ISS suit leak traced to faulty switch
Posted: Sat, Jun 26, 2004, 1:24 PM ET (1724 GMT)
A loss of pressure in a spacesuit that led controllers to scrub a spacewalk outside the International Space Station just minutes after it began Thursday has been traced to a faulty switch, officials said Friday. ISS managers were forced to abort the spacewalk just after it started Thursday evening because the pressure in the main oxygen tank of the suit worn by Michael Fincke was dropping rapidly. A check of the suit revealed that while a switch on the suit indicated that oxygen flow from the tanks was at normal levels, oxygen was in fact flowing at much higher levels, hence the rapid drop in pressure. Procedures are being put into place to make sure that the switch is in the proper position, and no repairs to the suit should be required. Station managers have tentatively rescheduled the EVA for Tuesday evening; a final decision on the revised spacewalk date is expected Monday.
A loss of pressure in a spacesuit that led controllers to scrub a spacewalk outside the International Space Station just minutes after it began Thursday has been traced to a faulty switch, officials said Friday. ISS managers were forced to abort the spacewalk just after it started Thursday evening because the pressure in the main oxygen tank of the suit worn by Michael Fincke was dropping rapidly. A check of the suit revealed that while a switch on the suit indicated that oxygen flow from the tanks was at normal levels, oxygen was in fact flowing at much higher levels, hence the rapid drop in pressure. Procedures are being put into place to make sure that the switch is in the proper position, and no repairs to the suit should be required. Station managers have tentatively rescheduled the EVA for Tuesday evening; a final decision on the revised spacewalk date is expected Monday.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
SpaceX performs two Falcon 9 launches less than an hour apart
Posted: Sun, Aug 16 10:57 AM ET (1457 GMT) Virgin Galactic delays resumption of commercial flights to 2027
Posted: Sun, Aug 16 10:54 AM ET (1454 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Thursday, August 20
Firefly Aerospace Onboards Zeno Power on Blue Ghost Mission to Demonstrate Radioisotope Technologies to Survive the Lunar Night
Firefly Aerospace — 7:03 am ET (1103 GMT) Innospace terminates 1st rocket test flight as Sebit veers off course
Yonhap News — 7:02 am ET (1102 GMT) INNOSPACE's SEBIT Rocket Veers Off Course in Debut Test Flight
Seoul Economic Daily — 6:59 am ET (1059 GMT) Innospace shares plunge after South Korea's Sebit test ends early in Brazil
Chosun Ilbo — 6:59 am ET (1059 GMT) Satellite image shows huge crater at key Roscosmos plant in Samara
The New Voice of Ukraine — 6:57 am ET (1057 GMT) |
