NASA managers decide to delay STS-118 by 24 hours

by Chris Bergin

NASA managers have concluded a midday scheduling meeting by deciding to delay the launch of shuttle Endeavour on STS-118 by 24 hours.

The schedule proved to be too tight to work towards the start of the launch countdown (S0007) – previously scheduled for Saturday evening – leading to a new launch date of August 8, at 6:36pm local time. The delay will allow for a full leak check on the orbiter over the weekend.

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Special STS-118 L2 Section now live, with all the MOD Flight Readiness Review presentations (x16), a newly updated Flight Plan and handbooks (Over 100mb of STS-118 documentation added Friday), along with a large amount of mission documentation and NASA/USA engineers updating status live.

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Article:

The one day slip will allow for a full leak check test of the crew cabin and Spacehab module in the payload bay, thus ensuring the pressure issues have been fully resolved. (Four articles on leak issue).

United Space Alliance engineers conducted three successful leak checks on Endeavour overnight, showing the replacement Positive Pressure cabin Relief Valve (PPRV B) from Atlantis has solved the issue. Further leak checks will be conducted Saturday night and Sunday morning.

‘Out of a 1200 scheduling meeting here at KSC, the decision was made to slip call to stations (CTS) 24 hours which will delay launch by 24 hours. We will not be launching on Aug 7,’ noted an e-mail set out to managers after the conclusion of the midday meeting.

‘We’ll do a full up module, and Spacehab, leak check on Saturday,’ is now the plan, after the meeting decided against removing the test from the schedule, which would have gained back eight hours of work in the pad flow ahead of S0007 (Launch Countdown) preparations.

‘Another meeting will take place tomorrow at 1200 (local) to continue the scheduling discussion,’ added processing information..

**UPDATED: Ride home through the fire, sparks and plasma of re-entry with Atlantis, Discovery and Endeavour. FOUR Stunning high quality 2hr, 355-400mb Camcorder and HUD videos – from payload bay closure to post landing – several more videos showing landing from 90,000 ft also available**

The delay won’t change the plans for the STS-118 crew, who will arrive at KSC today, as planned.

The troubleshooting process, which included R&R of the Positive Pressure cabin Relief Valve (PPRV B) – removed from Atlantis and installed into her younger sister Endeavour at the pad – earned high praise from Shuttle manager Wayne Hale, who sent a motivating note to the workforce during the latest Shuttle Standup/Integration meeting.
 
‘(I’m) proud of entire team. We keep encountering obstacles, which we turn into opportunities to arise to the occasion,’ said Hale, ‘demonstrating that NASA has the capability to carry out the vision for exploration, because we can solve these types of problems.

‘Keep up the good work. Let’s be deliberate and ensure we know what we’re doing, and we’ll get the job done.’

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