Fri, Dec 31, 2010
Additional Data Evaluated, External Tank's New Cracks To Be
Repaired
The Space Shuttle Program management team was provided a status
update Thursday on the continuing investigation, testing and
analysis regarding shuttle Discovery's External Tank stringer crack
issue.
Following the rollback of Discovery's
STS-133 stack to the Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy
Space Center Wednesday, Dec. 22, engineers immediately began the
work to continue evaluation of the intertank area of the External
Tank. Since the rollback data analysis from a tanking test has
continued to be reviewed along with “non-destructive
evaluation” (X-rays) of stringers that were not accessible at
the launch pad.
The X-rays showed four additional small
cracks on three stringers on the opposite side of the tank from
Discovery, and managers elected to repair those cracks in a similar
fashion to repairs made on cracks discovered after the Nov. 5
launch attempt. That work is estimated to take 2–3 days. Any
further work will be evaluated thoroughly early next week after
additional data is reviewed. The hardware is in place to perform
any modification. That work would be performed inside the VAB.
Managers continue to evaluate an option
to perform known and practiced modifications on additional
stringers. A decision may be made as early as Monday, Jan. 3.
The next available launch date is Thursday, Feb. 3 at the opening
of a window that extends through Feb. 10. The current preferred
launch time on Feb. 3 is 1:37 a.m. EST.
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