Space shuttle managers are meeting today to discuss repair options for a leaking vent line and cracked external tank foam that scrubbed Discovery's Friday launch attempt. Launch managers decided the problems couldn't be resolved in time for a launch attempt today, the last opportunity before 4:05 a.m. Nov. 30.
Over the weekend, teams at Kennedy Space Center completed procedures to back out from the launch countdown, secure the shuttle and take a closer look at the foam crack.
So far, foam repair options under consideration would all be performed at the pad, and a rollback of Dicovery from the launch pad to the Vehicle Assembly Building is not being considered.
Also under review is the significant leak of hydrogen gas that occurred during fueling of the shuttle's external tank Friday morning.
Repairs performed after similar leaks last year, inclduing replacement of a seven-inch quick disconnect valve and a plate that connects the vent line to the external tank, might take about two days.
But the exact problem and appropriate repair plan have not yet been determined. Managres said Friday they hoped to find something obvious wrong with the system, given the large size of the leak was and how early it occurred.
Plans could be set by this afternoon.
IMAGE: At Kennedy Space Center on Nov. 4, shuttle Discovery waited patiently on launch pad 39A for its STS-133 launch to the International Space Station. The image shows where the leaking Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate, or GUCP, connects to the external tank. Credit: NASA/Frank Michaux
12 comments:
havent hears from you anti spoace program losers....where are you.."antagonist" the ASS-TRO-NOT??
sorry about my spelling...
The shuttle is a science wonder low orbit truck that has become outdated and too dangerous to fly forever.Thats The reason we have needed Ares and Constellation for manned space access.But instead we cancel it and give the only manned access to the Russians and Chinese.Maybe Beijing will buy the completed Space Station since in few months we won't be able to get there on our own.Its a Rome ,Spain ,England Deja vu decline of the USA.
WHY WE EVER TOOK HUGE STEPS "BACKWARDS" FROM THE APOLLO PROGRAM AND STARTED FLYING LOW EARTH ORBIT SHUTTLES IS STILL A MYSTERY TO ME. ALL THE POMPOUS FOLKS ON THE GRAVY TRAIN OUT AT KSC WITH SILVER SPOONS NOW BEING YANKED FROM THEIR MOUTHS ARE BEGINNING TO REALIZE THAT THEIR HOPES FOR FLYING THE SHUTTLE FOREVER WERE MISGUIDED AND FOOLISH.
Pompous folks??
The Shuttle program was crippled from the start when President Nixon had to be persuaded to allow it to proceed despite wanting to can the manned space effort. Then Congress battled over financing the program which was chronically underfunded. In order to try to garner support NASA had to make a series of compromises and over-promises to keep the program going. One of those compromises was redesigning the cargo bay to Pentagon desires so the shuttle could haul military satellites. Another tragic compromise was agreeing to use solid rocket boosters made by Thiokol in Utah in order to get the support of Senator Jake Garn who later was rewarded with a flight as Payload Specialist on STS-51D Discovery in 1985. Other compromises were made in the 70's in order to finally get the Space Transportation System up and running with the first LEO launch in April of 1981. The surprise for me is that such an underfunded, overtaxed, amazingly complex machine has not suffered more accidents over the years. The sad fact is that each orbiter was built for 100 flights so there is plenty of functional life left in the shuttle fleet. After the Columbia tragedy NASA was forced to change how they prepared & flew shuttle missions so that now the team working on the shuttle program is at its professional peak, the shuttles have been upgraded with new technology & other improvements have been made to the ET (in the necessary redesign) & in the SSME which are more reliable and efficient than ever before. The shuttle program is coming to an end not because the fleet cannot fly safely, the shuttle program is ending due to the lack of political will in Congress as well as the indifference of the American people in regards to our manned space effort.
tHE sHUTTLE IS COOL. eVERY NATION ON eARTH WOULD LOVE TO HAVE IT SO QUIT ACTING LIKE SPACE BRATS.
Anonymous 12:40 PM "THE PIMP-US FOLKS ON THE GRAVY TRAIN"
Very unusual words to describe KSC workers.
What's "pompous" & "gravy train" mean? I thought Gravy Train was Dog Food. "The Gravy Taste Dogs Can't Wait to Finish." Guessin NASA workers are the dogs then.
My puppies Mickey & Minnie don't like Gravy Train. My teacher told us KSC workers have cool vending machines in their lunchroom with Gravy Train dog food. No wonder he told us to bring our lunch from home for next month's field trip.
Anon 10:43 PM I think you meant to say "THE PIMP-ASS FOLKS ON THE GRAVY TRAIN"
GO4LTI hit the nail on the head. The description is spot on and fully explains how we have arrived to the current state of affairs. The Shuttle System has plenty of life remaining. The flaws that were inherent in the system design, due to the politics that gave birth to the program, have largely been mitigated. Where we've fallen short is in the will to pay for and operate the program.
We should take a lesson from the Russians - don't throw your hardware away at the moment you've evolved it to an acceptable level of performance. They have essentially operated exactly ONE human rated launch system since 1961 and today it is highly characterized and efficient. Imagine where we'd be if we did the same with the Shuttle.
Yes they have,Sergay Korollev's R7 SOYUZ ROCKET is still going strong of course with a few essential upgrades over the decades.It's a solid vehicle,i will say it had it's share of failures during it's test flight phase.Better then than later on though.
Ares 1 and 5 was and still is the best replacement for the shuttle,but the all knowing/or not in my view cacelled it.!!!!! 10 BILLION GREENBACKS DOWN THE SHUTE.FOOLS.!!!.
I often wonder what Werner Von Braun would say,if he was around now.Bet he would be REALLY ANNOYED.!!
Post a Comment