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" UPDATED 5:45 PM EDT: The problem of foam insulation breaking off from the Space Shuttle&amp;#039;s external tank (ET) is back in the spotlight today after technicians discovered that a small piece of the spray-on insulation had already separated. Unlike the foam chunk that fell off Discovery&amp;#039;s ET last year, and the infamous piece that ultimately doomed Space Shuttle Columbia in 2003, this new incident of foam separation occurred before the Space Shuttle launched. The foam was discovered during a routine inspection last night, following a procedure to empty the ET of its cryogenic fuel after NASA official scrubbed yesterday&amp;#039;s launch.  The foam chunk, which NASA estimates to weigh less than a hundredth of a pound, fell from a bracket that secures the orbiter&amp;#039;s oxygen feed line, one of the umbilical cords that delivers fuel to Discovery from the ET. According to NASA, engineers believe rain water seeped into the foam, where the water froze, creating a crack. As the tank was emptied of its super-cooled contents, the tank and its components (including the feed line) began to warm and expand, causing the foam to break away. This morning, mission managers were briefed on the situation, and the decision was made to further analyze the errant insulation before deciding whether the situation requires a hands-on inspection. That ruling is expected to be made this evening, and if managers decide to go with a hands-on inspection, tomorrow&amp;#039;s launch attempt will be delayed. Reached for comment in Cape Canaveral, NASA spokesman Kyle Herring tells PM that the issue engineers are now tackling is whether the area from which the foam separated now presents the potential for ice formation, which could, in theory, result in more foam loss. &amp;quot;There&amp;#039;s a whole story that needs to be told [at the 6:30 PM EDT meeting tonight of shuttle managers] about foam transfer from that area,&amp;quot; Herring says. &amp;quot;If some [of the surrounding foam] comes off, where would it go? Does it present any chance of ice formation?&amp;quot; However, because this new piece of foam is so small (just over under three thousandths of the weight of the foam chunk that doomed Columbia), managers do not see this most recent incident as an indication of an otherwise unknown problem, according to Herring. If there is a risk of further foam loss, it will be as a result of this new foam loss. Accordingly, NASA managers might decide that further action is unnecessary, and that the launch can proceed as planned. Tonight&amp;#039;s meeting is, first and foremost, according to Herring, &amp;quot;to decide whether we even need to do [a hands-on inspection].&amp;quot; As of 5:30 PM EDT, the weather outlook for the next two days is unchanged, with a 40% chance of scrub tomorrow and a 60% chance for Wednesday. \u2014Benjamin Chertoff STS-121 live blog will return tomorrow, pending tonight&amp;#039;s go/no-go decision. July 2 launch attempt live blog.July 1 launch attempt live blog. Earlier: Backup Plans: Houston to Take Remote Control if Shuttle is Damaged, NASA Says Shuttle Risk Overstated; Yet Some Risk Unavoidable, Images from Discovery&amp;#039;s Launch to Aid Future Redesigns, The Clock is Running: Discovery Set for Saturday Launch, NASA&amp;#039;s &amp;quot;Go&amp;quot; for Launch, But Is the Space Shuttle?, The Great Space Shuttle Debate: Is it Safe? A Special Report. Missing Pieces: A closeup photo of the oxygen feed line showing the area from which the piece of foam fell (light area under the bracket holding the feed line, center). NASA Foam Corps: NASA engineers are analyzing whether this piece of foam, although relatively small, indicates a larger problem that may require a detailed, and possibly launch delaying, inspection. NASA "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/space/a3458/3271246/>