![]() ![]() ![]() To troubleshoot the problem, engineers first have to empty the shuttle's giant external fuel tanks-which had been filled just this morning with liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen in preparation for launch. (Also see "Space Shuttle Launch to Put Giant Ray Detector in Space.")ĭespite Scrub, Obama Makes Space Center Visit "We don't like lifting off without redundancy, especially in a critical system like this one," Leinbach said. Flight engineers have contingency plans in place to safely shut off a malfunctioning APU.īut since the issue was discovered before launch, shuttle launch director Mike Leinbach made the decision to scrub. The shuttle does have two other APUs, and if one had failed after launch, "it would not have been a bad day," Moses said. This could cause problems during atmospheric reentry, as thawing chunks of hydrazine could trigger leaks of combustable fuel. Without heaters, hydrazine could freeze in the chilly environment of space, creating buildups of frozen fuel. The APU hydraulics are driven by a fuel called hydrazine, Mike Moses, NASA's launch integration manager for the shuttle program, said today during a press briefing. The trouble was caused by failed heaters in one of the shuttle's auxiliary power units (APUs), which provide hydraulic power for the craft's engine nozzles, landing gear, and other moving parts used in flight. NASA's next try will be no earlier than Monday morning, launch officials said today.Ī planned launch of an Atlas V rocket from Kennedy on May 6 means that the shuttle lift-off can push to no later than May 4.Īfter that date, the next possible launch attempt for Endeavour wouldn't come until May 9.Įndeavour's crew of six veteran astronauts, led by mission commander Mark Kelly, had already boarded their bus for the launch pad when the scrub was announced at 12:19 p.m. ![]() Instead, it was a problem with a line of small heaters that ultimately forced NASA to scrub today's 3:47 p.m. Kennedy Space CenterHours before its planned liftoff from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the space shuttle Endeavour had endured pouring rain and nearby lightning-but was still on target for launch, based on weather conditions. ![]()
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