STS-119 processing

[CalliArcale]

Aw, fiddlesticks. Hopefully it is something easy to fix.

 

[MeteorWayne]

If it goes tomorrow, it would be ~ 8:54:30 PM EDT.

 

[MeteorWayne]

Official NASA Announcement:

Launch Scrubbed for Wednesday
Wed, 11 Mar 2009 02:48:47 PM EDT


The STS-119 launch was scrubbed at 2:37 p.m. EDT due to a hydrogen leak in a Liquid Hydrogen vent line between the shuttle and the external tank. The launch team is currently beginning the process of draining the external fuel tank. We'll turn around for launch attempt tomorrow at 8:54 p.m. EDT.

 

[MeteorWayne]

Launch Scrubbed after Slight GH2 Leak
Wed, 11 Mar 2009 03:34:19 PM EDT


NASA officials scrubbed Wednesday’s attempt at 2:37 EDT to launch space shuttle Discovery after a slight leak was detected in a gaseous hydrogen (GH2) vent line. The vent line is at the intertank region of the external tank and is the overboard vent to the pad and the flare stack where the vented hydrogen is burned off. The launch team is resetting to preserve the option of attempting a Thursday night liftoff at 8:54 p.m. EDT depending on what repairs are needed and what managers decide. The Mission Management Team is meeting at 5 p.m. today to discuss the issue.

 

[tanstaafl76]

I don't know how the astronauts handle the last minute scrubs. Think of your state of mind getting pumped up to go go go and then deeelllaaaayyyy. Takes more patience and fortitude than I've got, I'll tell ya that.

Hopefully it's an easy patch job and they are good to go tomorrow, but I'm not getting my hopes up. If they can't make it tomorrow, how long is this launch window open for?

 

[Swampcat]

The Mission Management Team is meeting at 5 p.m. today to discuss the issue.

I've been watching NASA TV and I believe that meeting is now scheduled for 6:30 pm ET.

Just got home from work only to find that the launch had been scrubbed for the day

 

[bobw]

If they can't make it tomorrow, how long is this launch window open for?

Monday is the last day then they have to wait till April.
(Edit: woops... watching news conference said they could go Tuesday too.)

I read that the next launch attempt will be Sunday at the earliest.... cutting it kind of close

 

[bobble_bob]

Think i heard them saying they could fly on Tuesday 17th aswell

Id rather them delay and do a full mission, than launch now and have a reduced mission. Worry about the impact to STS125 once Discovery is down safe in April

 

[bobw]

Think i heard them saying they could fly on Tuesday 17th aswell

Id rather them delay and do a full mission, than launch now and have a reduced mission. Worry about the impact to STS125 once Discovery is down safe in April

Sorry about the edit above, your post wasn't here when I clicked edit.

Funny thing if they launch Mon. or Tues. they will dock on the same day.

 

[MeteorWayne]

Depending on negotitions and adjustments to the mission, 1 to 6 days.

 

[MeteorWayne]

From NASA:


STS-119 to Launch No Earlier Than Sunday
Wed, 11 Mar 2009 06:36:03 PM EDT


Space shuttle Discovery’s launch to the International Space Station now is targeted for no earlier than March 15. NASA managers postponed Wednesday’s planned liftoff due to a leak associated with the gaseous hydrogen venting system outside the external fuel tank. The system is used to carry excess hydrogen safely away from the launch pad.

Liftoff on March 15 would be at 7:43 p.m. EDT. The exact launch date is dependent on the work necessary to repair the problem. Managers will meet Thursday at 4 p.m. to further assess the troubleshooting plan.









From Spaceflightnow:

The next launch opportunity is being targeted for no earlier than Sunday, with a liftoff time of 7:43 p.m. EDT.

The leak was found near the end of fueling space shuttle Discovery's external tank this afternoon in the gaseous hydrogen venting system. Troubleshooting and efforts to cycle valve in the system failed to fix the leak. Engineers are sure there is a hardware problem, most likely on the launch pad-side of the interface.

The tank has been drained of the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen following the scrub. A 20-hour inerting of the tank must be performed before technicians can get their hands on the hardware.

More meetings are planned for tomorrow to assess the schedule.

 

[tanstaafl76]

Ouch, doesn't exactly make it sound promising that they will launch within a few days.

 

[shuttle_guy]

The H2 leak was found early in the ET loading process not "near the end" as stated in Nasaspaceflight. The leak will be difficult to find since it probably does not leak at ambient temp. We will know more late Friday.

 

[MeteorWayne]

Hmmm, IIRC, that's what they said at the briefing, that the leak occurred late as the joint reached cryo temps.

 

[ozspace]

Looks like they are out there taking a look at the gaseous hydrogen venting system interface to the ET now:
http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/cou ... 1large.jpg

 

[bobw]

Looks like they are out there taking a look at the gaseous hydrogen venting system interface to the ET now:
http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/cou ... 1large.jpg

Thanks for the picture... It reminded me to check out the FlameTrench and I found one that updates once a minute. If they have to vent for 20 hours they should start taking it apart soon. I'll probably be watching far too long tonight!

http://www.floridatoday.com/content/map ... am11.shtml

Listening to the press conference yesterday I was surprised that it is attached with explosive bolts (I think that's what he meant wen he said "... have to disarm pyrotechnics")

Couple of questions:
Did all those service things that swung away from the Saturns to the Moon have pyrotechnics too?

What way does that hydrogen vent arm swing when it disconnects or does it just pull straight back?

Edit: I love the "Oops I dropped a nut" bag too. I have lost tools that just dropped six feet and never found them again

Edit Again: Just noticed your link shows a different picture every time I click it too.

 

[ozspace]

"What way does that hydrogen vent arm swing when it disconnects or does it just pull straight back?"

The vent arm appears to drop down vertically under its own weight.
25 seconds in on this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPcva0rNQ_g

 

[ozspace]

Edit Again: Just noticed your link shows a different picture every time I click it too.[/quote]

Yeah, I grabbed the shot with workers out on the access arm but I can't see how to inert into a post...

 

[bobw]

Edit Again: Just noticed your link shows a different picture every time I click it too.

Yeah, I grabbed the shot with workers out on the access arm but I can't see how to inert into a post...

When I first looked at your picture there was nobody there. Now 2 guys working and 3 guys watching!

If the arm drops down, that would explain the sling on the light tower thing that looks like it is holding it up. Thanks.

If you have a picture on your hard drive you have to upload it to someplace like http://tinypic.com/ and link to it there, they don't let us upload pictures to space.com anymore.

 

[ozspace]

Working on the hydrogen vent arm at night

 

[bobw]

I think the guy bending down dropped a bolt or something and that canvas lined platform bucket saved the day

At tinypic you upload like you used to here. It gives you a bunch of stuff but I just view the picture and then copy the URL. Put that between the img tags like this.

[img]http://s5.tinypic.com/27ywui0.jpg[/img]

It shows up like this:

Edit: Sorry, I see you did it already...

 

[ozspace]

"I think the guy bending down dropped a bolt or something and that canvas lined platform bucket saved the day"
Maybe opening a six pack? :lol:

 

[astronaut23]

Well I hope that the launch is safe whenever they go.

 

[bobw]

Engineers are sure there is a hardware problem, most likely on the launch pad-side of the interface.

Yes, I remember they were talking about a quick disconnect and I think they said 99.9% sure it was on the pad side.

Now I see on the Flame Trench they are going to replace a valve. I keep looking at that pipe they are working on and I don't see a valve. It might be in that plate at the end of the pipe and accessible from outside but I see that big black square at the end of the catwalk and it looks like an access port for the intertank zone.

Will they have to go inside to change the valve? Is that big black square just the end of the catwalk?

 

[bobw]

They stopped showing that picture at about 3:30 AM Eastern time and replaced it with what looks like a small building and a parking lot from camera 001.