NASA Finds Sensor Problem But Atlantis Launch Date No Closer

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NASA Unlikely to Launch Shuttle Atlantis on January 10

While NASA engineers are still unsure when it will be safe to launch space shuttle Atlantis on its long-awaited mission to the International Space Station, they are optimistic that a fix to the problem delaying lift off is just weeks away. But a new round of tests and procedures that NASA is planning almost certainly means that the January 10 launch date the agency had hoped for just weeks ago is not going to happen. Space shuttle program manager Wayne Hale told reporters on Thursday that that engineers will remove wiring and components of an oversized electrical socket on the outside of Atlantis' fuel tank on Saturday for analysis and repair. "This is probably going to not allow us to fly on Jan. 10," Hale said. "We're probably going to be a little bit after that. [lien] [EN]

NASA Launch Complex Gets Demolished, Bounces Back [Launch Pad Crash]

newVideoPlayer("complex40boom_gizmodo.flv", 494, 390,""); We have seen many spectacular demolitions, but the destruction of the Mobile Service Structure at NASA/USAF's Launch Complex 40 in Cape Canaveral, Florida, is perhaps the most striking of them all: instead of imploding down, the whole ultra-strong metal structure falls to it side and actually seems to bounce on the ground—shattering cameras a mile away—looking almost intact after the dust clears up. The sound, even from the distance, is deafening. The Launch Complex 40—and 41—was the base for the largest US expendable rocket, the Titan IV. It started operations in 1965 with Titan IIIC rockets, and it was home for the legendary Mars Viking (1975) and Voyager missions, which has been crossing our solar system since 1977. [lien] [EN]

NASA Last shuttle launch for Columbia - Raw video MUST SEE

NASA Last shuttle launch for Columbia - Raw video MUST SEEiweberdudei3 mn - 31 oct. 2006This video was shot with my DVCPro camera and gear by a crew from Israel who hired my services to uplink this video (I had leased out a KU band uplink truck at the time) back to their country. This video depicts a rare glimpse of an actual shuttle launch that is unedited. Turn your volume up and experience the roar of the booster rockets through your woofer speakers. Sadly the shuttle was carrying the crew that lost their lives when Columbia exploded during its descend over Texas in February of 2003. Cherish the clip. If you'd like to download a copy of this fascinating video: Click here. http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=245775144 To Own a DVD copy (best quality) go here. [lien] [EN]

NASA Prepares Shuttle Atlantis Tank for Sensor Fix

Technicians at Kennedy Space Center on Friday started removing foam insulation from a portion of shuttle Atlantis' external tank to get ready to start work repairing the faulty wiring connecting the tank's vital fuel sensors. A test earlier this week identified the wiring as being behind the fuel sensor malfunction that has delayed Atlantis' long-awaited mission to the International Space Station for more than a month.  The foam removal operations on launch pad 39-A  are scheduled to finish sometime over the weekend. The foam is being removed so the technicians can get to a pass-through electrical connector that was pinpointed as the likely source of the problem.  Technicians will begin inspecting and testing the connector if approval is received for its removal next week when NASA mission managers meet to discuss plans to fix the fuel sensor system . [lien] [EN]

NASA Troubleshoots in Space and On the Ground

As expected, Tuesday is turning out to be a busy day for NASA: two American astronauts are investigating a cranky rotary joint at the International Space Station while NASA engineers run a test on shuttle Atlantis' external fuel tank at Kennedy Space Center's launch pad 39A to pinpoint what's behind faulty fuel sensors. Space Station Commander Peggy Whitson and flight engineer Dan Tani are currently finishing the 100th spacewalk conducted in the history of the assembly of the station. The astronauts are peeking inside all 22 insulation covers surrounding the entire circumference of the starboard rotary joint that keeps solar panels on the right side of the station tracking the sun for power. The starboard joint has been locked in place since October after it first started malfunctioning. [lien] [EN]

Shuttle launch(es) delayed again

Sentinel Space Editor Robert Block just phoned this in: NASA still doesn't know when it will be able to launch shuttle Atlantis -- or the date of the other four launches that had been scheduled for 2008. In a press conference Thursday, engineers said that Atlantis -- whose Dec. 6 launch was scrubbed because of problems with fuel sensors -- now won't launch before Jan. 24 at the earliest, and more likely some time in February. That, in turn, will delay the scheduled February launch of Endeavor -- and could have a domino effect on the three other launches scheduled for later in the year. [lien] [EN]

SpaceX Moves Launches to Cape Canaveral, Closer to Rockets That Don't Always Explode [Space]

After three fiery failed test launches of its Falcon 1 rocket (the last one carrying NASA's first solar sail craft and Scotty from Star Trek's ashes), Elon Musk's SpaceX is setting up shop at a new launch site—Cape Canaveral's Space Launch Complex 40, which is just south of SLC-39A/B, from which the Space Shuttle and Apollo moon missions have headed skyward for decades. There they hope to prepare the first test of their Falcon 9 vehicle, the bigger and badder version of the Falcon 1 rocket that just can't stop going BOOM. The Falcon 1 rockets have all been launched from Kwajalein, in the US Marshall islands in the Pacific. Moving to the Cape will allow SpaceX to work more closely with NASA, which is still planning to rely on private systems like Falcon 9 to carry the Space Shuttle's burden of ISS service and orbital insertions after it retires by 2010. [lien] [EN]

Historic Photo Shows Atlantis and Endeavour Together for the Last Time [Nasa]

How's this for a truly awesome photo? Shown in the foreground is Space Shuttle Atlantis on Launch Pad A. The shuttle in the background is Endeavour, on Launch Pad B. Currently, both shuttles are locked and loaded for launch, should something go wrong up in space with the October 11 Atlantis mission. As Tom explains over at his Astronomy Blog, having two shuttles on the pad at the same time is rare, but it is not a cause for concern. When the ISS is not available for rescue purposes, as it might not be for this mission, a second shuttle is made ready for a quick launch. What is sobering, however, is this image is potentially the last of its kind. The space shuttle program is scheduled for retirement in 2010, leaving little chance for similar shuttle family photos in the future. [lien] [EN]

NASA's Ares 1 Rocket in Trouble Again: Could Crash Into Launch Tower [Nasa]

NASA's Ares 1 rocket may be facing another large technological hurdle before it can take part in the future lunar missions: it's apparently in danger of banging into its own launch tower if the wind is up. Actually, the wind needs only be a gentle-sounding 12.7mph from the south-east to cause problems, and it's all to do with how the rocket's solid fuel motor causes it to "hop" on ignition, before it powers upwards. Computer models are reportedly showing that during this crucial moment, the wind could cause enough "liftoff drift" that the rocket could get dangerously close to the tower. And if it managed to avoid an impact, there's still the danger of the flaming rocket gas output badly damaging the tower's structures. NASA itself seems confident it can overcome this problem (if it ultimately proves to be a significant enough one) by positioning the tower differently or redesigning the launchpad. [lien] [EN]

Atlantis Reaches Orbit

STS-122 carrying the European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory module has attained orbit. Despite earlier concerns about the weather, Atlantis lifted off at 2:45 EST. With Atlantis safely attaining orbit, NASA mission managers gave the command to proceed with main engine cutoff, or MECO, and the giant orange tank that provided fuel for the climb into space has been jettisoned. As the tank falls away and descends toward Earth, its onboard cameras record the process. Atlantis' next stop: the International Space Station. Cheers and shouts could be heard throughout the space center as Atlantis, carrying the STS-122 crew and Columbus Laboratory, roared off the launch pad into the mid-afternoon sky to begin the 24th mission to the International Space Station. [lien] [EN]

A step closer for a little extra for NASA

Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) was the scheduled speaker at a Washington Space Business Roundtable luncheon on Thursday, but with votes taking place on the Senate floor that morning, it wasn’t clear that he was going to make it—so much so that the luncheon organizers drafted a last-minute replacement, NASA administrator Mike Griffin. However, Nelson [...] [lien] [EN]

NASA to Probe Sun “in situ”

Until the SOHO satellite was launched, astronomers had to be content to look through earth bound telescopes at the sun. Now that the sun is key to “the biggest threat facing mankind - climate change” it seems only sensible that NASA send a probe for direct measurment. Now if we can just get Jim Hansen out of his office to look at some of the weather stations he keeps using in the GISS surface temperature database, we’ll really have something. No word yet on whether Quizno’s will be putting a “Mmm…Toasty!” bumper sticker on the probe in exchange for scientific funding assistance. From NASA Science News For more than 400 years, astronomers have studied the sun from afar. Now NASA has decided to go there. Right: An artist’s concept of Solar Probe Plus. [lien] [EN]

NASA Preparing to Service Hubble for the Last Time, In Glorious Pictures [Nasa]

The Boston Globe's Big Picture blog continues its incredible coverage of all things wonderful to look at today with a spread relating to the space shuttle Atlantis and the Hubble Space Telescope. Atlantis is scheduled to launch on October 8, equipped with all manner of instruments, batteries and gyroscopes for Hubble. Pictured above is one of the massive Atlantis engines being moved to the main bay for installation. That's just one engine, though—there's plenty of space-related tech porn to be found in the rest of the spread, too. Servicing Mission 4 astronaut Drew Feustel uses the "Pistol Grip Tool," a computer-controlled power tool, to install the Wide Field Camera 3 into a high-fidelity Hubble model. Just another day at the office. Feustel gets all the fun gadgets. [lien] [EN]

NASA delays Mars Science Lab launch

The long-anticipated launch of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory has been delayed by two years until the fall of 2011. The mission will send a next-generation rover with new research tools to hunt for evidence of whether ancient Mars supported microbial... [lien] [EN]