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Space Shuttle In Shipshape Condition As Return To Flight Looms
Washington DC (SPX) Mar 11, 2005
When the crew members of the Space Shuttle Discovery lift off later this year from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., they'll be supported by two years of hard work by tens of thousands of people determined to make the Space Shuttle safer. NASA has upgraded flight hardware, as well as visual tracking and inspection equipment, to ensure the Return to Flight mission is successful.
The Columbia accident revealed a major problem with the insulating foam that covers the External Tank. Investigators found that foam falling off the tank had damaged Columbia's left wing, letting superheated gases inside. Redesigning the External Tank became a top priority in the Agency's Return to Flight work.
NASA engineers made dozens of changes to the tank design, including one to a key mechanism that joins the External Tank with the orbiter. Jutting from the upper third of the tank, the "bipod fitting" is susceptible to icing due to the ultra-cold fuel that tank contains. Until the Columbia accident, the part was protected from ice buildup using thick sheets of foam.
The improved bipod design now excludes using foam and instead relies on electric heaters to keep the area clear. The new fitting design is currently being retrofitted to the 11 existing tanks -- including the one chosen for Discovery's flight -- and will be included on those produced in the future.
Another major safety improvement to the Space Shuttle fleet is the expanded use of enhanced imaging equipment to record the launch of Discovery as it roars into the sky and glides through space.
At Kennedy Space Center, NASA has upgraded the short-, medium-, and long-range tracking camera system around the Center's launch pads 39A and 39B, along with those lining the nearby Atlantic coastline. The addition of nine more camera sites will provide unprecedented views of Discovery's launch, allowing engineers to clearly observe the flight high into the sky.
Discovery itself also received new imaging equipment with the installation of a digital External Tank camera and new "Canadarm" inspection boom.
Making the most of current consumer photography equipment, the orbiter's External Tank camera has been switched from film to a digital model. Located in the rear underbelly of the orbiter, the camera is similar to a standard 35 mm model and snaps a series of photos as the tank separates from the orbiter.
With the previous film camera, flight engineers had to wait until Discovery landed to retrieve the negatives and develop photos. With the simplicity and increased speed of a digital system, the image files will be easily transmitted back to Earth shortly after Discovery reaches space.
Into Orbit And Back To Work
Once in orbit, the visual inspection of Discovery will continue with the help of a new piece of robotic technology. The Canadarm found inside Discovery's payload bay now includes the Canadian-built Orbiter Boom Sensor System. The boom extension houses a camera and laser-powered measuring device that astronauts will use to scan the orbiter's exterior.
The boom attaches to the end of the existing robotic arm and doubles its length to 100 feet long. The extra length will allow the arm to reach around the spacecraft for the best possible views. With the new boom, astronauts will take a good look at features like the orbiter's leading wing edges, which are now closely watched by an advanced monitoring system.
Each of Discovery's leading wing edges are outfitted with 22 temperature sensors to measure how heat is distributed across their spans. Both wings also have 66 accelerometers apiece to detect impacts and gauge their strength and location.
The sensors are highly sensitive and take 20,000 readings per second. This new network of sensors running along the wings provides an electronic nervous system that gives engineers a valuable way to monitor their condition.
Inspection of the wings will continue once Discovery returns to Earth. Technicians will use a proven method called flash thermography, employed to examine the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon panels that make up the wing's leading edges.
The technique starts by applying an intensely hot and bright burst of light to the panels. Technicians then survey the panels with a heat-sensitive infrared camera to see if any flaws appear under stress from the extreme heat. Flash thermography will reveal even small imperfections and offer technicians a powerful tool for keeping an orbiter's wings in shipshape.
On launch day, when the Shuttle's boosters erupt with fiery thrust and shake the Florida sands, the moment will signal the culmination of more than two years of thoughtful planning and hard work to send America's flagship spacecraft streaking back into space on a mission to the world's most unique research platform, the International Space Station.
It's a mission that promises to begin with a safe and exciting reach for the sky and end with an even happier landing.
Space Shuttle In Shipshape Condition As Return To Flight Looms
Washington DC (SPX) Mar 11, 2005
When the crew members of the Space Shuttle Discovery lift off later this year from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., they'll be supported by two years of hard work by tens of thousands of people determined to make the Space Shuttle safer. NASA has upgraded flight hardware, as well as visual tracking and inspection equipment, to ensure the Return to Flight mission is successful.
The Columbia accident revealed a major problem with the insulating foam that covers the External Tank. Investigators found that foam falling off the tank had damaged Columbia's left wing, letting superheated gases inside. Redesigning the External Tank became a top priority in the Agency's Return to Flight work.
NASA engineers made dozens of changes to the tank design, including one to a key mechanism that joins the External Tank with the orbiter. Jutting from the upper third of the tank, the "bipod fitting" is susceptible to icing due to the ultra-cold fuel that tank contains. Until the Columbia accident, the part was protected from ice buildup using thick sheets of foam.
The improved bipod design now excludes using foam and instead relies on electric heaters to keep the area clear. The new fitting design is currently being retrofitted to the 11 existing tanks -- including the one chosen for Discovery's flight -- and will be included on those produced in the future.
Another major safety improvement to the Space Shuttle fleet is the expanded use of enhanced imaging equipment to record the launch of Discovery as it roars into the sky and glides through space.
At Kennedy Space Center, NASA has upgraded the short-, medium-, and long-range tracking camera system around the Center's launch pads 39A and 39B, along with those lining the nearby Atlantic coastline. The addition of nine more camera sites will provide unprecedented views of Discovery's launch, allowing engineers to clearly observe the flight high into the sky.
Discovery itself also received new imaging equipment with the installation of a digital External Tank camera and new "Canadarm" inspection boom.
Making the most of current consumer photography equipment, the orbiter's External Tank camera has been switched from film to a digital model. Located in the rear underbelly of the orbiter, the camera is similar to a standard 35 mm model and snaps a series of photos as the tank separates from the orbiter.
With the previous film camera, flight engineers had to wait until Discovery landed to retrieve the negatives and develop photos. With the simplicity and increased speed of a digital system, the image files will be easily transmitted back to Earth shortly after Discovery reaches space.
Into Orbit And Back To Work
Once in orbit, the visual inspection of Discovery will continue with the help of a new piece of robotic technology. The Canadarm found inside Discovery's payload bay now includes the Canadian-built Orbiter Boom Sensor System. The boom extension houses a camera and laser-powered measuring device that astronauts will use to scan the orbiter's exterior.
The boom attaches to the end of the existing robotic arm and doubles its length to 100 feet long. The extra length will allow the arm to reach around the spacecraft for the best possible views. With the new boom, astronauts will take a good look at features like the orbiter's leading wing edges, which are now closely watched by an advanced monitoring system.
Each of Discovery's leading wing edges are outfitted with 22 temperature sensors to measure how heat is distributed across their spans. Both wings also have 66 accelerometers apiece to detect impacts and gauge their strength and location.
The sensors are highly sensitive and take 20,000 readings per second. This new network of sensors running along the wings provides an electronic nervous system that gives engineers a valuable way to monitor their condition.
Inspection of the wings will continue once Discovery returns to Earth. Technicians will use a proven method called flash thermography, employed to examine the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon panels that make up the wing's leading edges.
The technique starts by applying an intensely hot and bright burst of light to the panels. Technicians then survey the panels with a heat-sensitive infrared camera to see if any flaws appear under stress from the extreme heat. Flash thermography will reveal even small imperfections and offer technicians a powerful tool for keeping an orbiter's wings in shipshape.
On launch day, when the Shuttle's boosters erupt with fiery thrust and shake the Florida sands, the moment will signal the culmination of more than two years of thoughtful planning and hard work to send America's flagship spacecraft streaking back into space on a mission to the world's most unique research platform, the International Space Station.
It's a mission that promises to begin with a safe and exciting reach for the sky and end with an even happier landing.
