Luqa Space shuttle Discovery refueled for launch_2

Discovery had two launch opportunities Friday roughly 23 1/2 hours apart. NASA managers opted to pass up the first opportunity in favor of the second to give engineers more time to review the valve issue.

“I was still honored to receive the traditional NASA consolation prize, a space treadmill,” Colbert said in a taped message to NASA. “I couldn’t be prouder that my treadmill will soon be installed on the International Space Station to help finally slim down all those chubby astronauts.”

William Harwood has been covering the U.S. space program full-time since 1984, first as Cape Canaveral bureau chief for United Press International and now as a consultant for CBS News. He has covered more than 115 shuttle missions, every interplanetary flight since Voyager 2’s flyby of Neptune, and scores of commercial and military launches. Based at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Harwood is a devoted amateur astronomer and co-author of “Comm Check: The Final Flight of Shuttle Columbia.” You can follow his frequent status updates at the CBSNews.com Space Place, where this story was first published.

The C.O.L.B.E.R.T. treadmill and mission patch. The patch sold out shortly after going on sale.

NASA flight rules prohibited engineers from cycling the valve under supercold cryogenic conditions out of a concern about a possibly unknown problem that could cause it to fail in the closed position. In that case, it would be difficult to drain the tank after a delay. As a result, launch was tentatively rescheduled for early Friday.

During a Mission Management Team meeting Friday, a waiver was processed that would have allowed engineers to cycle the valve twice during fueling, if required, to confirm closing. In addition, engineers developed plans to use alternate cues to verify the valve’s position.

Discovery’s initial launch try early Tuesday was called off due to stormy weather near the launch pad. A second attempt was called off during fueling Tuesday night for a Wednesday morning launch when one of two hydrogen fill-and-drain valves in the shuttle’s engine compartment failed to indicate it was closed.

Along with replacing a 1,800-pound ammonia coolant tank in the station’s main power truss during their first two spacewalks, Discovery’s crew will deliver two sophisticated science racks, an experiment sample freezer, a new air revitalization rack, a crew sleep station, and a treadmill named after comedian Stephen Colbert.

Space shuttle Discovery refueled for launch

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla.–Running four days late, the shuttle Discovery was refueled for launch late Friday for a 13-day mission to deliver more than 7.5 tons of supplies and equipment to the International Space Station.

As it turned out, those plans were not needed. The valve and the position indicator both worked normally.

The “Combined Operational Load Bearing External Resistance Treadmill,” or COLBERT, received its name after the comedian launched a successful tongue-in-cheek write-in campaign to name a final station module in his honor. NASA managers declined, naming the new module Tranquility instead, but renamed the treadmill after Colbert.

An 8-inch liquid hydrogen valve blamed for back-to-back launch delays earlier this week worked normally during fueling Friday and engineers did not have to exercise a waiver that would have permitted additional troubleshooting.

Along with delivering needed supplies and equipment, Stott will replace space station flight engineer Timothy Kopra, launched to the lab complex in July and returning to Earth in Stott’s place.

During tests Wednesday night, after Discovery’s tank was drained, the valve and its position indicator both worked normally, cycling open and closed five times at ambient temperatures. A pressure decay test also indicated the valve closed normally.

With forecasters predicting a 60 percent chance of good weather, Discovery was scheduled for liftoff at 11:59 p.m. EDT.

The shuttle Discovery, poised for launch Friday atop pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. (Credit:collectSPACE.com) (Credit:NASA TV) Discovery’s crew–commander Frederick Sturckow, pilot Kevin Ford, flight engineer Jose Hernandez, Patrick Forrester, John “Danny” Olivas, European Space Agency astronaut Christer Fuglesang, and space station flight engineer Nicole Stott–planned to begin strapping in for launch around 8:40 p.m. EDT. ... other posts by admin 3 Comments Kylie Batt May 13, 2010 at 8:21 am Да вы талантливы… “I was still honored to receive the traditional NASA consolation prize, a space treadmill,” Colbert said in a taped message to NASA…..   CRAIG Jul 1, 2010 at 1:19 pm PillSpot.org. Canadian Health&Care.Best quality drugs.Special Internet Prices.No prescription online pharmacy. High quality drugs. Buy drugs online… Buy:Amoxicillin.Lipitor.Aricept.Zetia.Cozaar.Female Cialis.Lasix.Female Pink Viagra.Advair.Benicar.Buspar.Zocor.Prozac.SleepWell.Wellbutrin SR.Ventolin.Acomplia.Nymphomax.Seroquel.Lipothin….   va Aug 29, 2010 at 9:22 pm service http://ofree9oz.bestpartsstore.info/tag/robin+service+va/ : va… service…   Calendar 2010-09月 Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun « Aug       1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30   Blogroll Development Blog Documentation Plugins Suggest Ideas Support Forum Themes WordPress Planet Categories Uncategorized (2650) Archives 2010年09月 (21) 2010年08月 (2) 2010年06月 (1) 2010年03月 (134) 2010年02月 (297) 2010年01月 (529) 2009年12月 (980) 2009年11月 (263) 2009年10月 (380) 2009年09月 (42) 2009年04月 (1) Meta 登录 Valid XHTML XFN WordPress Copyright © 2010 Free downloads template collections All rights reserved. Desk Mess Mirrored v1.3 theme from BuyNowShop.com.