March 12 date set for shuttle launch
Posted: Thu, Feb 26, 2009, 7:37 AM ET (1237 GMT)
NASA is tentatively planning to launch the space shuttle Discovery on the STS-119 mission to the ISS, a date that gives the agency little room for additional delays before having to postpone the mission until April. Shuttle managers set the date after making the decision to replace three flow control valves in the shuttle's main engines the regulate the flow of gaseous hydrogen with versions that have flown fewer times. Engineers had raised concerns about fatigue causing cracks in the valves, which could create debris that could cause additional damage to the engines during launch. The launch had been scheduled for exactly one month earlier, February 12, but delayed several times while the issues with the valves was studied; the most recent delay came Friday night after a lengthy flight readiness review. NASA has until only about mid=March to launch the shuttle so that it can complete its mission at the ISS before a Soyuz spacecraft arrives at the station. If the mission can't be launched by then NASA would have to wait until after the Soyuz mission around April 7 to try again.
NASA is tentatively planning to launch the space shuttle Discovery on the STS-119 mission to the ISS, a date that gives the agency little room for additional delays before having to postpone the mission until April. Shuttle managers set the date after making the decision to replace three flow control valves in the shuttle's main engines the regulate the flow of gaseous hydrogen with versions that have flown fewer times. Engineers had raised concerns about fatigue causing cracks in the valves, which could create debris that could cause additional damage to the engines during launch. The launch had been scheduled for exactly one month earlier, February 12, but delayed several times while the issues with the valves was studied; the most recent delay came Friday night after a lengthy flight readiness review. NASA has until only about mid=March to launch the shuttle so that it can complete its mission at the ISS before a Soyuz spacecraft arrives at the station. If the mission can't be launched by then NASA would have to wait until after the Soyuz mission around April 7 to try again.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Tuesday, November 4
Space42 Expands SAR Constellation
Aviation Week — 7:04 am ET (1204 GMT) Intuitive Machines to Acquire Lanteris Space Systems, Creating the Next-Generation Commercial, Civil, and National Security Space Prime
Intuitive Machines — 7:02 am ET (1202 GMT) As Florida doubles down on its support of space discovery, FIU takes a lead in exploring critical governance and security issues
Florida International Univ. — 7:01 am ET (1201 GMT) Why Do We Celebrate UCF Space Week? Because Discovery Starts Here
Univ. of Central Florida — 7:01 am ET (1201 GMT) MDA Space investing in $10 million in Maritime Launch Services
Canadian Press — 6:59 am ET (1159 GMT) |
