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Discovery's launch not before Saturday: NASA
Cape Canaveral FL (AFP) Jul 13, 2005 NASA called off Wednesday's Discovery liftoff after detecting a fuel sensor problem, saying Saturday would be the earliest date for a launch of the first space shuttle since the 2003 Columbia disaster. The seven crew, including Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi, were already aboard the orbiter when NASA managers postponed the flight just two hours and 20 minutes before scheduled liftoff. NASA managers said they needed time to assess the cause of the problem before setting a new launch date. "We will not be ready to fly before Saturday," said Wayne Hale, the shuttle program's deputy manager. "That's the very best scenario," he told journalists at the Kennedy Space Center. But NASA administrator Michael Griffin pointed out that in a worst case scenario, the shuttle would have to be taken back to the assembly building, five kilometers (three miles) from the launch pad. The decision to scrap Wednesday's launch was taken after launch control detected a problem with a hydrogen fuel sensor that could have prevented the shuttle from reaching its full power during ascent into orbit. The sensor is one of four designed to transmit data to computers on the levels of hydrogen remaining in the main tank, to determine when engines should be shut off during the ascent into orbit. The sensor did not respond during tests conducted shortly before the planned launch. "It is an unexplained anomaly," said Hale, adding that workers had started emptying the massive external fuel tank of its close to two million liters (536,000 gallons) of liquid hydrogen and oxygen. The tanking operation had been delayed Wednesday morning because a system that helps reduce the chance of an explosion during fueling had to be replaced. NASA already got a scare Tuesday when a plastic and foam protective cover fell 20 meters (60 feet) off one of Discovery's windows, damaging tiles on one of the two orbital maneuvering systems. Worsening weather had also jangled nerves at the Florida seashore space center, but NASA officials expressed confidence Tropical Storm Emily, which threatened Caribbean islands, would not head toward central Florida. NASA has until the end of the month to send the shuttle into orbit so it can hook up with the International Space Station. During the planned 12-day mission, the seven astronauts, led by Commander Eileen Collins, are scheduled to test changes made since Columbia burst into flames upon reentry into the Earth's atmosphere on February 1, 2003. NASA has grounded its shuttle fleet since then. Crews on the ground also will be assessing the improvements, and will keep a close eye on the external fuel tank's new insulation system. At Columbia's launch, a small piece of insulation broke off and struck the orbiter's left wing, causing a crack that allowed superheated gases to penetrate the structure just minutes before the planned landing. More than 100 cameras are installed on the ground and aboard two airplanes, to capture Disvovery's first two minutes of ascent. During one of three planned spacewalks, Japanese astronaut Noguchi and his US counterpart Stephen Robinson are due to test repair techniques. The spacecraft is also to deliver vital supplies and equipment after docking with the International Space Station, whose crew will photograph Discovery's underside. A success of the mission is crucial to the future of the US space program at a time when some lawmakers are showing reluctance to approve new funding for NASA. But several congressmen and senators, including House Majority leader Tom Delay and former presidential candidate Senator John Kerry showed up at the Kennedy Space Center Wednesday, and expressed strong support for NASA.
earlier related report The flight was postponed two hours and 20 minutes before the scheduled liftoff. The seven crew, including Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi, had already boarded Discovery. Officials at the Kennedy Space Center said it was not immediately clear when a new launch would be scheduled. "We have had to scrub the launch for today," NASA spokesman George Diller said. He said the defective hydrogen fuel sensor could have prevented the shuttle from reaching full power during its ascent into orbit. The sensor is one of four designed to transmit data to computers on the levels of hydrogen remaining in the main tank, to determine when engines should be shut off during the ascent into orbit. The sensor did not respond during tests before the launch from the Florida seashore space center which had been planned for 3:51 pm (1951 GMT). As the seven astronauts left the orbiter in their distinctive orange suits, experts gathered to try to determine why the sensor failed. The incident was the latest of several glitches ahead of the planned liftoff. Earlier, a system that helps reduce the chance of an explosion during fueling had to be replaced, delaying the pumping of close to two million liters (536,000 gallons) of liquid hydrogen and oxygen into the shuttle's massive external tank. NASA got a scare Tuesday when a plastic and foam protective cover fell 20 meters (60 feet) off one of Discovery's windows, damaging tiles on one of the two orbital maneuvering systems. Experts scrambled to replace the panel containing the tiles. Worsening weather had also jangled nerves at the Kennedy Space Center as thunderstorms rolled in. NASA has until the end of the month to send the shuttle into orbit so it can hook up with the International Space Station, but there were concerns Tropical Storm Emily, now raging in the Caribbean, could eventually move toward Florida. NASA would call off a launch if there are thunderstorms within 20 nautical miles (37 kilometers) of the launch pad, since they could affect an eventual emergency landing. Ground crews also want the skies on the shuttle's trajectory to be clear so they can monitor the ascent. During the planned 12-day mission, the seven astronauts, led by Commander Eileen Collins, are scheduled to test changes made since Columbia burst into flames upon reentry into the Earth's atmosphere on February 1, 2003. NASA has grounded its shuttle fleet since then. Crews on the ground also will be assessing the improvements, and will keep a close eye on the external fuel tank's new insulation system. At Columbia's launch, a small piece of insulation broke off and struck the orbiter's left wing, causing a crack that allowed superheated gases to penetrate the structure just minutes before the planned landing. More than 100 cameras are installed on the ground and aboard two airplanes, to capture the Disvovery's's first two minutes of ascent. During one of three planned spacewalks, Japanese astronaut Noguchi and his US counterpart Stephen Robinson are due to test repair techniques. The spacecraft is also to deliver vital supplies and equipment after docking with the International Space Station, whose crew will photograph Discovery's underside.
earlier related report Weather forecasters at the Kennedy Space Center here said there was a 40 percent chance that weather would not be favorable for the planned 3:51 pm (1951 GMT) launch at the seaside pad in Florida. With a launch window of only 10 minutes, NASA managers kept an anxious eye on the weather but gave the go-ahead early Wednesday for the fueling of the shuttle's massive external tank. Should Wednesday's launch be called off, NASA would attempt it again on Thursday, when chances of unfavorable weather would be only 30 percent. NASA has until the end of the month to launch Discovery so it can link up in orbit with the International Space Station. The launch will mark the start of the first space shuttle mission since Columbia disintegrated upon its reentry into the Earth's atmosphere, killing all seven astronauts on board, on February 1, 2003.
earlier related report The decision to go ahead with the fueling was taken at a pre-dawn meeting during which the officials considered weather forecasts, which are crucial for the launch, set for 3:51 pm (1951 GMT). Fueling began at 7:11 am (1111 GMT). Filling the massive external tank with almost two million liters (526,000 gallons) of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen takes about three hours. Before tanking began, crews had to replace a defective heating system, which is used to reduce the risks of an explosion while the tank is being fueled. The planned liftoff would be the first by a space shuttle since Columbia burst into flames upon reentry into the Earth's atmosphere on February 1, 2003.
NASA OK's fueling of Discovery, but pump holds cause hold The decision was taken at a pre-dawn meeting during which the officials considered weather forecasts, which are crucial for the launch, which is set for 3:51 p.m. (1951 GMT). Filling the massive external tank with almost two million liters (526,000 gallons) of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen takes about three hours. But before crews could start tanking operations, they planned to replace a defective heating system, which is used during tanking to reduce risks of an explosion. The planned liftoff would be the first by a space shuttle since Columbia burst into flames upon reentry into the Earth's atmosphere on February 1, 2003.
earlier related report NASA managers decided at a pre-dawn meeting to go ahead with the fueling of the massive external tank, a key indication preparations for the 3:51 p.m. (1951 GMT) launch were on track. It takes three hours to fill the tank with some two million liters (536,000 gallons) of liquid hydrogen and oxygen. But a last minute glitch delayed the tanking operations, as a system that helps reduce chances of an explosion during fueling had to be switched out. NASA already got a scare Wednesday when a plastic and foam protective cover fell 20 meters (60 feet) off one of Discovery's window, damaging tiles covering one of the craft's two orbital maneuvering systems. NASA promptly replaced the panel containing the tiles and insisted this would not delay the scheduled liftoff. Officials were far more concerned by forecasts indicating a 40 percent chance of unfavorable weather during the 10-minute window for Discovery to be launched from its pad at Kennedy Space Center, on Florida's Atlantic coast. In case of inclement weather, NASA would reschedule the launch for Thursday, and has until the end of the month to attempt liftoff in order to rendezvous with the orbiting International Space Station. But conditions are not expected to improve in the next few days and could eventually deteriorate further if the still-distant tropical storm Emily heads toward Florida as a full-blown hurricane. The launch will be called off if there is thunderstorm activity within 20 nautical miles (37 kilometers) of the Kennedy Space Center, since it could affect an eventual emergency landing. Ground crews also want the skies on the shuttle's trajectory to be clear so they can monitor the ascent. During their 12-day mission, the seven astronauts aboard Discovery will test changes made since Columbia burst into flames upon reentry into the Earth's atmosphere on February 1, 2003, causing NASA to ground its space shuttle fleet. Crews on the ground also will be assessing the improvements, and will keep a close eye on the external fuel tank's new insulation system. At Columbia's launch, a small piece of insulation broke off and struck the orbiter's left wing, causing a crack that allowed superheated gases to penetrate the structure just minutes before the planned landing. NASA administrator Michael Griffin stressed Tuesday that after two years of improvements and safety planning, "we're back on line and ready to go." But he conceded that "it's a risky business, it will be a risky business for the foreseable future." "With more than 113 launches under our belt, this is still an experimental test flight program," he said at a Kennedy Space Center news conference. More than 100 cameras will be installed on the ground and aboard two airplanes, to capture the spacecraft's first two minutes of ascent. Should something go wrong in the first few minutes, the shuttle could return to the Kennedy Space Center, or head to a base on the other side of the Atlantic, either in France or in Spain. During one of three planned spacewalks, Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi and his US counterpart Stephen Robinson will test repair techniques. The spacecraft will also deliver vital supplies and equipment after docking with the International Space Station, whose crew will photograph Discovery's underside. If the images show Discovery suffered significant damage during ascent, the craft will remain docked with the space station and its seven astronauts will wait there for a rescue mission by another shuttle to bring them back to Earth. Discovery would then be pulled away from the space station and allowed to plunge into the ocean. All rights reserved. � 2005 Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse. Related Links SpaceDaily Search SpaceDaily Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express 
First Woman Commander Of Space Shuttles Will Lead The Discovery Crew
Washington DC (SPX) Jul 11, 2005As a young woman, Eileen Collins knew what she wanted to do in life. At age 19, she went to an airfield and told flight instructors that she wouldn't leave until they taught her to fly.
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