Home
News
In Focus
Business
Metro
Nation
World
Sports
Feature
Opinion
View more 禄Opinion Columns
Wan LixinOpinion deputy editor of Shanghai Daily
City-born architect lists inspiration behind his designs in a new book
Digitization helps preserve, disseminate intangible cultural heritage
Sunday
- Subscribe
Related News
Repaired space shuttle ready for launch try today
Source: Agencies |
March 15, 2009, Sunday
|
Online Edition
Online Edition
NASA will try again today to launch space shuttle Discovery on a construction mission to the International Space Station after fixing a fuel leak that triggered a delay last week.
Blastoff is set for 7:43pm (2343 GMT) from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Engineers installed new seals in a fuel vent line, hoping that will solve the problem that postponed NASA's first launch attempt on Wednesday when hydrogen gas leaked from the shuttle's fuel tank, posing a fire hazard.
Technicians were unable to find the exact cause of the leak.
"I was a little surprised that we didn't find something more obvious because it was a healthy leak," shuttle launch director Mike Leinbach told reporters yesterday.
Still, if the shuttle does not leak when it is fueled for flight today, it will be safe to fly, he added.
NASA plans to start filling the shuttle's tank with 500,000 gallons of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen at about 10:30am (1430 GMT) today.
NASA has until Tuesday to launch the shuttle or face a delay until April 7 to avoid a schedule conflict with a Russia-led Soyuz mission to replace the station's prime crew.
Discovery will be carrying the fourth and final solar power module for the US part of the station, a US$100 billion project of 16 nations. The crew includes Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, who will be left behind to serve as a station flight engineer and the first Japanese to live on the outpost.
Blastoff is set for 7:43pm (2343 GMT) from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Engineers installed new seals in a fuel vent line, hoping that will solve the problem that postponed NASA's first launch attempt on Wednesday when hydrogen gas leaked from the shuttle's fuel tank, posing a fire hazard.
Technicians were unable to find the exact cause of the leak.
"I was a little surprised that we didn't find something more obvious because it was a healthy leak," shuttle launch director Mike Leinbach told reporters yesterday.
Still, if the shuttle does not leak when it is fueled for flight today, it will be safe to fly, he added.
NASA plans to start filling the shuttle's tank with 500,000 gallons of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen at about 10:30am (1430 GMT) today.
NASA has until Tuesday to launch the shuttle or face a delay until April 7 to avoid a schedule conflict with a Russia-led Soyuz mission to replace the station's prime crew.
Discovery will be carrying the fourth and final solar power module for the US part of the station, a US$100 billion project of 16 nations. The crew includes Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, who will be left behind to serve as a station flight engineer and the first Japanese to live on the outpost.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 娌狪CP璇侊細娌狪CP澶05050403鍙-1
- |
- 浜掕仈缃戞柊闂讳俊鎭湇鍔¤鍙瘉锛31120180004
- |
- 缃戠粶瑙嗗惉璁稿彲璇侊細0909346
- |
- 骞挎挱鐢佃鑺傜洰鍒朵綔璁稿彲璇侊細娌瓧绗354鍙
- |
- 澧炲肩數淇′笟鍔＄粡钀ヨ鍙瘉锛氭勃B2-20120012
Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
