[Space] NASA - STS-121 - Discovery

[GioFX]

Foam fix unlikely at launch pad



A chunk of foam large enough to damage Discovery's heat shield fell off the shuttle's external tank during scrub-turnaround operations Sunday, prompting a meeting today to determine whether to press ahead with a launch attempt Tuesday.

Discovery and seven astronauts remain scheduled for launch at 2:37 p.m. Tuesday. But NASA's Mission Management Team will meet at 10 a.m. today to talk about the falling foam as well as a crack that was found in tank insulation.

Engineers think the foam fell from the liquid oxygen feedline that runs along the outside of the tank. It landed on the mobile launcher platform. The foam was seen falling when NASA moved the Rotating Service Structure back around Discovery at launch pad 39B on Sunday evening, according to an internal NASA e-mail obtained by Florida Today.

The crack is located an external tank feedline bracket and is an indication that layered foam there might have delaminated.

The 13-story structure did not contact the shuttle during the move. Witness statements were taken at the time of the incident and the foam pieces were taken to the Integration Console at Firing Room 4 in the Launch Control Center.

[Octane]

4 pollici.. 10 cm.
Grandicello comunque.. speriamo si sia staccato dalla struttura di supporto e non dall'ET

[dupa]

Originariamente inviato da Octane

4 pollici.. 10 cm.
Grandicello comunque.. speriamo si sia staccato dalla struttura di supporto e non dall'ET

spero siano centimetri, non pollici...

[GioFX]

sono pollici...

cmq sia, ecco qui l'Inspection Team Report:

STS-121 POST DRAIN SSV/MLP INSPECTION #2

KSC Ice/Debris Team

2 July 2006

The post drain inspection of STS-121, MLP-1, and Pad B FSS was conducted on July 2, 2006 from 1815 to 2015 hours under daylight conditions. Visibility was adequate for the inspection from most areas of the FSS and the MLP deck.

No MLP deck anomalies were detected, and the facility was in good condition.
No anomalies were observed on the SRBs.

Orbiter tiles, RCC panels, and SSMEs were in nominal configuration. The FRCS Tyvek (parachute-style) covers were intact.

The GOX vent hood was in the retracted position. GOX Vent Arm was retracted while we were on the 255’ Level. No anomalies were detected on the ET nose cone as the –Y vent louvers were nominal; however, a 1-inch dia spot of missing topcoat was found on the –Y LO2 Ogive Vent Seal footprint. The missing topcoat is located approx 5 inches aft of the XT-371 interface and centered below the –Y louvers. An IPR was initiated for this item.

The GH2 Ventline and the ET Ground Umbilical Carrier Assembly (GUCA) were observed to be in good condition. The ice/frost buildup on the aft side of the ET GUCA had completely melted.

Overall the External Tank appeared to be in good condition. Visible portions of the LO2 tank TPS looked acceptable as well as the LO2-I/T flange closeout – no TPS anomalies were detected during vehicle warmup. The LH2-I/T flange closeout also was observed to be free of defects. The Bipod Fitting closeouts and Jack Pad standoff closeouts were observed to be in nominal condition - no TPS divots resulted from vehicle warmup.

The inboard strut for the L02 Feedline Bracket assembly at XT-1129 was found to be cracked. The damage is approx 5-6 inches long and appears to originate near the where the strut connects to the feedline and extends toward the ET. The TPS crack is approx ¼ inch wide with an offset of approx ¼ inch. An IPR was initiated for this item. Inboard views of the remaining visible brackets did not reveal any similar damage. Outboard views of the feedline brackets revealed areas of TPS debris in the gap between the feedline and the bracket – this condition was noticed at XT-1129, 1377, and 1623. No obvious indications of crushed foam or debris was detected at the XT-1871 and 1978 brackets.

The Ice Frost Ramps did not exhibit any obvious defects. The stress relief crack on the –Y Vertical Strut forward-facing TPS had not completely closed by the time of our inspection and was still barely visible – approx 1/8 inch wide. The -Y Longeron Closeout and the new LO2/LH2 PAL Ramp footprint machined areas looked acceptable. The aft outboard bondline for the +Y Longeron closeout exhibited froth during cryo drain monitoring; however, the area on post-drain inspection did not reveal any TPS crack, bondline separation, or any other obvious TPS defect. There was still a light ice/frost buildup in the TSE shipping strut fitting access cavity. All PDL repairs on the ET were intact and none protruded beyond drawing trim lines.

Light ice/frost buildups remained in the –Z sides of the LH2 feedline bellows and recirculation line bellows, LH2 ET/ORB umbilical purge vents and pyro can vents, and LH2 umbilical cable tray drain hole. All ice/frost buildups on the LO2 ET/ORB Umbilical had melted. Moderate amount of ice/frost buildup remained on the lower EB fittings and in the ET/SRB cable tray expansion joints. No TPS defects were noted on any of these surfaces. The LO2/LH2 purge curtains were clean and free of ice/frost buildup.

The frostball formation present for both tankings at the +Y Vertical Strut-to-Aft Dome interface had melted. No indication of a TPS crack or other damage was evident.

A 1-inch froth line was observed on the –Z side of the LH2 Aft Dome Manhole Cover TPS closeout. This item was located in the vicinity of the frost spot that was observed on the first tanking. No crack or other TPS defect was visible.

In summary, two IPR conditions were initiated as a result of this walkdown – the TPS damage on the XT-1129 LO2 Feedline Bracket and the missing topcoat on the –Y GO2 Vent Seal footprint. No other flight hardware concerns were detected during the post drain inspection. Additional evaluation of the noted IPR areas will be performed prior to the next ET load attempt.

John Blue Juan Ramirez
NASA-KSC Lockheed-Martin KSC

Kevin Vega Ahmad Ekhlassi
NASA-KSC USA-KSC

[GioFX]

Originariamente inviato da Octane

speriamo si sia staccato dalla struttura di supporto e non dall'ET

no, può essere solo dell'ET, solo il serbatoio utilizza come TPS (Thermal Protection System) la schiuma.

[GioFX]

Platorm for inspection would take additional day.

Processing will continue.

Running anaylsis with Systems engineering and ET project.

Another conference at 6:30 Eastern.

Looking to launch tomorrow.

If there's uncomfortable data, platform will be installed to inspect.

[GioFX]

Mike Leinbach: Looking great on processing timelime. Ready to support a launch attempt tommorow.

[GioFX]

0.0057 lbs is the weight (mass). 0.013 is the max allowables.

The foam shed is a three-inch piece, triangular in shape, and most importantly, less than half the weight NASA says could cause damage to the shuttle if it had come off during launch and hit Discovery.

OK, that's all. NO DECISION yet. Another meeting at 6:30 PM tonight ... it depends on hight resolution photos of the damage. But it's very possible they will launch as-is.

[GioFX]

The news conference here at Kennedy Space Center just wrapped up. The bottom line: managers will meet at 6:30 p.m. EDT tonight to decide if Discovery can launch tomorrow as-is and if photos (taken with powerful optics from 25 feet away) are enough to alleviate any worries about the remaining foam on the bracket.

If hands-on inspection of the bracket is ordered, launch would slip to Wednesday because of the time needed for establishing work platforms to access this region of the fuel tank.

Should any repair be necessary, it is not clear what that would do to the schedule.

[Luther Blissett]

Secondo me la popolazione mondiale calerà di 7 unità.

[GioFX]

e detta questa cazzata si può andare avanti...

[GioFX]

Shuttle Discovery cleared for launch

The space shuttle Discovery has been cleared for a Fourth of July liftoff after engineers concluded a small piece of foam that broke off from the external fuel tank yesterday is not a serious problem. Tomorrow's launch window opens at 2:37 p.m. EDT (1837 GMT).

[gpc]

Originariamente inviato da GioFX

e detta questa cazzata si può andare avanti...

Fa il trollone ovunque, lascialo perdere...
A che ora dovrebbe partire oggi?

[Octane]

Se non ho capito male dovrebbe partire alle 18:38 (GMT)

[gpc]

Originariamente inviato da Octane

Se non ho capito male dovrebbe partire alle 18:38 (GMT)

Allora me lo vedo qui in università

[GioFX]

che ricordo con l'ora solare > 20:38 per noi!

[gpc]

Originariamente inviato da GioFX

che ricordo con l'ora solare > 20:38 ora locale!

Allora me lo vedo in gpsr

[GioFX]

Originariamente inviato da gpc

Allora me lo vedo in gpsr

Non puoi fermarti in ufficio?

[gpc]

Originariamente inviato da GioFX

Non puoi fermarti in ufficio?

Ma col cavolo, è già tanto che resti fino alle sette
No, poi a quell'ora ha già chiuso l'università, credo attacchino gli allarmi e io non ho le chiavi...

[GioFX]

0820 GMT (4:20 a.m. EDT)

The Mission Management Team met for its standard pre-fueling meeting at 3:30 a.m. this morning and gave the approval to begin loading space shuttle Discovery's external tank as planned. The three-hour fueling process is expected to begin in about 25 minutes.

The weather forecast has improved dramatically for today's 2:37:55 p.m. EDT launch opportunity. Meteorologists are predicting an 80 percent chance of acceptable conditions. Rainshowers will be the main area of concern.