{"id":41628,"date":"2007-08-14T21:28:25","date_gmt":"2007-08-14T13:28:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/tank-safety-inspections-called-on-the-next-external-tank-set-to-fly\/"},"modified":"2007-08-14T21:28:25","modified_gmt":"2007-08-14T13:28:25","slug":"tank-safety-inspections-called-on-the-next-external-tank-set-to-fly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/tank-safety-inspections-called-on-the-next-external-tank-set-to-fly\/","title":{"rendered":"Tank safety \u2013 inspections called on the next External Tank set to fly"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Ahead of its scheduled mating with the twin Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) next week, engineers are carrying out detailed inspections on ET-120, the next tank to fly, with Discovery on STS-120.\n<\/p>\n<p>  The inspections will evaluate the condition of the tank\u2019s LOX feedline brackets, following the foam liberation from Endeavour\u2019s ET (ET-117) during ascent. Engineers will also look at reassessing elements of the tank for possible ice and foam loss minimization.\n<\/p>\n<p><em><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"129\" alt=\"\" hspace=\"5\" src=\"http:\/\/forum.nasaspaceflight.com\/forums\/get-attachment.asp?action=view&amp;attachmentid=13910\" width=\"600\" align=\"left\" vspace=\"5\" border=\"0\/\"><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>**The most comprehensive collection&nbsp;of&nbsp;Shuttle, Ares, Orion&nbsp;and ISS&nbsp;related presentations and mission documentation, plus expansive daily processing documentation and updates&nbsp;are&nbsp;<font color=\"#0000ff\"><em>available to download&nbsp;on L2<\/em><\/font><font color=\"#0000ff\"><em>&nbsp;**<\/em><\/font><em><font color=\"#ff0000\"><\/font><\/em><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><em><font color=\"#ff0000\"><br \/>\n<\/font><\/p>\n<p><font color=\"#ff0000\">Special STS-118 L2 Section now live, filled with documentation, processing memos, mission notes, videos, handbooks, checklists, and our very special live updates of actual live NASA&nbsp;mission notes direct from mission control, allowing you to follow the mission at the same time as NASA, along with real NASA\/USA engineers helping&nbsp;update and explain&nbsp;status live. All totally unavailable anywhere else on the net.<\/font><\/p>\n<p><\/em><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><em><em><font color=\"#0000ff\">**LIVE: FLIGHT DAY SPECIFIC COVERAGE**<\/font><\/em>&nbsp;(Including links to all NASA Video \u2013 press conferences and mission milestones \u2013 for free).<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><u>Article:<\/u><\/em><\/p>\n<p>At present, ET-120 is due for mating with the boosters inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) next Monday, although this is&nbsp;currently \u2018under review,\u2019 with an ET\/SRB Mate Review scheduled for Friday. It\u2019s due to launch with Discovery on a NET (No Earlier Than) launch date of October 23.<\/p>\n<p>The tank has already had an eventful existence, being one of the four ETs that were shipped back to the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF), following the loss of Columbia, which ultimately led to the requirement of Return To Flight (RTF) modifications.<\/p>\n<p>Those modifications included a large number of foam reduction methods on various parts of the tank, the same reductions that were completed on Endeavour\u2019s ET-117. Now, it appears, NASA are looking into potential techniques that will mitigate ice and foam liberation, without causing a notable delay to Discovery\u2019s mission.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Following up on information on STS-118; issuing request for detailed inspection of ET-120 at LO2 feedline pour,\u2019 noted the latest Stand-up\/Integration report. \u2018Also looking at reassessing trays for possible ice and foam loss minimization, and will come forward with this in a week or so.\u2019<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"130\" alt=\"\" hspace=\"5\" src=\"http:\/\/forum.nasaspaceflight.com\/forums\/get-attachment.asp?action=view&amp;attachmentid=13815\" width=\"200\" align=\"left\" vspace=\"5\" border=\"0\/\"><font color=\"#0000ff\">**Ride home through the fire,&nbsp;sparks&nbsp;and plasma of re-entry with Atlantis, Discovery and Endeavour. FOUR&nbsp;Stunning high quality&nbsp;2hr, 355-400mb Camcorder and HUD videos \u2013 from payload bay closure&nbsp;to post landing \u2013 several more videos showing landing from 90,000 ft also available**<\/font><\/p>\n<p>The same report backed up the continued push towards a nominal plan for Discovery\u2019s scheduled launch date, with a rollover target update noting less than a month remaining in Discovery\u2019s OPF (Orbiter Processing Facility) flow. <\/p>\n<p>\u2018Have 23 days (as of Monday) until OPF rollout scheduled September 5; will try to get ahead of that date a bit,\u2019 added the information, as Discovery picks up the processing pace, with her payload bay doors closing on Sunday. <\/p>\n<p>The area of the&nbsp;liberation event for Endeavour during ascent was already undergoing a mitigation process, with the LOX (LO2) feedline brackets deep into the process of modifications which will kick in from ET-128 onwards. <\/p>\n<p>This involves a titanium modification, which will remove yet more foam from the brackets, while reducing the chances of ice \u2013 also a debris risk \u2013 forming on the brackets. This modification is undergoing scheduled testing at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) this week. <\/p>\n<p>\u2018Titanium yoke LO2 feedline support bracket redesign scheduled to come forward on ET-128, has series of test milestones this week at MSFC,\u2019 noted the integration report. \u2018Have an ice characterization test and the structural test planned this week.\u2019 <\/p>\n<p>The modification will be put through its paces in a wind tunnel, which will test the foam configuration on the new brackets. It may also include a \u2018hot gas\u2019 test. <\/p>\n<p>Back on orbit, and the crew of Endeavour and the International Space Station are in Flight Day 7, with the main element of the day being the successful transfer of the (External Stowage Platform) ESP-3 from Endeavour\u2019s payload&nbsp;bay&nbsp;to the ISS\u2019 P3 truss. The crew have also conducted interviews with the media and school children.<\/p>\n<p><em><font color=\"#0000ff\">L2 members<\/font>: All documentation \u2013 from which the above article has quoted snippets \u2013 is available in full in the related L2 sections, updated live.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><font face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" height=\"60\" alt=\"\" hspace=\"5\" src=\"http:\/\/forum.nasaspaceflight.com\/forums\/get-attachment.asp?action=view&amp;attachmentid=12993\" width=\"468\" align=\"left\" vspace=\"5\" border=\"0\/\"><\/font><\/p>\n<p><em><font face=\"Arial\" color=\"#0000ff\" size=\"2\">**STARLIGHT: NEW STS-117 MISSION&nbsp;REVIEW&nbsp;MUSIC&nbsp;VIDEO**<\/font><\/em><font face=\"Arial\"><\/font><font size=\"2\"><em> <\/em><\/font><\/p>\n<p><font size=\"2\"><em><br \/>\n<\/em><\/font><\/p>\n<p><font size=\"2\"><em><font color=\"#ff0000\">**ROCK YOU LIKE A HURRICANE: BRAND NEW STS-117 MISSION&nbsp;REVIEW&nbsp;MUSIC&nbsp;VIDEO \u2013 AS SEEN BY THE STS-117 CREW!!**<\/font>&nbsp;-.<br \/><\/em><\/font><font size=\"1\">(<em>Video section is FREE, but you need to sign up as a member of the forum to enter the video section of the site. We only use your e-mail to send you your password. It will not be used for spam etc.)<\/em><\/font><em><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><font face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><em>**NASASpaceflight.com Job Opportunities**<\/em><\/font><\/em><em><font face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\">&nbsp;<\/font><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><font face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><br \/>\n<\/font><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><font face=\"Arial\" size=\"2\"><\/font><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ahead of its scheduled mating with the twin Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) next week, engineers are carrying out detailed inspections on ET-120, the next tank to fly, with Discovery on STS-120. The inspections will evaluate the condition of the tank\u2019s LOX feedline brackets, following the foam liberation from Endeavour\u2019s ET (ET-117) during ascent. Engineers will [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"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":[],"class_list":["post-41628","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41628"}],"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=41628"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41628\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41628"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41628"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41628"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}