Managers at the Agency Flight Readiness Review (FRR) have – as expected – approved April 29 as the launch date for STS-134. The meeting also discussed the health of Endeavour’s External Tank (ET-122), following a bout of severe storm weather at Pad 39A at the end of March – resulting in high wind loads on [...]
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With just over two weeks to launch, engineers will disassemble the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate (GUCP) at the pad, after it was noted the troublesome hardware failed a leak check. Several contingency days exist in the STS-133 pad flow, as engineers press on with S0024 hyper loading tasks on the Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs).
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Discovery’s return to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) – in order to gain extra data on the health of the stringers on areas of her tank (ET-137) which can’t be scanned out at the Pad – was completed early on Wednesday. Efforts to return Discovery to the VAB comes just days after a successful Tanking [...]
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Pending acceptable weather conditions on Friday, all systems are go for ET-137′s Tanking Test – a key milestone in the effort to gain data on both the health of the tank and the root cause investigation into four cracks sustained during the previous STS-133 tanking. The November launch attempt was scrubbed due to a leak [...]
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With numerous repair operations ongoing with Discovery’s External Tank (ET-137), managers are creating a number of options to provide some additional flexibility in launching STS-133. As part of the evaluations, the Space Shuttle Program (SSP) have requested input from the International Space Station (ISS) on the option of a launch window which opens on December [...]
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Providing Discovery’s External Tank (ET-137) can be repaired and cleared for flight in time for the upcoming launch window, managers have created a preliminary plan for a Tanking Test, built into a six day countdown. In order to avoid a slip to next February, managers are focusing on gaining confidence in the intertank’s condition, which [...]
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Two more cracks has been found on a stringer adjacent to the two original cracks on Discovery’s External Tank (ET-137). The latest crack was found on the far left of removed Thermal Protection System (TPS) foam on the flange area between the Intertank and the LOX tank, but appears to have suffered less stress than [...]
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Concentricity measurements on the removed flight seal on the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate (GUCP) have found at least one of the potential root causes for last Friday’s leak, with a forward plan to install a replacement carrier plate and seal ahead of a potential Tanking Test. Plans are also being worked to install a doubler [...]
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While troubleshooting on the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate (GUCP) saw the flight seal removed on Wednesday, engineers have been removing the cracked foam from Discovery’s damaged Thermal Protection System (TPS) area on the flange between the intertank and LOX tank. Two cracks has been found on the structural stringer, which is undergoing an immediate investigation.
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As access platforms are set up for engineers to begin the removal of the hardware associated with the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate (GUCP), a large effort to build a repair plan – one which can be conducted at Pad 39A – is being developed for the large crack (and several other smaller cracks) that were found on Discovery’s [...]
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As engineers prepare to take a close look at the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate (GUCP) at the center of STS-133′s scrub on Friday, a pool of knowledge will be fully utilized in the drive towards finding a root cause. That knowledge comes via a large amount of documentation gained through testing and troubleshooting, after the [...]
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Shuttle orbiter Endeavour was again ready to launch to the International Space Station. However, poor weather again put pay to the fifth launch attempt for STS-127, moving launch to Wednesday. Meanwhile, the results of the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate (GUCP) investigation appear to have been validated via Sunday’s leak-free “near-complete duration” tanking.
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STS-127′s External Tank (ET-131) has completed a tanking test on the realigned Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate (GUCP) and a two-part seal, with no leaks detected. As a result, NASA is officially a go for a launch attempt of Endeavour on July 11.
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Preparations for next Wednesday’s tanking test are proceeding well, with the flight seal now replaced ahead of weekend work to reinstall the Quick Disconnect (QD) on the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate (GUCP). A successful tanking test is expected, due to “high confidence” a misalignment was responsible for at least STS-127′s scrub.
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Managers have set next Wednesday morning for a full-up tanking test of External Tank ET-131 to test a potential solution to the leaking Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate (GUCP). The leading candidate for the cause of the leaks is believed to be related to the External Tank Carrier Assembly (ETCA) mounts, a problem engineers had documented [...]
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Endeavour will launch only when engineers are happy they have a full understanding of the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate (GUCP) leak, even if that means slipping STS-127 past the current July 11 NET (No Earlier Than) launch target. A troubleshooting plan is currently being drawn up – which is understood to include a tanking test [...]
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STS-127 has been scrubbed for the second time due to another leak at the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate (GUCP). The leak, first registered as within an acceptable range, before rising to breach the four percent (40,000PPM) limits, appears to point to a different issue with the hydrogen vent system. Endeavour will now have to wait until NET (No Earlier Than) [...]
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Endeavour has won the right to make a launch attempt on June 17 (Wednesday), following NASA discussions relating to the schedule priorities of the Eastern Range. The decision was made easier thanks to good progress on replacing hardware on External Tank ET-131′s Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate (GUCP), as engineers work around the clock to “safely [...]
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In a similar event to STS-119′s scrub, Endeavour’s launch has been delayed due to a significant leak registered in the region of the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate (GUCP). Engineers will dismantle the troublesome hardware at the pad, with the aim to attempt a single launch opportunity on June 17.
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The ascent threat of ice liberation, as observed on STS-126 and potentially STS-125, will be closely monitored during Endeavour’s launch - which has been delayed by a scrub - following an expansive overview by NASA’s Space Shuttle Systems Engineering and Integration Office (SE&I) to the Flight Readiness Reviews (FRRs).
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