More like the "G" word.
Glue.
The Space Shuttle program has suffered from glue adhesion problems from day one.
In 1978-1980, the shuttle Columbia could not be launched because the glue used
to try and adhere those darn heatshield tiles didn't work very well.
Now its the problem of the "glue" being used to hold the foam to the ET.
You'd think that the "glue" problem would have been solved decades ago.
Maybe a sleek smooth layer of hardened adhesive [glue, epoxy, etc] around
the ET, encasing the foam like a condom encased around a male member, would
help solve the problem.
cheers.
Jake
An engineering proverb I've come to know: "If physics or chemistry don't stand in the way, the problem could be fixed."