Spaceflight Now: Breaking News

Workers make progress in repairing shuttle Discovery
BY JUSTIN RAY
SPACEFLIGHT NOW

Posted: Dec. 11, 1999

  Damaged line
A close up view of the damaged liquid hydrogen recirculation line on shuttle Discovery. Photo NASA/KSC
 
A damaged liquid hydrogen line was removed from shuttle Discovery on Friday and workers expect to have a new one installed by Saturday.

If the repair work continues to go smoothly, NASA officials are hopeful the shuttle could be cleared for launch on December 16 at 9:18 p.m. EST (17th at 0218 GMT) for a 10-day mission to fix the Hubble Space Telescope.

"The work is going well," NASA spokesman Joel Wells said. "At this junction, if the work plan continues to proceed as well as it has we will be able to pick up the countdown on Tuesday."

Officials decided Thursday to replace a crushed liquid hydrogen recirculation line inside Discovery's engine compartment, a job that has never before been done.

Shuttle program boss Ron Dittemore described the six-foot long, 40-pound line as like an octopus with five tentacles that have to be connected to parts of the shuttle, making it a challenge to replace in the cramped engine compartment at launch pad 39B.

"Because we have not (replaced) it before, the guys have gone out and taken the measurements on the spare part and compared it to the measurements of the (shuttle) door and the access they will have in the aft compartment. They have convinced themselves, although through sight, they believe they can get it in the door and maneuver it around and install it.

Damaged line
Workers bring the damaged liquid hydrogen recirculation line out Discovery's aft engine compartment access door on December 10. Photo NASA/KSC
 
 
"They described it a little bit like moving the sofa through the door. You have to be careful and you have to have the right guidance 'turn a little bit left here, lift up there.'"

Once the new line is installed, a test will be performed using helium to look for any leaks in the hydrogen system plumbing aboard Discovery. That test was tentatively scheduled for Saturday night, local time.

Discovery's engine compartment would then be closed and locked for flight on Monday.

The seven shuttle astronauts are staying at Kennedy Space Center through this delay. They are spending the time going over flight plans and visiting with family members.

Explore the Net
Curt Brown - Biography of STS-103 crew commander.

Scott Kelly - Biography of STS-103 pilot.

Steve Smith - Biography of STS-103 mission specialist No. 1.

Jean-Francois Clervoy - Biography of STS-103 mission specialist No. 2.

John Grunsfeld - Biography of STS-103 mission specialist No. 3.

Michael Foale - Biography of STS-103 mission specialist No. 4.

Claude Nicollier - Biography of STS-103 mission specialist No. 5.

NASA Human Spaceflight - Space agency Web site dedicated to International Space Station and space shuttle programs.


NewsAlert
Sign up for Astronomy Now's NewsAlert service and have the latest news in astronomy and space e-mailed directly to your desktop (free of charge).

Your e-mail address: