Contamination issue may delay shuttle launch
Posted: Thu, Sep 18, 2008, 7:34 AM ET (1134 GMT)
Loose insulation that contaminated a cargo carrier will delay its installation into the shuttle Atlantis, potentially delaying its mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope. Particles of insulation got inside protective bagging around a cargo carrier that was being readied to be installed in the cargo bay of Atlantis on pad 39A. Cleaning up the insulation will delay that move by at least 24 hours. Shuttle managers said that they were still aiming for an October 10 launch of the shuttle but that could be delayed. Also uncertain is the impact the extended closure of NASA's Johnson Space Center, caused by Hurricane Ike, will have on launch preparations: the center, closed for a week, will reopen no earlier than Monday. Meanwhile, the rollout of the shuttle Endeavour, which would serve as a rescue shuttle for Atlantis in the event of an emergency, was delayed 24 hours to early Friday because of stormy weather.
Loose insulation that contaminated a cargo carrier will delay its installation into the shuttle Atlantis, potentially delaying its mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope. Particles of insulation got inside protective bagging around a cargo carrier that was being readied to be installed in the cargo bay of Atlantis on pad 39A. Cleaning up the insulation will delay that move by at least 24 hours. Shuttle managers said that they were still aiming for an October 10 launch of the shuttle but that could be delayed. Also uncertain is the impact the extended closure of NASA's Johnson Space Center, caused by Hurricane Ike, will have on launch preparations: the center, closed for a week, will reopen no earlier than Monday. Meanwhile, the rollout of the shuttle Endeavour, which would serve as a rescue shuttle for Atlantis in the event of an emergency, was delayed 24 hours to early Friday because of stormy weather.
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) |
