Thu, Aug 20, 2009
Hopes To Launch Discovery In Fewer Than Six Tries
NASA has completed a two-day review
of space shuttle Discovery's readiness for flight and selected Aug.
25 as the official launch date for the STS-128 mission to the
International Space Station. Liftoff is scheduled for 0136 EDT from
NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Discovery's launch date was announced after a flight readiness
review at Kennedy. During the meeting, senior NASA and contractor
managers assessed the risks associated with the mission and
determined the shuttle's equipment, support systems and procedures
are ready for launch pending the resolution of one remaining issue.
An orbiter power controller that failed to operate properly was
replaced, and an analysis was completed. The issue is expected to
be closed when final data from the analysis is presented at the
mission management team meeting on Aug. 23.
The readiness review included a thorough discussion about foam
insulation that covers the shuttle's external fuel tank. The foam
helps prevent ice from developing when super-cold propellants are
loaded prior to launch. During shuttle Endeavour's liftoff on July
15, foam separated from the intertank area and the liquid oxygen
tank's ice frost ramps. The foam loss led to a detailed examination
that determined Discovery is acceptable to fly.
"There was an excellent discussion on foam loss that included
input from multiple teams including our NASA safety and engineering
communities," said Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for
Space Operations at NASA Headquarters in Washington, who chaired
the day and a half meeting. "After examining the foam releases on
recent flights and completing a lot of testing and analysis to
improve our understanding of the relative risks, we concluded that
we're ready to go fly. The teams are continuing to learn about foam
and have planned additional tests and analysis to continue to
improve our understanding of foam loss mechanisms and risks."

The 13-day flight will deliver science and storage racks, a
freezer to store research samples, a new sleeping compartment, an
air purification system and a treadmill named after comedian
Stephen Colbert. The name Colbert received the most entries in
NASA's online poll to name the station's Node 3. NASA named the
node Tranquility.
Astronaut Rick Sturckow will command Discovery. He will be
joined by Pilot Kevin Ford and Mission Specialists Pat Forrester,
Jose Hernandez, Danny Olivas and European Space Agency astronaut
Christer Fuglesang. NASA astronaut Nicole Stott will fly to the
complex aboard Discovery to begin a three-month mission as a
station resident. She replaces NASA's Tim Kopra, who will return
home on Discovery.
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