| T.R | Title | User | Personal
Name | Date | Lines |
|---|
| 3.1 | | SUMMIT::GRIFFIN | | Tue May 22 1984 01:07 | 9 |
| I understand that the Discover does not sport heat ablative tiles, but
uses new sheet-like materials.
Any more on this???
I'll assume the material is either lighter (more payload) or more durable
(lower maintenance costs). Probably both.
- dave
|
| 3.2 | | GOLD::WEAVER | | Wed May 23 1984 01:32 | 11 |
| Newsgroups: net.columbia
Path: decwrl!decvax!harpo!ulysses!allegra!alice!alb
Subject: Discovery Rolled to Pad
Posted: Sun May 20 09:29:25 1984
The space shuttle Discovery, newest in the expanding
fleet, was rolled to pad 39A yesterday. On 2 June,
its main engines will be test fired, and on 21 June,
it will list off on 41-D.
|
| 3.3 | | SILVER::WEAVER | | Fri Jun 01 1984 14:15 | 13 |
| Newsgroups: net.columbia
Path: decwrl!decvax!harpo!floyd!vax135!houxz!houxm!mhuxl!ulysses!allegra!alice!alb
Subject: Test Firing on Friday
Posted: Wed May 30 12:30:11 1984
The main engines of the Discovery will be test fired together
Friday for the first time. The trial is scheduled to begin
at 1100 EST and last for 20 seconds, plenty of time to build
up to a full 1.1 million pounds of thrust. After the test,
NASA will set a firm date for the launch of 41-D. Target
date is 19 June.
|
| 3.4 | | SILVER::WEAVER | | Wed Jun 06 1984 08:05 | 11 |
| Newsgroups: net.columbia
Path: decwrl!decvax!ittvax!dcdwest!sdcsvax!akgua!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!alice!alb
Subject: Test Firing Delayed
Posted: Thu May 31 18:41:39 1984
NASA today delayed Friday's test firing of the Discovery's
SSME's until Saturday. The delay was to give technicians
an extra day to fix two problem: Trouble with some heat
shielding over one engine and a dent in a hydrogen line.
|
| 3.5 | | SILVER::WEAVER | | Wed Jun 06 1984 08:06 | 9 |
| Newsgroups: net.columbia
Path: decwrl!decvax!harpo!floyd!vax135!houxz!houxm!mhuxl!ulysses!allegra!alice!alb
Subject: Engine Test's Early Results Successful
Posted: Sun Jun 3 09:11:20 1984
Preliminary examination of the engine test yesterday led
to very successful results, and NASA is expected to announce
a launch date sometime this week.
|
| 3.6 | | SILVER::WEAVER | | Fri Jun 08 1984 11:59 | 24 |
| Newsgroups: net.columbia
Path: decwrl!decvax!ucbvax!ucbcad!tektronix!uw-beaver!cornell!vax135!houxz!houxm!mhuxl!ulysses!allegra!alice!alb
Subject: Unofficial Launch Date
Posted: Mon Jun 4 19:35:29 1984
Unconfirmed sources said today that 22 June will be the
launch date for 41-D. NASA will announce the date tomorrow
(Tuesday). A few minor problems were detected during Saturday's
engine test, but none that would delay the launch significantly.
The cargo for the mission, a communications satellite and an
array of solar cells, will be loaded into the payload bay
this Wednesday.
Newsgroups: net.columbia
Path: decwrl!decvax!ucbvax!ucbcad!tektronix!uw-beaver!cornell!vax135!floyd!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!alice!alb
Subject: June 22 Launch Date Set
Posted: Tue Jun 5 15:54:32 1984
NASA today announced that Saturday's test of the Discovery's
SSME proved that the ship is ''sound'' and set a launch date
of 22 June at 0843 EDT. Mission 41-D will land 7 days later
at EAFB.
|
| 3.7 | | SILVER::WEAVER | | Mon Jun 11 1984 11:22 | 11 |
| Newsgroups: net.columbia
Path: decwrl!decvax!ucbvax!ucbcad!tektronix!uw-beaver!cornell!vax135!floyd!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!alice!alb
Subject: 41-D Launch Delayed
Posted: Fri Jun 8 12:33:37 1984
A loose engine pump shield has caused a three day delay,
until 25 June, of the launch of 41-D. NASA will replace
the Number 1 engine on the Discovery. Replacing only
the pump or the shield would have taken longer.
|
| 3.8 | | SILVER::WEAVER | | Sat Jun 16 1984 10:22 | 9 |
| Newsgroups: net.columbia
Path: decwrl!decvax!harpo!floyd!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!alice!alb
Subject: Countdown Test Successful
Posted: Thu Jun 14 20:13:24 1984
The Discovery and her crew today sailed through a mock
countdown today. The only problem was a minor software
glitch that will have no bearing on the launch.
|
| 3.9 | | SILVER::WEAVER | | Tue Jun 26 1984 10:04 | 12 |
| At T-4 seconds into the launch today, after the engines on Discovery
were ignited, they were shut down by the shuttle's on-baord computer
and the launch was aborted. Note that the solid rocket boosters
were not ignited.
Just shortly after the cutoff of the main shuttle engines a small
fire was seen around the base of the engines. At this point in time
there is apparently a small fire somewhere on board the shuttle near
the engines, and the astronauts are still on-board.
More later...
-Dave
|
| 3.10 | | SILVER::WEAVER | | Tue Jun 26 1984 10:12 | 5 |
| Apparently the fire is out now, and preparations are underway to
remove the astronauts from the shuttle.
Your man in the field,
-Dave
|
| 3.11 | | SILVER::WEAVER | | Fri Jun 29 1984 10:15 | 2 |
| The next launch date is set for mid July, NASA want's to give Discovery
a thorough check before trying again.
|
| 3.12 | | SILVER::WEAVER | | Fri Jun 29 1984 10:24 | 36 |
| Path: decwrl!amd70!fortune!hpda!hplabs!hao!seismo!rochester!emil
Subject: Failed Launch
Posted: Tue Jun 26 08:33:43 1984
From: Emil Rainero <emil>
What an amazing thing to hapen. NASA must be wondering if they did the right
thing replacing the original #1 engine. The original #1 engine was replaced
by an engine from Challenger (flown twice before) due to heat shield
delamination. The shield is .0040-in. thich and had delaminated .0020-in.
The other two engines were both veterans of space, #2 having lifted
Spacelab 1 on Columbia and #1 on three flights in Challenger.
Still the engines are are marvel compared to the beasts used on the Saturn 5.
Emil Rainero
emil@Rochester
Path: decwrl!decvax!mcnc!akgua!whuxle!spuxll!abnjh!u1100a!pyuxn!pyuxww!gamma!ulysses!allegra!alice!alb
Subject: Post Ignition Abort
Posted: Tue Jun 26 09:52:27 1984
At T-7 seconds today, Discovery's computer started the
SSME ignition sequence, in which all engines are turned
on at 120 milllisecond intervals. Two made it, but
the computers detected a fuel valve failure in the Number
1 engine and directed it not to fire; they also commanded
the other two to shut down. Thus, the countdown was
stopped 4 seconds before the SRB's were to have ignited.
The engine with the trouble was taken from Challenger
earlier in the month, but the fuel valve was apparently
one of Discovery's. No word has been given on what sort
of delay to expect. It could be several days or several
weeks. The crew has been placed on leave status.
|
| 3.13 | | DVINCI::FISHER | | Thu Jul 05 1984 18:39 | 18 |
|
The problem has *apparently* been found, according to net.columbia and the
Associated Press. It seems that a bit of insulation was missing from a
liquid hydrogen line. This *could have* allowed the nitrogen purge gas to
condense on the line and drip down onto the #3 fuel valve, causing it to
fail.
The sequence appears to have been:
<start command to #3><#3 valve failed, but no check yet><start command to #2>
<#2 start succeed><computer check of #3 results in failure><shutdown command>.
Thus, although start commands were sent to 2 of the 3 engines, only one
actually started. This explanation confirms what I thought I saw on the TV,
namely that only one engine started. (The words "Oh, Shit" escaped my mouth
just before the shutdown announcement...and with my kids watching too. Sigh).
Burns
|