**The most comprehensive collection of STS-117 onwards related presentions and mission documentation are <\/em>available to download on L2<\/em> <\/em>**<\/em><\/p>\n **Previous article on debris strike from booster** <\/p>\n **LIVE news updates on Atlantis STS-117 Processsing Flow**<\/em><\/p>\n **LIVE news updates on Endeavour STS-118 (LON-318) Processing**<\/em><\/p>\n **LIVE news updates on Discovery STS-122 (LON-322) Processing**<\/em><\/p>\n Space Shuttle models (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});<\/p>\n <\/font><\/font> <\/p>\n Presentations from the SRB Anomaly Resolution Team (ART) \u2013 aquired and downloadable on L2 \u2013 confirmed that NASA Imagery Reporting Database (NIRD) identified debris at SRB separation (T+125.2 sec) impacting Discovery during the December 9 launch. \u2018Impact potentially correlated to damage noted during orbiter tile inspection,\u2019 noted the presentation.<\/p>\n \u2018SRB Anomaly Resolution Team (ART) formed to identify liberated material and investigate cause and corrective action. Team assessed potential sources to identify maximum expected debris size for risk assessment, as needed Booster Separation Motor (BSM) aft exit cone Booster Trowelable Ablative (BTA) liberation primary focus.\u2019 <\/p>\n While NASA\u2019s work on reducing the risks from External Tank (ET) foam liberation hitting the orbiter\u2019s Thermal Protection System (TPS) has been a huge success based on recent flights, the threat from the boosters has been less publicized. <\/p>\n \u2018SRB AFT BSM TPS trimming will be continuing today; there are 2 issues that the SRB element is working to resolve: On the right stack, dimension in one area on the top of one nozzle (measured from the outer edge of the nozzle inward) is 0.800 (approx.) should be 0.815 in,\u2019 noted the February 8 Expansive Launch Operations report.<\/p>\n \u2018Difficulty getting measurements of BTA thickness over the retaining ring. The surface of the nozzle is not as flat as other areas, which is causing the micrometer to rock. TPS Ops and Quality Assurance personnel were evaluating issues and how to address them yesterday.\u2019<\/p>\n The actual process of trimming the BTA doesn\u2019t require anything more than utilizing the standard hand tools, used on previous work carried out on BSM aft exit cones.<\/p>\n The debris hit Discovery in three areas, one on her body flap, and in two locations around the left ET Umbilical Door \u2013 the latter being visible via images taken from the International Space Station (ISS) during Discovery\u2019s RPM.<\/p>\n <\/font><\/p>\n How NASA confirmed what material hit Discovery is fascinating, as they employed a technique called Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), which revealed \u2018glass ecosphere material in removed Orbiter tiles, constituent of BTA. No evidence of other foreign material.\u2019<\/p>\n Another interesting finding is related to how material could come off an area of the Shuttle that was flying behind the orbiter, yet still managed to fly up the stack and hit the orbiter.<\/p>\n That was evaluated by United Space Alliance \u2013 the design agency and integrator of the SRBs \u2013 who found that the BTA debris \u2018ejected\u2019 towards the vehicle, as opposed to flying off harmlessly behind. <\/p>\n \u2018Failure mechanism shows potential BTA debris ejection vector in direction of flight,\u2019 added the presentation. \u2018Peel load created by skewed aft heat seal ejection hinging about potential failure plane. ATK qualification test motor firings indicate debris ejection outside of BSM plume.\u2019<\/p>\n While Atlantis\u2019 boosters are being trimmed, future boosters will have a modification implemented to mitigate future BTA debris concerns \u2013 or to the point that future ejections of material are at least understood and accurately predicted.<\/p>\n \u2018ART downselected aft exit cone L-cut closeout design modification,\u2019 the presentation continued. \u2018Minimizes potential debris and provides predictable failure location. Optimum angle of 48 -69 degrees determined by analysis. Minimizes effect of plume impingement on TPS. Analysis shows underlying structures maintain structural integrity under design ascent environments. <\/p>\n \u2018Design modification within existing certification with no Interface Control Document (ICD) changes.\u2019<\/p>\n Demonstration tests are planned for modified design prior to STS-117\u2019s launch, with Air Pressure Testing at KSC\/Launch Environments Test Facility.<\/p>\n <\/font><\/font><\/font><\/font><\/p>\n **INFINITY: 10 minute STS MUSIC VIDEO**<\/font><\/em><\/font> \u2013 **NASASpaceflight.com Job Opportunities**<\/em><\/font> <\/font><\/em><\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" NASA\u2019s Program Requirements Control Board (PRCB) have ordered a modification \u2013 within existing certification \u2013 to the Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB), following a debris strike during STS-116\u2019s launch last December. The debris, which was insulation flying off the aft of the left SRB, impacting on Discovery, was \u201cgreater than defined allowable (0.0002 lbm)\u201d \u2013 and […]<\/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-41801","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41801"}],"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=41801"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/41801\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=41801"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=41801"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=41801"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}The strike on Discovery did not cause anything more than cosmetic damage, but NASA aren\u2019t taking any chances, carrying out the trimming of the material \u2013 which started last week \u2013 on the aft of the booster, which is proving to be a tricky task. <\/p>\n
<\/font>**Ride home through the fire and plasma of re-entry with Atlantis on STS-115 \u2013 And now also with Discovery on STS-116 \u2013 TWO Stunning high quality 2hr, 355mb videos \u2013 from deorbit burn to post landing**<\/font><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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