NASA Engineers are testing the damaged flame-trench wall before planning repairs.

“The wall is OK, but we need to make sure we put something in front of it so it remains OK; something heat-resistant like the material Fondu Fyre,” says Allard Beutel, Kennedy Space Center news chief.

Fondu Fyre is “a carefully premixed combination of selected refractory aggregates and a hydraulic setting binder,” according to contractor records. NASA has successfully used this material for minor repairs in the past.

Eighty-two missions have launched from 39A. The 490-ft-long, 58-ft-wide, 42-ft-deep flame trench bisects the site at ground level. One side deflects flames from the orbiter’s main engines, and the other the solid rocket boosters.

Engineers are taking core samples, X-rays and ultrasound readings and performing other tests, such as tapping the wall to listen for hollow sounds that could indicate debonding to determine the full extent of the damage. Engineers are similarly evaluating a second shuttle launch pad at the center.

NASA officials hope to complete repairs in time for the launch of Atlantis to the Hubble Space Telescope, scheduled for Oct. 8. Engineers are still evaluating how to repair the area. Beutel says the leading option is to spray on a heat-resistant material to protect the 3-ft-thick concrete wall. Repairs will likely include removal of any unstable bricks. Molds for the original bricks exist, but Beutel says they could not be manufactured in time for the next launch.

“We are looking at a short-term fix to get us through the next 10 shuttle flights, until the shuttle program is retired in 2010,” Beutel says. After that, NASA will replace the shuttle, and the planned capsule and rocket system may need a redesigned launch pad.