Work Could Delay Launch Next Month

NASA tells ANN repair work is underway on a leaking hydraulic seal in space shuttle Discovery’s right main-gear strut. The struts act as shock absorbers during the shuttle's landing.

Shuttle managers made the decision to go ahead with the repairs during a meeting Monday afternoon.

Discovery had been scheduled to roll over Wednesday from its processing hanger to the Vehicle Assembly Building. There it will be attached to its external fuel tank and two solid rocket boosters for its upcoming mission, STS-120, to the International Space Station.

A new rollover date will be set after technicians determine what needs to be fixed and how long that will take. To remove the main landing gear strut and replace seals requires disconnecting and replacing the brakes and tires, disconnecting and reconnecting instruments and other requirements to allow access to the strut.

Managers will assess the ongoing repair work to decide how it might affect Discovery’s October 23 target launch date.

At the same meeting, managers also officially decided to add an additional spacewalk, bringing the total to five. On the extra spacewalk, as ANN reported, Missions Specialists Scott Parazynski and Douglas Wheelock will test tile heat shield repair techniques, extending the mission to 14 days.

FMI: www.nasa.gov