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The main focus of work over the next few days revolves around the preparations to remove Endeavour\u2019s Forward Reaction Control System (FRCS) \u2013 which will eventually be shipped to White Sands \u2013 and the dome heat shields around Endeavour\u2019s three Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSMEs).<\/p>\n
\u201cThe PLBDs (Payload Bay Doors) were opened earlier in the week. In work with removing the payload at this time,\u201d noted KSC Ground Operations via the latest Shuttle Standup\/Integration report (L2). \u201cWorking preps for engines. Engines will start coming out late next week.\u201d<\/p>\n
First on the list of SSME related tasks was the requirement to position the SSMEs engine bells (nozzles) \u2013 and other hydraulic powered systems \u2013 to their correct positions for the upcoming work.<\/p>\n
\u201cHydraulic operation to position the SSME\u2019s to null, RSB (Rudder Speed Brake) to closed, elevons to null, body flap down have been completed,\u201d noted the NASA Test Director (NTD) report (L2), adding that technicians took the opportunity to check the SSME controller which suffered from a minor \u2013 and short-lived \u2013 issue during ascent.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/A416.jpg\" "\\"A416\\"")
\u201cThe SSME controller was powered up to troubleshoot a Low Pressure Fuel Turbo Pump (LPFTP) discharge pressure transducer that failed low during ascent. Troubleshooting was unable to recreate the anomaly. The sensor will be removed and taken to the design center for further analysis.\u201d<\/p>\nRocket launch schedules
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Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne\/KSC \u2013 who care for the engines that may find thsemselves with a role on the Space Launch System (SLS) \u2013 also noted that an X-Ray took place on the sensor, which also found nothing amiss.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo anomalies have been found so far during testing,\u201d confirmed their notes on the Standup report. \u201cThe sensor was removed and sent for x-rays. A micro-focus X-ray was performed, and no anomalies were found.\u201d<\/p>\n
SSME dome heatshield and body flap carrier panel removal began on Friday, while the heatshield removal will continue through the weekend.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/A35.jpg\" "\\"A3\\"")
Engineers have also removed the three Flow Control Valves (FCVs) from Endeavour\u2019s Main Propulsion System (MPS), ahead of being shipped to California for inspection.<\/p>\nAlthough these valves will never be involved in another shuttle launch, the intense inspections \u2013 implemented since part of a poppet on a valve liberated during STS-126 \u2013 are still being carried out as part of the routine due diligence approach that is commonplace for the Space Shuttle Program (SSP).<\/p>\n
\u201cUSA Logistics (USA\/KSC) In preps to ship the FCV off OV-105 (Endeavour once they are removed. Vacco is ready to receive them and start the inspection, and have data for the Engineering team,\u201d added noted on the Standup report.<\/p>\n
STS-134 Specific Articles: http:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/tag\/sts-134\/<\/p>\n
\u201c(Managers) added that some might wonder why the FCVs are being looked at since we have the ship set and the spare for OV-104 (Atlantis). Orbiter just wants to follow through and ensure that nothing is discovered from these FCVs that might call into question the flight rationale being used.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brake Fire Latest:<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/A46.jpg\" "\\"A4\\"")
Engineers are continuing to evaluate the observations of a small fire \u2013 lasting around 40 seconds on one of Endeavour\u2019s Left Main Landing Gear brakes \u2013 at the end of the braking period as the orbiter came to a stop on the SLF after landing.<\/p>\n\u201cIn response to the very shortlived brake fire observed during landing of STS-134, a Problem Report (PR) was (created). Per the PR, brake samples were taken, the rolling resistance of the left inboard wheel was measured, and the wheel and tire assembly was removed,\u201d noted investigation notes (L2).<\/p>\n
With engineers removing the tire\/wheel from the left hand inboard landing gear, before performing a thorough inspection, no real indications of a fire have been observed. Even a couple of strips of plastic tape in the location showed no indications of being over heated, which is highly unusual for an incident of this nature.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/A55.jpg\" "\\"A5\\"")
The next step was to apply hydraulic pressure to the brakes to see if there are any signs of an hydraulic leak. It was expected that a very small hydraulic leak would be observed, leading to a potential root cause. However, the checks came back nominal.<\/p>\nOne of the investigation photos of the disassembled wheel show the what the brake assembly looks like after Endeavour returned to her OPF, with an engineering explanation noting the hardware in view consists of rotors and stators, which are discs of the carbon\/carbon material.<\/p>\n
The stators fix to the axle and the rotors spin on the axle, with the two parts forming a sandwich configuration.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/A64.jpg\" "\\"A6\\"")
Another photo shows the interior of the wheel, with the torque bars bolted to the wheel. When the wheel is put in place on the axle, these bars engage the slots on the brake rotors, which basically locks the rotor to the wheel.<\/p>\nOn the inside end of the axle assembly there is a ring of hydraulic pistons around the entire circumference of the axle, which push against the entire brake assembly forcing the rotors and stators together to result in the braking action.<\/p>\n
It was also noted that the amount of dust seen on this wheel was not out of the ordinary, but on the high end of what the engineers normally see.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/06\/A73.jpg\" "\\"A7\\"")
So far engineers have found no obvious evidence of the fire, and the hydraulic pressurization test of the brake pucks did not show any leakage, meaning the event may be classed as an Unexplained Anomaly (UA).<\/p>\n\u201cOn the STS-134 brake fire, the team has been looking at the brake area extensively but has not really found anything yet,\u201d noted the Orbiter Project Office (OPO) on the Standup report.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey know there are no hydraulic leaks, did not find excessive amounts of brake dust or extra grease. There no evidence of the fire except that one of the heat shields appears to be a little darker than the others. They will continue to examine the area and take samples.\u201d<\/p>\n
Classing the incident as an UA is allowed, providing the problem is orbiter specific and unlikely to occur again \u2013 as in the case with Endeavour\u2019s incident.<\/p>\n
However, it will be reviewed ahead of Atlantis\u2019 mission, per the STS-135 Flight Readiness Reviews (FRRs) \u2013 which are starting to ramp up ahead of the SSP FRR on June 21, which is the main review ahead of the launch date-setting Agency FRR one week later.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey (engineering) are nearing the point that they may not know what caused it, but it is a situation that would not be catastrophic and should not happen again,\u201d added the OPO. \u201cThis will be discussed at the FRR.\u201d<\/p>\n
(Images L2 Content. Post STS-134 coverage of Endeavour is continuing in L2\u2019s specific section, which will follow Endeavour through post flight all the way to her retirement home in California).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As engineers continue to safe Endeavour, following her highly successful final mission, an investigation into the observed brake fire \u2013 as the orbiter came to a stop on the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) runway \u2013 is struggling to find a specific root cause. Elevated to the Flight Readiness Reviews (FRRs), the STS-134 incident is classed […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29592,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[3366],"class_list":["post-40429","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-sts-134"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40429"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40429"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40429\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29592"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40429"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40429"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40429"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}