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Space Shuttle Atlantis Delayed Again

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the mom-says-i'm-grounded dept.

eldavojohn writes "An electrical short cause the space shuttle Atlantis to be delayed since a lightning strike to the pad and Tropical Storm Ernesto caused delays. From the article: 'Liftoff was only hours away Wednesday morning when engineers reported a short in one of three fuel cells that supplies electricity for all the on-board systems, including the crew compartment.' It also points out that 'The faulty cell is currently operational even with the short. But after the 2003 Columbia disaster, which killed all seven astronauts, NASA says it has adopted an aggressive, safety-conscious approach to launching.' It causes one to wonder whether pre-Columbia-disaster NASA would have just replaced the fuel cell on the fly without telling anyone — and whether or not that is an ethically sound choice."

8 of 174 comments (clear)

  1. Fuel Cell Supplier by tygerstripes · · Score: 5, Funny

    NASA are presently in conference with the fuel-cell's supplier, Dell.

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    Meta will eat itself
  2. Great timing there... by interiot · · Score: 5, Informative

    Unfortunately the article is a day old... Countdown is continuuing for a launch this morning (Friday morning).

    1. Re:Great timing there... by keithmoore · · Score: 5, Informative

      for news about something like the shuttle, where the status changes from day to day,
      it really pays to check a primary source. like
      http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/ind ex.html

  3. Tad unfair by StuBeck · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I think its a tad unfair to question what may or may not have happened years ago. They learned and are acting on the safe side now.

  4. Re:Tell me again, Americans... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "why, exactly, our country's spaceport is still located in a state known for nothing so much as lightning and storms?"

    Uh...because being as close to the equator as possible has advantagous trajectory characteristics for many important orbits and with a trajectory heading eastward one needs to be on the east coast so as to minimize time over land while still at low altitudes?

  5. oh, the misstatements! by Ancient_Hacker · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Lotsa questionable statements in this article:
    • There's very little likelyhood the lightning strike is directly connected to the fuel cell problem.
    • It's not a "short". Everything isnt a "short". A shorted fuel cell would be totally unusable.
    • NASA, now or then, can't replace the fuel cell without major trouble-- the whole thing has to be taken back to the assembly building, anything in the cargo bay has to be unloaded, the cargo bay floor has to be taken up-- major hassle. Not something that can be done on the Q.T.
    • The shuttle has *three* fuel cells, so it's not a major problem if one is acting a teensy bit unusual.
    • There are plenty of safety issues with *not* launching, parts tend to age quickly when out in the humid Florida sun. It's not clear that delaying launch is a ssafety improvement.
  6. Re:Tell me again, Americans... by clickclickdrone · · Score: 5, Funny

    >a state known for nothing so much as lightning and storms?
    And oranges. It's a well kept secret that rocket fuel is actually distilled orange juice. What colour is the shuttle's fuel tank? Orange. To hide the leaks.

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    I want a list of atrocities done in your name - Recoil
  7. Whether or not it is ethical? by Snowtide · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Well here goes my positive karma.
    The summary asks if it would be ethical to replace the cell or not without telling anybody. Who does the author want them to tell? The only people who have an ethical need to know the conditions of the shuttle and the risks associated with them are the crew in the shuttle and the ground crew. These people, the crew in particular, are taking the risks and making the decisions. These two groups of people are likely to know anyway, astronauts, especially the flight crew, tend to be technical people, it goes with the job. Read about the boring parts of an astronaut's job, including hundreds of hours getting to know the details of the shuttle and the booster assembly. It is often said Murphy was an aircraft engineer, astronauts know this. Space travel is risky and can be dangerous. From Florida to orbit and back is hell on materials, electronics and mechanics. The decision to go or not go under a set of conditions belongs to the crew on the shuttle and the ground crew.
    Any errors in grammar, spelling and tone are due to my uncaffinated state. Getting my breakfast apple and Dew now.