After the Columbia shuttle tragedy in 2003, when the orbiter lost part of its heat shield at launch and, as a result, disintegrated upon re-entry, NASA engineers developed a repair kit and methodology for identifying issues and replacing lost heat-resistant tiles while still in orbit.
What makes the project even more interesting was that the fix was literally developed in a garage, off NASA premises, by a team of engineers and scientists brought together to brainstorm and test solutions. One of the project’s leaders, Dr. Charles Camarda, senior adviser for engineering development at NASA, actually flew in the next shuttle mission two years later to test the fix.
Image: Dr. Charles Camarda, NASA astronaut and innovation advisor. Photo by Joe McKendrick
