STS-115 - What is This?

[haywood]

In this picture you can see a red square around the forward sling attachment point. It seems to be attached with some tape to the side of the Orbiter.<br />What is it?<br /><br />Also...<br /><br />What are those "tape things" protruding from around the hatch?<br />

 

[bobw]

I asked about closing the hatch about a year-and-a-half ago and found out what the paper in the hatch is for, among other things, in padrat's great checklist.<br /><br />http://uplink.space.com/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=missions&Number=149231&page=&view=&sb=&o=&vc=1<br /><br />It is armalon paper; amazing, when they close the hatch for launch they test for leaks before they pull it out.<br /><br />I never noticed the square "target" at the attatch points before so I am as curious as you about them <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> Great picture, btw, thanks. I have saved that one! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[SpaceKiwi]

Having a wild guess, it almost looks like a piece of acetate plastic? Like a 'pocket protector' for the attach point as it were. Developing my guess even further, I'd say the purpose would be to protect the Orbiter from sling lubricants, dirty hands, assorted contaminants until the mate is completed? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em><font size="2" color="#ff0000">Who is this superhero?  Henry, the mild-mannered janitor ... could be!</font></em></p><p><em><font size="2">-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</font></em></p><p><font size="5">Bring Back The Black!</font></p> </div>

 

[halman]

haywood,<br /><br />This is a purely uneducated guess, but I think that it is the NASA equivilant to the 'Remove Before Flight' streamers found on equipment used on aircraft, such as the nose wheel strut locking tubes that prevent the nose wheel from being accidentally retracted.<br /><br />Because a tile cover has to go over the sling attachment points before the shuttle is ready to fly, a red decal surrounding the points that can be removed when the covers are installed makes sense. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> The secret to peace of mind is a short attention span. </div>