Jul 23 2010
From The Space Library
RELEASE: 10-294
NASA POSTPONES LAUNCH OF SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA postponed space shuttle Discovery's launch to the International Space Station due to a hydrogen gas leak detected while filling the external tank. The next launch attempt could be no earlier than Monday, Nov. 8 at 12:53 p.m. EST. The leak, detected early Friday morning while the shuttle's external fuel tank was being loaded, was at the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate, or GUCP, an attachment point between the external tank and a 7-inch pipe that carries gaseous hydrogen safely away from Discovery to the flare stack, where it is burned off. NASA's mission managers will hold a meeting at 11 a.m. Friday to discuss the repair options and Discovery's launch opportunities. A news conference will air on NASA Television and the agency's website no earlier than 1 p.m. with Mike Moses, Space Shuttle Program launch integration manager and Mike Leinbach, shuttle launch director. If a Monday launch is not possible, the next window for Discovery's liftoff is Nov. 30 through Dec. 5. The 11-day STS-133 mission will deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM) to the station. The PMM, which was converted from the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo, will provide additional storage for the station crew and experiments may be conducted inside it, such as fluid physics, materials science, biology and biotechnology. The flight also will transport critical spare parts and the Express Logistics Carrier 4 (ELC4) to the station. ELC4 is an external platform that holds large equipment. Robonaut 2, or R2, will be the first human-like robot in space when it flies on Discovery inside the PMM to become a permanent resident of the station. The mission will feature two spacewalks to do maintenance work and install new components. Commander Steve Lindsey leads the veteran crew, which includes Pilot Eric Boe and Mission Specialists Alvin Drew, Tim Kopra, Michael Barratt and Nicole Stott. STS-133 is the final shuttle mission planned for 2010, Discovery's 39th flight and the 35th shuttle mission to the station.
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RELEASE: 10-337
NASA SCIENTIFIC BALLOONS TO RETURN TO FLIGHT
WASHINGTON -- NASA's scientific balloon program is resuming flights this month after an extensive evaluation of its safety processes following a mishap during an April launch attempt from Australia. NASA's high-altitude balloons fly instruments for scientific and technological investigations that contribute to our understanding of Earth, the solar system, and the universe. In October, a NASA mishap review board listed 25 causes that contributed to the accident, including insufficient risk analysis, contingency planning, personnel training, government oversight and public safety accommodations. More information on the investigation is available at: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/business/foia/balloon_mishap.html "NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Wallops Flight Facility, and contractor balloon team have done an outstanding job over the past eight months to develop and implement plans to return the balloons to flight, said Jon Morse, director of the Astrophysics Division in the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. We look forward to once again conducting groundbreaking science with these balloon systems. To prepare for the resumption of flights, NASA developed a corrective action plan to address the recommendations from the mishap review. To return to flight, NASA has: - Developed a more stringent launch safety area in which the balloon launch vehicle can maneuver in order to protect the safety of the public; - Revised the safety procedures used to conduct balloon launches; - Instituted NASA independent ground and flight safety roles to ensure that balloon launches are conducted safely; - Redesigned the launch head mechanism that failed to work properly during the Australia aborted launch; - Developed plans to better respond to mishaps and close calls with respect to balloon launch operations. NASA has approved flights that are scheduled throughout this month over Antarctica. During the Antarctica flights, NASA will use a vehicle that was specifically designed to launch the balloons instead of a commercially obtained mobile crane, which was used during the mishap in Australia. The launch vehicle is built to handle the large, long-duration balloon (LDB) payloads on the compacted snow launch surface. The LDB program in Antarctica is a partnership between NASA and the National Science Foundation, and is carried out through the U.S. Antarctic Program -- a continuous national research presence on the continent since 1956 that is managed by NSF. NASA's scientific balloons are composed of a lightweight polyethylene film, similar to sandwich wrap. Flying to altitudes of nearly 25 miles, many of the balloons inflate to almost the size of a football stadium and carry payloads weighing up to 6,000 pounds. NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia manages NASA's scientific balloon program for the Science Mission Directorate. Under NASA safety supervision, launch operations are conducted by the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility in Palestine, Texas, which is managed by the Physical Science Laboratory of New Mexico State University in Las Cruces.
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MEDIA ADVISORY: M10-002
NASA SHUTTLE AT LAUNCH PAD FOR FINAL SCHEDULED NIGHT LAUNCH; CREW SET TO ARRIVE FOR PRACTICE LIFTOFF
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- After reaching its launch pad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida Wednesday, space shuttle Endeavour now awaits its next major milestone for the upcoming STS-130 mission. Reporters are invited to cover the launch dress rehearsal, known as the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test, or TCDT, scheduled to take place at Kennedy from Jan. 19 to 21. Endeavour arrived at Launch Pad 39A at 8:45 a.m. EST Wednesday on top of a giant crawler-transporter. The crawler-transporter left Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building at 4:13 a.m., traveling less than 1 mph during the 3.4-mile journey. The shuttle was secured on the pad at 10:37 a.m. With Endeavour on the pad, the STS-130 astronauts and ground crews can participate in the practice countdown and related training starting Jan. 19. The rehearsal provides each shuttle crew with an opportunity to participate in various simulated countdown activities, including equipment familiarization and emergency training. Journalists must apply for credentials by noon Friday, Jan. 8, to cover the TCDT. Reporters requesting accreditation must apply online at: https://media.ksc.nasa.gov Times for TCDT activities still are being finalized. Activities available for media coverage will include: - Jan. 19: STS-130 crew arrival. The astronauts will arrive in the Shuttle Training Aircraft and T-38 jets at Kennedy's Shuttle Landing Facility. Crew arrival will be broadcast live on NASA Television. - Jan. 20: Crew media availability. The crew will take questions from reporters at Launch Pad 39A. The session will be carried live on NASA TV. - Jan. 21: Crew walkout photo opportunity. The astronauts will depart from the Operations and Checkout Building in their flight entry suits in preparation for the countdown demonstration test at the launch pad. The walkout will not be broadcast live, but will air on NASA TV's Video File. Updates with times for all events will be available by calling 321-867-2525. The six astronauts for Endeavour's STS-130 mission will deliver a third connecting module, the Tranquility node, to the International Space Station. Endeavour's Feb. 7 target liftoff is at 4:39 a.m., making it the final scheduled space shuttle night launch. NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
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