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Atlantis Set for Feb. 7 Launch
NASA managers formally set the launch of space shuttle Atlantis for Feb. 7 at 2:45 p.m. EST, pending analysis of a flexible hose in the shuttle's radiator cooling system.
Team Uses Historic NASA Tunnel to Test Blended Wing Body
A historic NASA wind tunnel is helping test the prototype of a new, more fuel-efficient aircraft design. Boeing Phantom Works, St. Louis, has partnered with NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, to explore and validate the structural, aerodynamic and operational advantages of an advanced concept called the blended-wing body. A blended-wing body looks different than most airplanes, as it has a modified triangular-shaped wing.
NASA's Return to Flight Launch No Earlier than Sunday
NASA announced the earliest the Return to Flight Space Shuttle mission (STS-114) could launch is 2:14 p.m. EDT, Sunday, July 17. Mission Management Team and engineering meetings took place last night and today at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
Discovery Wraps up Second Tanking Test
Technicians at NASA's Kennedy Space Center conducted a new tanking test on Friday, May 20, at Launch Pad 39-B to continue troubleshooting two issues that arose during the tanking test on April 14.
Second Discovery tanking test
Following Space Shuttle Program management discussions this week, a plan was laid out today reflecting how the program will move toward the STS-114 Return to Flight launch.
Preparations are under way for a tanking test no earlier than the week of May 15 to continue troubleshooting two issues that arose during another tanking test on April 14. Engineers are evaluating the liquid hydrogen sensors in the tank that gave intermittent readings during last month’s test. These sensors serve as fuel gauges to notify the Space Shuttle Main Engines to shut down when propellants reach a certain level in the tank. This is critical in the safe operation of the main engines. Engineers are continuing to evaluate a liquid hydrogen pressurization relief valve that cycled more times during the tanking test than is standard. This valve opens and closes to ensure the liquid hydrogen stays at the correct temperature.
NASA Puts Space Shuttle External Tank to the Test
NASA engineers and managers are evaluating the data from today's Space Shuttle Discovery External Tank (ET) tanking test at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Fla. The tanking test was yet another milestone in NASA's efforts to return the Shuttle safely to flight.
The 11-hour test also readied Discovery's main propulsion system and allowed technicians operating the hardware to gain first-hand experience on the redesigned tank. The test allowed crews to evaluate the overall operation of ground systems in preparation for launch of Discovery's Return to Flight mission (STS-114) planned for next month.
Space Shuttle Discovery at Launch Pad For Return to Flight
The Space Shuttle Discovery is at the launch pad. Following more than two years of safety modifications and vehicle upgrades, Discovery arrived at Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., around 12:30 a.m. EDT today.
"This is a big milestone," said William Readdy, NASA associate administrator for Space Operations, "and what a welcome sight to see Discovery at the pad, especially knowing the work we're doing to make it a stronger vehicle. But we're not finished yet. There are still some important milestones we're working toward before we're ready to fly," he added.
Robot Scout: Fly Me (Safely) to the Moon
The first attempt to land humans on the moon -- Apollo 11 -- was a triumph that almost ended in disaster. At just 400 feet from the lunar surface, with only about a minute's worth of fuel remaining, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin saw that their ship's computer was taking them directly into a crater the size of a football field, strewn with SUV-sized boulders. They quickly took control from the computer, flew over the crater and touched down in a smoother area beyond, cutting the engine with just 30 seconds of fuel on the readout.
