"Tanking Test" Set For Next Week

At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, teams are working to evaluate and repair a plate that attaches a gaseous hydrogen vent line to space shuttle Endeavour's external fuel tank. Hydrogen leaks in the area of the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate, or GUCP, postponed Endeavour's launch attempts June 13 and 17, delaying its 16-day flight to the International Space Station.

The Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate platform was partially extended Monday to allow technicians to continue their ongoing engineering analysis and to verify exact measurements of the position of the plate. The explosive bolts that connect the vent line to the external tank were safely disconnected, and GUCP leak checks were performed at ambient temperatures using helium gas. No leaks were detected. Previously, the only time leaks were seen were during launch attempts when super cold hydrogen gas was being passed through the vent line.

The repairs will be confirmed by a "tanking test" within the next week, in which Endeavour's external tank will be filled with liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, just as it is before launch. If the repairs are successful, Endeavour's next launch attempt will be targeted for July 11 at 1939 EDT.

Today, Endeavour's astronauts will catch up on administrative work and take T-38 training jet flights from their home base at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston to El Paso and back.

FMI: www.nasa.gov