NASA Optimistic About Fuel Tank Repairs

DarkNemesis618 writes "NASA is now optimistic Atlantis' fuel tank will be able to be repaired in Florida. Due to a freak hail storm February 26 that had golf-sized hail chunks raining down on the launchpad put several thousand dings in the foam covering the external fuel tank as well as damaging 28 tiles on Atlantis' wing. 20 of the 28 tiles have been repaired and workers have started sanding down the damaged area of the tank itself. After it was decided that Atlantis needed to return to the VAB, NASA was unsure as to whether or not the tank could be repaired. But after bringing it back and doing more extensive inspections, the tank appeared to be in good enough shape that repairs could be done on the spot and a replacement was not necessary. This will allow for Atlantis to be launched late April for its construction mission to the ISS as well as not interfering with the remaining 4 launches planned this year. If the tank needed to be replaced, Atlantis would not have launched until June at the earliest."

Comments

Re:Just curious

[DarkNemesis618]

Like they said, Endeavour's (STS-118) tank would have been used if repair wasn't an option. This tank is scheduled to be completed and arriving at KSC April 12th. By replacing the tank, the remaining 4 launches this year would be pushed back. That's obviously not the preferred option as it would add more complications, but it would have been done should the damage have warranted it. Something else to note is that if they would have needed to replace Atlantis' tank, the tank would have been sent back to the manufacturer, completely repaired there and sent back for use on a later mission. The biggest issue really was whether the VAB and KSC had the ability to repair it on site or not. Luckily for NASA, it can be repaired in the VAB. This is not the first time a shuttle's tank has been damaged by hail, and let's not forget the woodpeckers who somehow thought the fuel tank woulda made a good home. (Both times the stack had been rolled back, repaired, and eventually successfully launched) Now NASA can launch Atlantis late April rather than having to wait til June if replacement was deemed neccessary.