DailyTech - Shuttle Discovery Launch Postponed Over Gas Leak

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Science Shuttle Discovery Launch Postponed Over Gas Leak
Michael Barkoviak - March 11, 2009 4:31 PM

17 comment(s) - last by judasmachine.. on Mar 15 at 8:28 PM

NASA has been forced to delay the launch of shuttle Discovery yet again

NASA has been forced to postpone the launch of shuttle Discovery towards the International Space Station (ISS) due to a gas leak found while the launch team was fueling up the shuttle for its launch tonight.

The problem wasn't discovered until launch pad workers started putting more than a half-million gallons of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen into the shuttle's external fuel tank around lunch time today. The problem involves a leak that was "detected in a gaseous hydrogen (GH2) vent line," the NASA web site reads.

"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."

Originally scheduled to be launched at 9:20:10 p.m. EST tonight from the Kennedy Space Center, the weather was scheduled to be perfect for a launch. Shuttle Discovery will head into space to help install the power system aboard the ISS and deliver a JAXA astronaut who will work on the ISS.

The launch of shuttle Discovery, NASA's first manned launch of 2009, has been delayed more than one month due to the hydrogen gas valves aboard the shuttle. This fuel incident took place somewhere outside the shuttle and doesn't involve the troublesome gas valves, NASA said.

NASA hopes to launch the shuttle tomorrow evening.

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Siigh

By yxalitis on 3/11/2009 6:01:56 PM , Rating: 5

Poor old Space Shuttle, getting a bit long in the tooth.

It's a damn shame the world can't get together, and combine resources for the next-gen orbiter, instead of each country funding their own attempts...sigh*

RE: Siigh

By TSS on 3/12/2009 9:50:31 AM , Rating: 3

but it's quite easy, only thing that needs to happen is 1 country taking the lead in not taking the lead.

say america no longer plans to go to the moon, but focusses solely into transporting good into orbit at a very low cost. no mars probes either. simply ferry goods into orbit, from any country that wishes so.

then, country's don't have to spend money on going into orbit, they have the americans for it. so they will spend money on going from orbit to say, the moon, and start colonizing that.

since america will get extra wealth from getting stuff into orbit, maybe the time will come when you can expand to ferrying stuff from and to the moon colony's (at a low cost, ofcourse).

ten other countries can pour more funding into the colony's themselves, instead of logistics. mining/resources will increase, benifitting everybody.

everybody works together by doing their part only but doing it well. all it takes is 1 country giving up glory.

so i'm guessing it'll be another decade or 5 atleast.

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RE: Siigh

By ADDAvenger on 3/12/2009 10:43:48 AM , Rating: 4

Nah, what we really need is for someone to hoax a psychic alien attack on New York. Then we'll all quit fighting each other and combine our efforts in preparation for their impending onslaught.

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RE: Siigh

By 91TTZ on 3/12/2009 11:01:45 AM , Rating: 2

quote:
say america no longer plans to go to the moon, but focusses solely into transporting good into orbit at a very low cost. no mars probes either. simply ferry goods into orbit, from any country that wishes so. then, country's don't have to spend money on going into orbit, they have the americans for it. so they will spend money on going from orbit to say, the moon, and start colonizing that. since america will get extra wealth from getting stuff into orbit, maybe the time will come when you can expand to ferrying stuff from and to the moon colony's (at a low cost, ofcourse).

What if those countries would rather be the ones who profit by putting goods into orbit? It's basic capitalism, the same as any company... there are already companies that make or do just about anything, but if you think you can do it better and make a profit, you might want to give it a shot.

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RE: Siigh

By SandmanWN on 3/12/2009 3:38:53 PM , Rating: 2

Then we have competition, which by any depth of historical evidence involving space or just about anything else, leads to dramatic and rapid improvements. Either scenario is a way forward.

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RE: Siigh

By bankerdude on 3/12/2009 9:56:20 AM , Rating: 2

Kind of reminds me of the movie Contact- "Why build one when you can build two at twice the cost?"

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RE: Siigh

By 91TTZ on 3/12/2009 10:58:24 AM , Rating: 2

quote:
Poor old Space Shuttle, getting a bit long in the tooth.

This has absolutely nothing to do with the age of the Shuttle. The external tank is always new, and this is where the leak was.

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RE: Siigh

By Orpheus333 on 3/12/2009 4:29:12 PM , Rating: 2

That never works but I'm sure that would go over wonderfully so long as America flips the bill for it. Frankly they should be calling it the "'internation' space station outsourced to allies and bank rolled by USA." Look at the EUs attempt to build a multinational GPS competitor. Ha!

Diversity is weakness.

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You're not supposed to...

By Motoman on 3/11/2009 4:43:41 PM , Rating: 2

..."top up" with those new-fangled gas pumps.

quote:
"gas leak found while the launch team was fueling up the shuttle"

RE: You're not supposed to...

By Bender 123 on 3/12/2009 8:56:26 AM , Rating: 5

They just need a couple bottles of leak stop and it should be fine. I heard the radiator was leaking last year and they patched it up with some chewing gum an astronaut had. The biggest danger they have is from the .22 bullets they use, in place of a fuse that blew out on their last trip to the liquor store.

Everything else is working fine though, they just replaced brakes, tires and heat resistant tiles.

Just in case something goes wrong, the NASA techs are going to place a couple red one gallon fuel tanks in the cargo bay, just to get them to the nearest space station.

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Still off eastern coast?

By CU on 3/11/2009 8:49:10 PM , Rating: 2

So, if it launches tomorrow will the east coast still be able to see it?

RE: Still off eastern coast?

By Samus on 3/11/2009 11:52:05 PM , Rating: 2

as long as it's at night

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RE: Still off eastern coast?

By AssBall on 3/12/2009 6:36:06 AM , Rating: 2

NASA says Sunday at the earliest, depending on how the inspection today goes.

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Sabotage

By AnimeRomeo on 3/11/2009 5:21:25 PM , Rating: 2

Pluto attempts revenge!

RE: Sabotage

By Calihan on 3/11/2009 9:39:46 PM , Rating: 2

Funniest comment I've seen in a long time.

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what?

By 7Enigma on 3/12/2009 12:49:54 PM , Rating: 2

"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."

Wow does that make my head hurt. Sounds like a Madlibs sentence where someone kept putting in the same word over and over....