Shuttle flights may be delayed again.

Citing interviews with unnamed shuttle engineers, USA Today reported Thursday that an engineer told officials the nose cap was not inspected during the overhaul, because at that time it was not known that the metal beneath the nose cap could corrode. An unknown shuttle worker incorrectly recorded that the inspection had been done, according to USA Today's account.

Excuse me, but how does NASA not know that the hardware under the nose cap could corrode, when depot overhauls typically include extensive repairs to corroded structure?

In fact, a simple Google search for "shuttle corrosion" led me to a document at JSC, NASA TM-104810, "Space Shuttle Orbiter Corrosion History, 1981-1993", published in June 1995 by the Orbiter Corrosion Control Review Board. Searching within this document for "nose", one finds on pg. 31 a table listing 24 corrosion incidents associated with the nose caps, hatches, and doors (though no further breakout by zone is provided), while on page 16, section 4.1 describes corrosion issues with the RCC panel attach hardware and spars along the wing leading edges. One would think someone would have made a connection...