NASA plans to roll shuttle Discovery off its launch pad after a fueling test planned later this week.Managers decided today to move the shuttle back to the Vehicle Assembly Building before Christmas so sections of the external tank that are inaccessible on the pad could be scanned for potential damage.
Cracks on the 21-foot, U-shaped brackets called “stringers” were found on the tank’s ridged mid-section after Discovery was fueled for launch last month.
In recent weeks, teams at the launch pad have used X-ray devices to scan the half of the tank that faces the orbiter’s underside, finding no further damage.
Managers now also want to inspect the outward facing side, which can’t be reached at the pad, although foam falling from that side has not been considered a flight risk.
First, KSC teams plan to perform a fueling test to gather detailed data on the stresses the stringers experience when supercoled propellants are loaded into the tank.
The test, which had been targeted for Wednesday, is now expected Friday at the earliest because cold temperatures and strong winds have slowed technicians’ work to instrument the tank with strain gauges and temperature sensors.
If the test is performed Friday, Discovery’s rollback to the assembly building would be expected Tuesday or Wednesday. The shuttle would be expected to stay indoors for less than a month, rolling back out to the pad by mid-January.
IMAGE: Bathed in bright xenon lights on Sept. 20, space shuttle Discovery made its nighttime trek, known as "rollout," from the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann
4 comments:
Just when everyone thought Discovery had moved out to the launch pad for the final time, she will at least once more.
God doesn't want the shuttle program to end!
Wow , called this one a few days ago and now they do it .Likely the tank got dinged somewhere along the way and we have stopped manufacturing them .
The crew must be thrilled at not having to hope the tank is OK but actually looking at inside.maybe we dodged the bullet .
Well, the Shuttle Program is coming to an end. Accept that fact, and you'll be much better off in the long run.
Some of you will bitch no matter what happens. Challenger and Columbia have taught Nasa to be thorough in these situations.
We suspected they might roll back when the cracks where first discovered. Not to mention the stringers on the other ET's...
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