |url=https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/2003-05-29-shuttle-usat_x.htm |title=Test supports theory foam doomed shuttle |work=[[USA Today]] |first=Traci |last=Watson |date=May 29, 2003 |access-date=February 17, 2018 |archive-date=January 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126025129/https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/2003-05-29-shuttle-usat_x.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="nytimes20030605">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/05/us/nasa-s-foam-test-offered-a-vivid-lesson-in-kinetics.html |title=NASA's Foam Test Offered A Vivid Lesson in Kinetics |work=[[The New York Times]] |first=John |last=Schwartz |date=June 5, 2003 |access-date=February 17, 2018 |archive-date=February 18, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180218090726/http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/05/us/nasa-s-foam-test-offered-a-vivid-lesson-in-kinetics.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Since the strength of the [[reinforced carbon–carbon]] (RCC) on ''Columbia'' is "substantially weaker and less flexible" than the test section from ''Enterprise'', this result suggested that the RCC would have been shattered.<ref name="nytimes20030605" /> A section of RCC leading edge from ''Discovery'' was tested on June 6, to determine the effects of the foam on a similarly aged leading edge, resulting in a {{cvt|3|in|cm|adj=on|spell=in}} crack on panel 6 and cracking on a T-shaped seal between panels 6 and 7.<ref name="caib20030606">{{cite press release |url=http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=11742 |title=Foam Impact Test Breaks Reinforced Carbon-Carbon Panel |publisher=Columbia Accident Investigation Board |agency=Spaceref.com |date=June 6, 2003 |access-date=February 17, 2018 |id=CAIB PA 32-03 |archive-date=February 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230218071619/https://spaceref.com/press-release/space-shuttle-columbia-investigation-foam-impact-test-breaks-reinforced-carbon-carbon-panel/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="swri2003fall">{{cite journal |url=https://missionjuno.swri.edu/3pubs/ttoday/fall03/pdfs/fall2003.pdf |title=On the Leading Edge |journal=Technology Today |first1=James D. |last1=Walker |first2=Donald J. |last2=Grosch |volume=24 |issue=3 |pages=2–9 |date=Fall 2003 |issn=1528-431X |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180218090607/https://missionjuno.swri.edu/3pubs/ttoday/fall03/pdfs/fall2003.pdf |archive-date=February 18, 2018}}</ref> On July 7, using a leading edge from ''Atlantis'' and focused on panel 8 with refined parameters stemming from the ''Columbia'' accident investigation, a second test created a ragged hole approximately {{cvt|16|by|16|in|cm}} in the RCC structure.<ref name="sfnow20030707">{{cite news |url=https://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts107/030707impacttest/ |title=Foam impact test blows hole in shuttle wing panel |work=Spaceflight Now |first=William |last=Harwood |date=July 7, 2003 |access-date=February 17, 2018 |archive-date=December 13, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171213054355/https://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts107/030707impacttest/ |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="swri2003fall" /> The tests clearly demonstrated that a foam impact of the type ''Columbia'' sustained could seriously breach the protective RCC panels on the wing leading edge.<ref name="swri2003fall" />

The board determined that the probable cause of the accident was that the foam impact caused a breach of a reinforced carbon-carbon panel along the leading edge of ''Columbia''{{'s}} left wing, allowing hot gases generated during re-entry to enter the wing and cause structural collapse. This caused ''Columbia'' to tumble out of control, breaking up with the loss of the entire crew.<ref name="nyt20030708">{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/08/us/test-shows-foam-was-likely-cause-of-shuttle-s-loss.html |title=Test Shows Foam Was Likely Cause of Shuttle's Loss |work=[[The New York Times]] |last1=Wald |first1=Matthew L. |last2=Schwartz |first2=John |date=July 8, 2003 |access-date=February 16, 2018 |archive-date=February 17, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180217202840/http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/08/us/test-shows-foam-was-likely-cause-of-shuttle-s-loss.html |url-status=live }}</ref>