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Astronauts Having Trouble With Tranquility Module

Posted by timothy on from the now-release-your-anger dept.

Coldeagle writes "Astronauts ran into trouble while trying to connect up the new Tranquility module onto the ISS. A critical insulating cover didn't fit quite right: 'The fabric, multilayered cover is supposed to go between Tranquility and its observation deck, but the metal bars are not locking down properly because of interference from a hand rail or some other structure at the hatch.' One has to wonder if this is another imperial/metric snafu."

9 of 300 comments (clear)

  1. Metric Everywhere by elzurawka · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Atleast in scientific application there is no reason to use Imperial. Metric makes all calculations simpler, and is accepted by a much larger portion of the world, and should be the standard in all science.

    --
    -EL
    1. Re:Metric Everywhere by navyjeff · · Score: 5, Informative

      Here's a handy guide to get an intuitive sense of metric measurements.

    2. Re:Metric Everywhere by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Oh well, re-adjusting your intuition to new units of measure isn't nearly as hard as it seems at first, before you actually have to do it. I say this as an european, who not that long ago switched from a national currency to an european one. Back then, many people were scared of the very same thing, but it really didn't take long for people to adapt. I guess it would be pretty much the same for any physical unit relevant for people's everyday lives.

    3. Re:Metric Everywhere by epp_b · · Score: 5, Funny

      Not to mention movies like "the Green Kilometer" - doesn't have the same ring to it.

      *ahem*

      "The Green 1.6 Kilometres"

  2. Hubble by MillionthMonkey · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The Hubble misfocusing problem wasn't due to English-metric stuff. A contractor was assembling an optical apparatus and was supposed to be adjusting the focal length to a point inside some hollow cylindrical cap with a hole bored in its center. When adjusting their eyepiece they missed the hole, and centered instead on a shiny point near the edge of the cap that was also reflecting laser light, because the paint had been scratched there. They couldn't get the focus knob to rotate far enough as they would need to get this paint scratch into focus, so they drove out to a hardware store, bought some flat washers, inserted them on the threaded rods holding up the laser, and elevated the focusing section out a bit so they could dial the focus length to properly get the length to the scratch right.

  3. Not an issue by pyrrhonist · · Score: 5, Informative

    One has to wonder if this is another imperial/metric snafu.

    Probably not. From the article:

    The $27 million, Italian-built observation deck sports the biggest window ever flown in space. In all, there are seven windows that will offer 360-degree views.

    The 11 astronauts aboard the shuttle-station complex opened the door Friday to the $380 million Tranquility, also made in Italy for the European Space Agency. The door leading from Tranquility into the observation deck was opened soon afterward, and that's when shuttle pilot Terry Virts and Kay Hire encountered the cover problem.

    So, now even submitters aren't reading the article? Damn...

    --
    Show me on the doll where his noodly appendage touched you.
  4. Problem fixed as of Sunday by chelberg · · Score: 5, Informative

    The problem has been fixed, it was interference by some bolts.

    "Late Saturday, the space station's commander, Jeffrey Williams, reported that bolts seemed to be causing the interference. He removed all eight bolts, saying the clearance would be tight but that the cover likely would fit. It did, with some coaxing Sunday."

    http://apnews.excite.com/article/20100214/D9DS3UOO1.html

  5. This is already a solved problem by ChrisCampbell47 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Even if this gets modded up to +5, it's going to be buried under a dozen pointless and irrelevant posts about imperial vs. metric ...

    From the ISS Flight Director briefing on NASA TV at 1:30pm today:
    http://www.space-multimedia.nl.eu.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5693:sts-130-iss-flight-director-update-fd-7-8&catid=1:latest
    [transcribing] "Crew was able to use their eyes and hands and gave good info on interference along with photos, Jeff has had a lot of hands on the hardware and he's given us the best info. His info allowed us to validate what he's seeing with our records on the ground. Actual interference is just a bolthead, that caused us to question our clearance analysis. We went back and looked at it since we don't want clearance issue when we install Cupola on nadir, and found that we have more clearance than originally expected."

    From the Flight Day 8 "execute package" sent up around 3pm to the Endeavour astronauts:
    ( http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/426345main_FD08.pdf )
    "Because of your excellent work in checking interferences, we are now comfortable with
    proceeding with cupola depress and relocate today!!! Thanks so much!!!"

    From the NASA TV schedule, Tuesday:
    CUPOLA MLI REMOVAL 10:39 PM EST / 03:39 UTC

    After that the windows can be opened, which is what we're all waiting for!

    --
    One simple rule for its versus it's
  6. Inside Scoop by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    I work for Boeing (the main contractors for the ISS) and the problem is that the cover will not retract over one of the CBM (common berthing mechanisms) where they wish to install the Cupola. It is actually no impact to Tranquility which is working wonderfully so far. This issue has at this time already been resolved and the Cupola is being relocated to this area, while PMA-3 (Pressurized Mating Adapter #3) is being relocated to where the Cupola used to be. This was done so that the Cupola could face the earth and create all those fantastic views everybody envisioned from the ISS, while being able to be launched in the shuttle payload bay.