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NASA Scrubs Launch Due to Faulty Fuel-Tank Sensor
VUSE g-EE-k writes "NASA has scrubbed Wednesday's launch of Discovery due to a faulty fuel-tank sensor in the external fuel tank. They are going to begin the troubleshooting process. They have not released details as to how long this delay will last. The crew have begun to get off the shuttle. For more information, see the NASA TV site. Drudge Report has some initial coverage of the scrub."
Reader adefa adds a link to NASA's Space Shuttle launch page with more info.
I'm still confident they'll launch before DNF or Longhorn are released.
One of four sensors used to detect a low level of hydrogen propellent. They need 2 to work of the four. After they detank, it can be diagnosed, possibly launching tomarrow.
I have a faulty fuel sensor in my car. My solution: just fill up every few days to make sure I don't run out of gas. Why can't these "genius" rocket scientist just have the crew stop off and get gas half way up, and again when they come back down?
Dammit, *I* should be in charge of NASA.
(please note, that this post is as insightful as most of the other Slashdot 'advice' to NASA. please mod accordingly)
See my journal for slashdot ID's by year. Mine created in 2005. http://slashdot.org/journal/289875/slashdot-ids-by-year
Rumors were that there were Al Quidea terrorist members hiding inside the engines waiting to strike just before the shuttle left the atmosphere.
Also they found a saddle strapped to the main fuel tank with a note that it was reserved for Lance Bass.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
They are going to begin the troubleshooting process
Trouleshooting prcocess??? Alright. In words of George Carlin:
Whole thing starts when you get to the gate. First announcement, "We would like to begin the boarding process." Extra word, "process", not necessary. Boarding is enough, "We'd like to begin the boarding." Simple! Tells the story...
People add extra words when they want things to sound more important than they really are. "Boarding Process" sounds important.... It isn't! It's just a bunch of people getting on an airplane. People like to sound important. Weather men on television talk about shower activity, sounds more important than showers. I even heard one guy on CNN talk about a rain event. Swear to god. He said, "Louisiana is expecting a rain event." I thought HOLY SHIT I hope I can get tickets to that!
Free XBox, PS2
If you scrutinize a vehicle that is several decades old, it's likely that you'll find a number of unforeseen defects. Even vehicles that are well-maintained suffer from the aging process.
;-)
Just to play devil's advocate, a conspiracy theorist might argue that this is one method by which to stop space exploration: Emphasize safety in a medium where safety cannot under any circumstance be guaranteed, scrutinize the aging shuttle until a defect is found, and finally decline the funding required to build a replacement. Repeat.
Do you like German cars?
In a shock announcement today, Roland Piquepaquille announced that he has purchased the majority (51%) of the well known news syndication site, Drudge Report.
It takes a man to suffer ignorance and smile
Be yourself no matter what they say
I had to laugh though... Drudge Report had some initial coverage
I have a few friends that work in the Public Information/Media Relations department at KSC. I'll check to see if Drudge was issued a press credential.
Drudge Report, where I go for all my hard-hitting science news.
NASA has through July 31 to launch Discovery or else wait until September 9 due to the need to lift off and separate the external tank in daylight.
The external fuel tank burns up in the atmosphere after launch. They are never reused or AFAIK even recovered. The external fuel tank on the pad now, and every part in it, is brand new.
$7.95/mo, 200 GB disk, 2TBxfer, MySQL, PHP, RoR.
> What ever happened to the days when everything NASA was super high quality?
Two things... My roomate's old beater car is three years newer than the Space Shuttle. There's no way in hell you'd catch me trying to drive that thing at mach whatever (if it would even do it.)
Second, (and somewhat more seriously) this was one of four fuel sensors that have to work at -400 degrees (I don't recall if NASA TV said C or F... I would guess C) in liquid hydrogen. That's not a trivial task. Of course, that's why they design redundant systems. They really only need two of the four sensors to work... and they only need them in the case where another failure causes a low fuel situation (which should never happen.) This sensor was part of a backup system to a backup system. So, really, they probably could have gone ahead in full safety. It's just that on this launch, no one wants to screw up.
I'm sure the quality is fine... they're just being super cautious this time.
True, back in the 60's in the Apollo days, they tested the bejezus out of everything; that's because they were pushing stuff to almost beyond what technology of the time would do, and they had to have the best of the best to have a chance in hell of pulling off the mission.
They just don't have the budget for that now. I think they just ignored a lot of stuff and got lucky most of the time. They are going to be super-careful this time; they can NOT afford a failure on this launch.
Remember when the air force told NASA to expect something like 1 in 20 missions to blow up, because that was their record with SRBs? NASA has been doing WAY better than that.
These days they're scrubbing when they notice something outside of nominal. I'm happy they are. The Challenger was lost when they were operating outside of nominal and figured they could get away with it. After that event, investigations showed that they were ignoring a WHOLE LOT of stuff. I keep hoping they'll stop ignoring their own rules; we'll see.
I think it's best not to reference "news sources" that announce "SEN. MCCAIN STARS IN BOOB RAUNCH FEST" in 20-point text concerning his participation in Wedding Crashers, with a tiny link at the top to NASA information.
Face it, if you're not screwing the gas cap on correctly, there is a high probability that your careless disregard for the gas cap has caused a band of squirrels to take refuge in your fuel line.
Free of Flash! Free of Flash!
I would hope F, as there is no such thing as -400 C.
I have seen the future, and it is inconvenient.
There's a daily lauch window of about 10 minutes when the ISS is in the right place. Those 10 minutes occur during the night between July 31st and September 9th.
Don't feel bad....NASA gets the whole C/F thing mixed up too!
No sig today.
Well, they did chicken-fry three astronauts on the ground, which led to significant delay in the Apollo program, including (surprise) Congressional hearings. The accident was largely the result of the cowboy risk-taking you endorse. Do that a few times and public support would evaporate like, well, those very astronauts. Oh wait, we did -- NASA cowboyed the Challenger launch over the heads of the engineers who BUILT the damn SRBs, and the scattering of Columbia over my high school in East Texas was at least in part attributable to the same mindset.
In short, there's "risk" and then there's "pointless risk". Often hard to tell apart until the inquest.
As for "free" enterprise, if they could do it they'd do it already -- and have the taxpayers subsidize it AND insure it for them. And then they'd be chicken-frying citiesworth of people at no risk to them. After all, why do you think they call it "free" enterprise?
Bemopolis
"I guess the moral of the story is, don't paint your airship with rocket fuel." -- Addison Bain