Jul 15 2010
From The Space Library
RELEASE: 10-290
NASA POSTPONES SPACE SHUTTLE DISCOVERY LAUNCH
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA has postponed the launch of space shuttle Discovery to no earlier than 4:05 a.m. EST on Nov. 30. The delay will allow engineers and technicians time to diagnose and repair a hydrogen gas leak detected while filling the external tank Friday morning. They also will assess a foam crack on the external fuel tank's liquid oxygen intertank flange. The crack was discovered during de-tanking operations. The leak was at the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate, 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. "We always place safety first, said NASA Associate Administrator for Space Operations Bill Gerstenmaier. It is essential we repair this hardware before we fly the mission, and we will take the time to properly understand and fix the failure before we launch. The six astronauts for Discovery's 11-day STS-133 mission will deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module to the International Space Station. The PMM was converted from the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo. It can hold microgravity experiments in areas such as fluid physics, materials science, biology, and biotechnology. Inside the PMM is Robonaut 2, which will become a permanent resident of the station. R2 will be used to test how dexterous robots behave in space. STS-133 also is carrying critical spare components to the space station and the Express Logistics Carrier 4. ELC 4 is an external platform that holds large equipment. The mission will feature two spacewalks to do maintenance work and install new components. Commander Steve Lindsey leads the veteran crew, which consists of 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 and final scheduled flight; and the 35th shuttle mission to the station.
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CONTRACT RELEASE: C10-007
NASA AWARDS AGENCY-WIDE MISSION NETWORK SERVICES CONTRACT
WASHINGTON -- NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., has award AT&T of Vienna, Va., a contract to provide Mission Network Services for the agency. The contract has a one-year, two-month base period, followed by three two-year options that may be exercised at NASA's discretion. It is a firm-fixed price contract with a value of approximately $87 million, if all options are exercised. Under the contract, AT&T will provide resources necessary to perform NASA's Mission Network requirements at domestic and overseas locations for agency projects and missions. The contract is a follow-on effort for NASA's agency-wide Mission Network Services, which was awarded under the General Services Administration's Federal Technology Services (FTS) 2001 contract. These services are being transitioned from the GSA FTS 2001 contract to the newly awarded GSA Networx Universal contract.
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RELEASE: 10-280
NASA SOFTWARE PROMOTES AIRLINE FUEL EFFICIENCY
MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. -- Software developed at NASA's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif., is enabling major fuel savings for airlines and an increase in environmental efficiency. The Ames Direct-To software is a product of NASA aeronautics research in air traffic management. The software has been adopted by The Boeing Company for commercial use. Boeing intends to offer airlines the opportunity to subscribe next year to a new air traffic efficiency service that uses the software. "We're delighted that Boeing is using NASA technology for environmental benefit, said Ames Center Director Pete Worden. Direct-To enables airlines to save fuel and reduce emissions by automatically identifying flight route shortcuts that are wind-favorable and acceptable to air traffic controllers. NASA demonstrated Direct-To's potential to reduce fuel consumption in the airspace around Dallas-Fort Worth in 2001. "We estimated a potential combined savings of about 900 flying minutes per day for all aircraft in the demonstration airspace, said David McNally, the project principal investigator at Ames. Boeing incorporated the technology into its subscription-based Direct Routes. It is part of the company's InFlight Optimization Services that help airlines save fuel and increase environmental efficiency. Direct Routes automatically alerts an airline's operations center and flight crew when a simple, more fuel-efficient path opens up along an airplane's intended route. The software potentially could save tens of thousands of flight minutes per year for a medium-sized U.S. operator.
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