Avi Blizovsky
Direct link to this page: https://www.hayadan.org.il/shuttleupdate200705.html
The American space agency is still trying to get to the root of the malfunction in the fuel sensor that caused the delay in the launch attempt. Discovery must lift off by the end of July or it will again miss the daytime launch window until September.
"We are still looking for the source of the malfunction," said Bill Parsons, NASA's shuttle program manager. "The team is trying everything they can to make it and launch in the July launch window. Efforts are focused on one of the four sensors responsible for turning off the shuttle's engines when the fuel in the external tank runs out.
During the countdown, the sensor failed the pre-launch tests. The sensors are supposed to warn the spacecraft's computers if fuel is running low, allowing the computers to safely shut down the three main engines.
The engine pumps can pump half a ton of fuel per second out of the tank, and when the tank suddenly runs dry they may accelerate and disintegrate.
"We hope that in the next two days we will find the source of the problem that confused and frustrated us, and we will be able to fix it and move on," said the deputy director of the shuttle program, Wayne Hale. Tuesday 26/7 is probably the earliest day we can launch, even in the optimistic case." said.
It is possible that NASA will decide to conduct an experiment of the tank. This would require the loading of 2 million liters of supercooled liquid hydrogen and hydrogen into the outer tank. Such action would push the launch date closer to July 31, the end of the planned launch window.
"There is a debate as to whether we can announce a launch and then test the tank and launch if everything is fine, or perhaps perform a full test and empty the tank again. "In any case, the next filling will not take place before Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the two astronauts at the space station moved the Soyuz cabin parked near the station to another point.
Cosmonaut Sergey Kliklev and astronaut John Phillips moved the Soyuz cabin to a new docking point to facilitate exit on future spacewalks.
Yadan following the return to space
https://www.hayadan.org.il/BuildaGate4/general2/data_card.php?Cat=~~~217963501~~~188&SiteName=hayadan
