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Fuel sensor glitch scrubs today's Atlantis launch |
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Written by Derek Kessler on
Thursday, 06 December 2007
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 The launch of the space shuttle Atlantis was today delayed at least one day by malfunctions in two of four hydrogen fuel sensors the control the shuttle's main engines. The mission to carry the ESA's Columbus Laboratory to the International Space Station was set to launch at 4:31 PM EST from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. While one glitching sensor is not a cause for alarm, NASA's flight rules require at least three of the sensors be operating correctly for a launch. Atlantis is now set for a launch no earlier than Friday at 4:09 PM, with an 80% forecast of favorable launch weather.
The fuel sensors, known as Engine Cut-Off sensors, serve as fuel gauges to ensure that the shuttle's three main engines are turned off before the supply of hydrogen fuel runs out (the shuttle uses a combination of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen as propellant). When NASA started to fuel the shuttle, engineers discovered that half of the sensors failed to report being submerged. The hydrogen fuel has been drained from Atlantis so that repair crews can replace the sensors.
The STS-122 mission, commanded by veteran astronaut Steve Frick, will be composed of an 11-day construction mission to the ISS. When they arrive, at least three spacewalks will be performed to install the Columbus Laboratory module, as well as a crewmember swap. If the shuttle can conserve enough power, NASA may extend the mission by two days to allow for a fourth spacewalk to inspect a malfunctioning solar wing rotator joint that was discovered during last month's Discovery mission.
Atlantis absolutely must launch by December 13th. After that point, the sun angles on the ISS's solar panels will not generate sufficient electricity to power both the station and the shuttle (the shuttles do not have enough power reserves to remain docked to the ISS for extended periods without additional inputs). If the shuttle is not launched before the close of the launch window, NASA will likely have to delay until January 2nd.
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"Take your Vulcan cynicism and bury it with your repressed emotions."
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