posted 04-28-2005 09:50 PM               

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NASA will delay launch of the shuttle Discovery until mid-July to address continued concerns over fuel tank debris, government officials said today.

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NASA shuttle program spokeswoman Melissa Matthews would not confirm the postponement.

But sources in the federal government, responsible for overseeing the $1.5 billion return to flight effort, confirmed the delay.

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posted 04-29-2005 05:28 AM               

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NASA's first shuttle mission since the Columbia accident will be delayed until July because of fears that ice could shake free from Discovery's external fuel tank, triggering another deadly disaster.

NASA halted launch preparations at launch pad 39B on Thursday. Discovery will be hauled back to the Vehicle Assembly Building to fix the 15-story fuel tank as early as next week, according to a NASA official familiar with the decision. NASA will announce the decision today.

The extra time also will allow NASA to deal with other technical problems that have cropped up recently at the pad.

"I don't think we're ready to fly yet," the official said. "Is it disappointing? Yes. But is it the right thing to do? Yes."

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posted 04-29-2005 06:51 AM               

NASA plans two news events today, April 29, to update media representatives on the agency's Space Shuttle Return to Flight efforts and the STS-114 mission.

At 10:30 a.m. EDT, NASA Administrator Michael Griffin and Associate Administrator for Space Operations William Readdy will speak with reporters at Headquarters in Washington. The news conference will be carried live on NASA Television and www.nasa.gov. Questions from media representatives outside of Washington unfortunately cannot be supported.

At 11:30 a.m., Space Shuttle Program Manager Bill Parsons, Deputy Space Shuttle Program Manager Wayne Hale and International Space Station Program Manager Bill Gerstenmaier will talk to media about the status of preparations for Return to Flight. Reporters at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston and participating agency field centers will be able to ask questions during this news conference.

NASA TV is available on the Web and via satellite in the continental U.S. on AMC-6, Transponder 9C, C-Band, at 72 degrees west longitude. The frequency is 3880.0 MHz. Polarization is vertical, and audio is monaural at 6.80 MHz. It is available in Alaska and Hawaii on AMC-7, Transponder 18C, C-Band, at 137 degrees west longitude. The frequency is 4060.0 MHz. Polarization is vertical, and audio is monaural at 6.80 MHz.

posted 04-29-2005 09:55 AM               

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NASA announced on April 29 that Discovery's Return to Flight would move to the July launch window to allow for further safety analysis and perhaps the addition of a heater to the external tank to address icing issues. The decision was made April 28, after a series of reviews showed that further work was needed to address debris issues and some items that were discovered during work on the launch pad.

"We're going to return to flight, not rush to flight," said NASA Administrator Michael Griffin. "We're going to do it right."

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posted 04-29-2005 10:36 AM               

• The vehicle (Discovery) will stay at the pad "for some time" to continue processing and tests and then at "some point in time" will be rolled back to the Vehicle Assembly Building to complete the needed work.
• "We cannot fly until we have convinced ourselves it is safe to fly."
• International Space Station partners were a "bit disappointed" in slip from first window but understood the reasons.
• Extra water will be launched on the next Progress to allow for the slip.
• Payload at the cape is in its canister and will stay packed up and ready to go. It can stay in its vertical configuration through September.
• Testing shows that low density (slushy) ice and hard ice possess the same risk for damage. So more concern exists for the ice on the External Tank.
• An ET LOX feed-line bellows heater is planned for installation to eliminate the ice in this area of concern (with the STS-121 tank receiving the modification first). Further testing is needed before a decision to install is made. This work cannot be done at the pad; it must be done inside the VAB but can be done with the orbiter attached.
• The current Elektron (Russian air conditioner) failure on ISS will not impact a "safe haven" scenario.
• No date yet on rollback of Discovery; will be determined on how much work can be done at the pad and the "fault tree" being mapped out; heater kit won't be available at the Cape until May 5.
• As of now, Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) will proceed as planned next week.
• Window opens July 13, ~3:45pm EDT.
• Prior flights' ice hits on solid rocket booster cork and orbiter tile have led to a greater understanding of how ice separates from the LOX feed-line bellows area. Further testing includes a planned wind tunnel test accelerating ice to Mach 3.
• Though Administrator Mike Griffin offered insight into the decision process, he did not "influence" this slip but agreed with the existing findings.
• The next Soyuz launch may slip (with Russian cooperation) to allow for a larger September window for STS-121 (or STS-114, if it slips again).
• STS-114 crew reaction to the delay as summarized by Soichi Noguchi: "Well, we got four days closer to launch then last time [in 2003]." The crew is encouraged that NASA is doing what it takes to launch safely. They look forward to using the extra time to further train and will take part in TCDT next week.
• TPS damage (from the earlier fuel spill) may result in replacement or they may be cleaned/repaired.
• Atlantis processing is going "very well". They are a "little behind, couple of days, maybe a week". Decision to slip was not based on Atlantis preparation.

posted 04-29-2005 12:28 PM              

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Scott Schneeweis

posted 04-29-2005 03:22 PM            

The paint was discarded as a weight saver.

But,I wonder what effect the paint may have had on "retaining" the foam ?

posted 04-29-2005 05:01 PM              

However I like you wonder if some type of coating wouldn't give more cohesion for the liftoff.

posted 04-29-2005 10:00 PM               

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Originally posted by Rodina:
One of the considerations for these launch windows is to have daylight all the way to ET sep, so they can film the whole ascent on the odd chanace another chunk of insulation falls.

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posted 05-09-2005 12:53 PM               

I actually sent an e-mail with just that question to the NASA office that requested ideas. I recieved a semi-technical response that indicated no cohesion benefit from the paint. I even suggested latex based paints, but no benefit would be apparent.