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\u201cOV-103\/SRB BI-144\/RSRM 112\/ET-137 (VAB HB-1): GSE (Ground Support Equipment) required for APU gearbox pressure adjustment completed calibration and the task was successfully completed. Discovery was powered up briefly to support the test,\u201d noted the NASA Test Director (NTD) report (L2).<\/p>\n
Also a clear sign of Discovery\u2019s upcoming launch window \u2013 which opens on February 24 \u2013 is the replenishment of Liquid Oxygen (LOX) at the storage tanks located near the pad, along with preparations being conducted on the Rotating Service Structure (RSS), which will rotate to protect Discovery shortly after her return to the pad.<\/p>\n
\u201cPad A: LOX storage tank replenishment continued; two waves of tankers (10 tankers total) were offloaded. A SCAPE (Self-Contained Atmospheric Protection Ensemble) operation to R&R (Remove and Replace) hyper GSE flow meters on the 107\u2032 and 207\u2032 levels of the RSS was successfully completed.\u201d<\/p>\n
STS-133 Specific Articles (click for numerous background content on the ET and relating to this article): http:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/tag\/sts-133\/<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/A41511.jpg\" "\\"A4151\\"")
By the time of last Thursday\u2019s Shuttle Standup\/Integration meeting, KSC Ground Operations had noted 50 percent of the radius block installations had been completed. By Sunday, workers were closing in on the final set of 94 stringers around the circumference of the LO2\/Intertank flange, notably ahead of schedule.<\/p>\nSpace Shuttle models
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UPDATE: However, by Monday, the NASA Test Director noted that all mechanic modifications had been completed, with only foam application tasks outstanding.<\/p>\n
The methodical approach to the work on the stringers shows an excellent level of planning, with a process of working on several sets of panels in tandem \u2013 each of which contain a group of stringers \u2013 by removing the BX-265 Thermal Protection System (TPS) foam, accessing the stringer, removing fasteners (match drilling), installing the small radius block, before preparing the surface for the reapplication of foam.<\/p>\n
Up to six panels around the tank were at various stages of modification via the latest reports, with foam curing completed on a large section of the tank \u2013 allowing for trimming operations to remove excess foam and shape the newly applicated foam as per specifications.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/A821.jpg\" "\\"A82\\"")
A total of 94 stringers are receiving radius blocks, while 105 \u2013 including the stringers which suffered cracks and thus already have doublers in place \u2013 of the support beams are receiving a new coat of foam. Only stringers 6 and 7 on -Y Panel 6 have been a problem, when the gun used to applicate the foam suffered an unspecified malfunction.<\/p>\nConfidence is high that the tank will pass through the upcoming Delta Flight Readiness Reviews (FRRs), with the flight rationale to be based heavily on the root cause evaluations which has pinpointed issues which range from the observation of a \u201cmottled\u201d appearance on stringers which have reduced fracture toughness, through to assembly procedures.<\/p>\n
As such, a large part of the current evaluations are being based on potential work which may be required on the next tank to fly \u2013 ET-122 with STS-134.<\/p>\n
\u201cStatus on ET-137 progress, and a status of how the TIM (Technical Interchange Meeting) went. There is a lot of work still ahead from an analysis, test and digesting standpoint. The larger team is in agreement with the direction with the work required,\u201d noted the Shuttle Standup\/Integration report (L2).<\/p>\n
\u201cThe testing going on at MSFC (Marshall Space Flight Center) has been going very well. It has been enlightening us with how this material performs, and how the radius block modification performs. We will also talk a little about the forward plan for ET-122.<\/p>\n
\u201c(Space Shuttle Program manager) Mr. (John) Shannon heard that and believes it is a good, well thought-out plan to ensure there is no uncertainty on that tank.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/A4122.jpg\" "\\"A4122\\"")
Currently, managers have not yet called for radius block modifications to be carried out on ET-122, with the forward plan opening with X-Ray and Backscatter scans to check for any signs of cracks. ET-122 is an older tank, returned to flight status following the repair of damage sustained during Hurricane Katrina.<\/p>\nWhile that tank may have avoided reduced fracture toughness stringers seen on ET-137, STS-135\u2019s tank \u2013 ET-138 \u2013 is likely to also gain an inspection sweep. Given ET-138\u2019s close relation \u2013 by way of manufacturing dates \u2013 with ET-137, radius block modifications can\u2019t be ruled out.<\/p>\n
However, even if modifications were carried out on both ET-122 and ET-137, the launch dates should remain unaffected.<\/p>\n
More information on the forward plan is likely to be known next month, when the two main FRRs are held at the Johnson Space Center (SSP FRR) and Kennedy Space Center (Agency level FRR) respectively \u2013 the latter on February 18, which will confirm the launch date.<\/p>\n
February 24 remains the launch date NET (No Earlier Than) despite STS-133 losing one of its crewmembers to a biking accident. Lead spacewalker Tim Kopra sadly lost his seat to Steve Bowen as result, and despite the amount of training the US Navy Captain has to catch up on, managers are confident the change of crewmember can be installed into the mission without impacting the schedule.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/01\/A510.jpg\" "\\"A5\\"")
\u201cFlight Crew (NASA\/JSC) Last Saturday STS-133 Mission Specialist Tim Kopra had an accident on a bicycle, so Steve Bowen has been assigned to fill in for him,\u201d outlined notes included in the Standup report. \u201cWith the current launch date, Steve will be the one who flies. Steve Bowen is training for the EV1 tasks, and most likely the MS1s will swap over and do the MS2 rolls, taking turns doing MS2 for ascent and entry.\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cBeen working hard to get a stowage plan for Bowen and get the right EMUs (Extravehicular Mobility Units) down there,\u201d added Flight Operations & Integration. \u201cThey have a plan in place that supports the crew swap from a stowage standpoint.\u201d<\/p>\n
The fact the injury to Kopra hasn\u2019t caused an untimely impact to STS-133\u2019s launch date pleasantly surprised Mr Shannon, who praised the Crew Office and the Mission Operations Directorate (MOD) for coming up with a plan which protected the schedule for Discovery.<\/p>\n
\u201cTim had his accident, which is heartbreaking for him, but the team picked up and came up with a very creative plan,\u201d added notes taken from the Standup meeting. \u201cIf anyone had told Mr. Shannon hypothetically that this close to launch we would lose Tim as EV1 and asked if we could still make our launch date, he would probably say no.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Crew Office and MOD came up with a really good plan to make sure that we will have 100 percent mission success.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe keep getting these little bits of adversity hitting us, and the team has been reacting very maturely and just going about business and making sure that we are safe and set up to be very successful to finish the Program very strongly. Mr. Shannon just appreciates everyone\u2019s efforts over the last couple of weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n
(Further updates and articles will follow. Refer to live coverage threads linked above. L2 members refer to STS-133 live coverage sections for internal coverage, presentations, images and and updates from engineers and managers. Images used, NASA.gov lead image. In the article, via L2 acquired PRCB presentations).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A group of United Space Alliance (USA) and Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) technicians and engineers have finished work on modifying the stringers on Discovery\u2019s External Tank (ET-137), with only foam application tasks outstanding. With the root cause evaluations and subsequent modifications ensuring there is \u201cno uncertainty\u201d on all flight tanks, STS-133 remains on track for rollout […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29659,"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":[9051],"class_list":["post-40545","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-sts-133"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40545"}],"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=40545"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40545\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29659"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40545"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40545"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40545"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}