Fri, Jan 07, 2011
Early February Launch Opportunity Delayed as Work Continues on
External Tank
The Space Shuttle Program held its weekly Program Requirements
Control Board (PRCB) meeting today to review progress on the
continuing engineering investigation, testing and analysis
regarding shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank stringer crack
issue.
With the work remaining, the potential for additional
modifications yet to be defined, and further reviews pending, the
decision was made today to allow the teams additional time and
delay the next launch opportunity out of the early February launch
window, which opened Feb. 3. New potential launch dates for
Discovery’s STS-133 mission and shuttle Endeavour’s
STS-134 mission will be discussed at next Thursday’s PRCB
meeting.
Progress continues to be made in understanding the most probable
cause of cracks discovered on Discovery’s external tank
mid-section, known as the intertank, where small cracks developed
during the Nov. 5, 2010, launch attempt. Four additional small
cracks were found during thorough X-ray image scans of the backside
of the tank after Discovery was returned from the launch pad to the
Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in
Florida on Dec. 22.
Plans are for the repair work to continue through the weekend.
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.
Senior NASA managers and Space Shuttle Program managers will
meet 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 next week.
More News
Takeoff Roll The process whereby an aircraft is aligned with the runway centerline and the aircraft is moving with the intent to take off. For helicopters, this pertains to the act>[...]
“We’re proud of the hard work that went into receiving this validation, and it will be a welcome relief to our customers in the European Union. We couldn’t be mor>[...]
"Aircraft Spruce is pleased to announce the acquisition of the parts distribution operations of Wag-Aero. Wag-Aero was founded in the 1960’s by Dick and Bobbie Wagner in the >[...]
IDENT Feature The special feature in the Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System (ATCRBS) equipment. It is used to immediately distinguish one displayed beacon target from other be>[...]
Aero Linx: Pararescue Air Force Pararescuemen, also known as PJs, are the only DoD elite combat forces specifically organized, trained, equipped, and postured to conduct full spect>[...]