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Author
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Topic: Discovery's rollover screwed...
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Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 05-11-2006 09:15 AM
   
This morning's scheduled rollover of Discovery from the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) in preparation for STS-121 has been delayed by a minimum of several hours as engineers troubleshoot a snapped screw on the VAB sling set that is used to mate the orbiter to the ET and SRB stack.Initial reports out of NASA are that the jack screw is not critical to lifting the orbiter. Shuttle technicians are evaluating the other screws on the sling set while trying to locate a replacement (even looking at the Vandenberg Air Force Base [California] sling set for a potential spare). Discovery will remain safe inside the OPF while this issue is worked. Though NASA hopes to still conduct the rollover today, weather becomes a concern as the day progresses, SPACE.com reported. A picture of the jack screw follows:  |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 05-11-2006 09:34 AM
Update: Rollover has been rescheduled to 8:00am EDT Friday, May 12. |
RISPACE
Member Posts: 67
From: Warwick, RI USA
Registered: Jan 2006
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posted 05-11-2006 11:31 AM
Let's hope for no more problems. This goes to show how fragile the infrastructure can be especially after 25 years. The processing crews sure know how to troubleshoot though! They all deserve a lot of recognition. |
michaelSN99
Member Posts: 153
From: heilbronn,germany
Registered: Apr 2005
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posted 05-12-2006 08:42 PM
...and finally the move took place today. Great one step closer to the sky... |
hammer&feather
unregistered
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posted 05-13-2006 03:36 PM
I caught some NASA TV feed. It's so interesting the majestic Shuttle and the many tiny humans _compared to the big Shuttle Discovery_ watching the rollover to the VAB. Fantastic.
Anybody noticed how many spectators were in the area. Makes me wonder how many people work in this area. I counted hundreds of people. I don't believe tourists were among the watchers. Probably NASA folks and press people only.
Andy |
GACspaceguy
Member Posts: 2475
From: Guyton, GA
Registered: Jan 2006
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posted 05-13-2006 04:14 PM
It just goes to show you, the Space Shuttle is not the only thing getting old in the program. GSE can be every bit as important as the vehicle it serves. I wonder what would have happened if it was being used and will this delay the stacking as they check out all of the attachments? The photo above shows a significant amount of corrosion on the lower end of the jackscrew housing. It would make me question the integrity of the rest of this apparatus as well as those others that have been in "storage" waiting for the program to resume. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 05-13-2006 04:22 PM
quote:
Originally posted by GACspaceguy:
I wonder what would have happened if it was being used and will this delay the stacking as they check out all of the attachments?
Stacking has already been completed. Discovery was hoisted just a few hours after it arrived in the VAB. |
OV-105
Member Posts: 816
From: Ridgecrest, CA
Registered: Sep 2000
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posted 05-17-2006 03:42 PM
I do not know which is more impressive, when they lift the shuttle for the mate or when they take the sling off the shuttle after the mate. There is not too much room for an error. |
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