Another shuttle fueling test scheduled for Friday

Posted on: May. 20th, 2005 || Source: spaceflightnow.com | E-mail Article | Print Article

NASA's launch team readied the shuttle Discovery today for a second fueling test Friday to help find the cause of two vexing problems that cropped up during a similar test in April. Other shuttle engineers, meanwhile, are assessing a clearance issue between the shuttle's main Ku-band TV antenna and a new on-orbit inspection boom that could delay the transmission of post-launch images of the ship's redesigned external tank.

As part of NASA's post-Columbia safety upgrade program, a 50-foot-long boom equipped with a television camera and laser sensors was installed on the right, or starboard, side of Discovery's cargo bay. The boom, picked up by the shuttle's robot arm in orbit, will be used to inspect Discovery's wing leading edge panels and heat shield tiles for any signs of launch impact damage.

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