Once damaged, cartilage has limited repair capabilities.

He said that the catch regarding the autonomous repair capability was the word "ultimately" in the accident investigation board's report.

"We do need a repair capability there," said Michael C. Hammes, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for ship programs.

About one year before the 1981 STS-1 launch, NASA decided the repair capability was not worth the additional risk and training, so discontinued development.

The squadron's unique repair capabilities cover the entire range-from vacuum tube, solid state and infrared components, to laser and fiber optic technology.

Cartilage has limited repair capabilities: Because chondrocytes are bound in lacunae, they cannot migrate to damaged areas.

He knew that putting Arco in Subic Bay would provide a nuclear repair capability closer to Cheyenne's current patrol area.

"We will fly with a repair capability of some description."

They found that nucleotide excision repair capability increased systematically with species longevity.

However, the Air Force needed a stable and longer term heavy repair capability.