NASA reschedules STS-133 launch for February 24
Posted: Wed, Jan 12, 2011, 8:11 AM ET (1311 GMT)
NASA shuttle managers said Tuesday they have determined the root cause of the cracks found in the shuttle Discovery's external tank and believe they can have the shuttle ready to launch next month. Officials said a batch of aluminum-lithium brackets, or "stringers", have a mottled appearance and are weaker that expected, which would explain why several of them suffered cracks when the tank was loaded with propellant. NASA plans to install aluminum plates called radius blocks over the stringers to allow them to handle loads without cracking. That work will be done in time to permit a launch on February 24. That launch date also depends on an on-time launch of a European ATV cargo spacecraft, scheduled to dock with the station on February 23.
NASA shuttle managers said Tuesday they have determined the root cause of the cracks found in the shuttle Discovery's external tank and believe they can have the shuttle ready to launch next month. Officials said a batch of aluminum-lithium brackets, or "stringers", have a mottled appearance and are weaker that expected, which would explain why several of them suffered cracks when the tank was loaded with propellant. NASA plans to install aluminum plates called radius blocks over the stringers to allow them to handle loads without cracking. That work will be done in time to permit a launch on February 24. That launch date also depends on an on-time launch of a European ATV cargo spacecraft, scheduled to dock with the station on February 23.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
NASA IG cites overconfidence and unrealistic schedules for Starliner woes
Posted: Sat, Jul 4 8:11 PM ET (0011 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Wednesday, July 15
Frontier Airlines, a Wi-Fi Holdout, Is Partnering With SpaceX’s Starlink
Wall Street Journal — 4:30 am ET (0830 GMT) SpaceX Wins Another Airline Customer as Frontier Picks Starlink
Bloomberg News — 4:30 am ET (0830 GMT) Frontier and four other Indigo-backed carriers to equip more than 1,000 aircraft with Starlink
Flightglobal.com — 4:29 am ET (0829 GMT) Space Force offers $25K for 8-year enlistments in new pilot
Military Times — 4:25 am ET (0825 GMT) Space Force agency awards tech companies $1.75 billion contract for missile warning, tracking satellites
Military Times — 4:25 am ET (0825 GMT) |
