board tanks and attached a 10,000-pound (4,500-kilogram) aluminum tail cone to eliminate drag during flight. Discovery's homecoming has been tempered by uncertainties about the shuttle program's future. The same foam problems that doomed the shuttle Columbia two and a half years ago showed up during Discovery's liftoff, prompting NASA to ground all shuttle flights until 2006 so engineers could find a solution. A chunk of foam insulation broke off Discovery's redesigned external fuel tank during liftoff on July 26, but unlike in Columbia's case, the foam missed hitting Discovery. Columbia disintegrated over Texas, killing all seven astronauts on board. NASA ground crews who inspected Discovery after its return from orbit found little damage to its exterior. --SP 1501 Local Time 1201 GMT
