NASA Postpones Launch of Space Shuttle Discovery

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NASA Postpones Launch of Space Shuttle Discovery By Daniel Baxter

		November 7, 2010 - NASA postponed space shuttle Discovery's launch to the International Space Station due to a hydrogen gas leak detected while filling the external tank. The next launch attempt could be no earlier than November 30^th. The leak, detected early Friday morning while the shuttle's external fuel tank was being loaded, was at the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate, or GUCP, an attachment point between the external tank and a 7-inch pipe that carries gaseous hydrogen safely away from Discovery to the flare stack, where it is burned off. The PMM, which was converted from the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo, will provide additional storage for the station crew and experiments may be conducted inside it, such as fluid physics, materials science, biology and biotechnology. "We always place safety first," said NASA Associate Administrator for Space Operations Bill Gerstenmaier. "It is essential we repair this hardware before we fly the mission, and we will take the time to properly understand and fix the failure before we launch."

The flight also will transport critical spare parts and the Express Logistics Carrier 4 (ELC4) to the station. ELC4 is an external platform that holds large equipment. Robonaut 2, or R2, will be the first human-like robot in space when it flies on Discovery inside the PMM to become a permanent resident of the station. The mission will feature two spacewalks to do maintenance work and install new components. The six astronauts for Discovery's 11-day STS-133 mission will deliver the Permanent Multipurpose Module to the International Space Station. The PMM was converted from the multi-purpose logistics module Leonardo. It can hold microgravity experiments in areas such as fluid physics, materials science, biology, and biotechnology. Inside the PMM is Robonaut 2, which will become a permanent resident of the station. R2 will be used to test how dexterous robots behave in space. STS-133 also is carrying critical spare components to the space station and the Express Logistics Carrier 4. ELC 4 is an external platform that holds large equipment. The mission will feature two spacewalks to do maintenance work and install new components. Commander Steve Lindsey leads the veteran crew, which consists of pilot Eric Boe and Mission Specialists Alvin Drew, Tim Kopra, Michael Barratt and Nicole Stott. STS-133 is the final shuttle mission planned for 2010, Discovery?s 39th flight and the 35th shuttle mission to the station.

		Space Shuttle Discovery (Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-103) is one of the three currently operational orbiters in the Space Shuttle fleet of NASA, the space agency of the United States. (The other two are Atlantis and Endeavour.) When first flown in 1984, Discovery became the third operational orbiter, and is now the oldest orbiter in service. Discovery has performed both research and International Space Station (ISS) assembly missions. Discovery has flown 38 flights, completed 5,247 orbits, and has spent 322 days in orbit. Discovery is the orbiter fleet leader, having flown more flights than any other orbiter in the fleet, including four in 1985 alone. Discovery flew all three "return to flight" missions after the Challenger and Columbia disasters: STS-26 in 1988, STS-114 in 2005, and STS-121 in 2006. In the course of the meeting, 49 States enhanced their relationship with ICAO by working through the Technical Cooperation Bureau for expanding existing agreements, negotiating new agreements and identifying agreements for further development. The ICAO Assembly was attended by a record 1588 participants from 176 Member States and 40 international organizations involved in civil aviation. A specialized agency of the United Nations, ICAO was created in 1944 to promote the safe and orderly development of international civil aviation throughout the world. It sets standards and regulations necessary for aviation safety, security, efficiency and regularity, as well as for aviation environmental protection. The Organization serves as the forum for cooperation in all fields of civil aviation among its 190 Contracting States. Other News Stories Marsh Aviation Charged With Arms Export Violations FAA Proposes Safety Management Systems For Airlines All Nippon Airways Pleas Guilty To Price Fixing Boeing Achieves Power On Sequence On The 747-8 Intercontinental NAACP And US Airways To Partner To Strengthen Workplace Diversity United Airlines Unveils The Oprah Winfrey Show Farewell Season Plane Passenger Smuggles Halloween Candy Laced With Cocaine Into Airport Carmanah-Adb Lighting System Selected For Venezuela Air Force Upgrade Museum Of Flight Names New President And CEO TAP Begins C-Checks On Its Fleet Of Airbus Aircraft Aerojet Completes Acceptance Testing On NASAs 2nd Orion R-4D Engine