Initial Fixes Finished By Tuesday, But Additional Work May Be
Required
Technicians at NASA's Kennedy Space Center continue to repair
cracks on space shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank in the
Vehicle Assembly Building. Repair work will continue through
Tuesday.
The shuttle program also reviewed the plan to modify as many as
32 additional stringers with radius blocks, which will provide
added structural support in areas known to carry much of the
structural load of the external tank. These radius blocks
essentially fit over existing stringer edges through which the
securing rivets are installed to provide additional structural
support. The radius block modification is a known and practiced
structural augmentation technique used extensively on the
intertank. This work should begin as soon as the repairs to the
three stringers with the four additional small cracks have been
completed, likely in the next day or so, and the modification of
the additional 32 stringers is expected to be complete next
week.
NASA managers met with Space Shuttle Program officials Monday to
review the progress to date and the forward plan. A determination
of the need and viability for the installation of additional radius
blocks on all remaining stringers will be made sometime this
week.
NASA managers are evaluating potential launch dates for space
shuttle Discovery in late February and working to see if
International Space Station on orbit operations would allow a
launch as early as Feb. 24. Managers hope to set a launch date by
the end of this week.
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