NASA begins shuttle tank repairs, Feb. 3 launch day said in doubt

9:20 PM Nasa Information , Posted in , , , , , , 0 Comments

shuttle tank scan 

Technicians at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida began modifying 34 support beams, called stringers, on space shuttle Discovery's external fuel tank Tuesday.

Some observers think the work lessens the chance the shuttle will be able to launch in its next window that opens Feb. 3. The next window after that would open Feb. 27.
Crews are fitting pieces of metal over the tops of the support beams to increase their structural support. NASA says the work will be take about a week.

Teams also are scanning all the tank's stringers using a backscatter device, which bounces radiation off the tank allowing engineers to see below the foam insulation.

Engineers at various NASA centers, including Huntsville's Marshall Space Flight Center, continue to analyze testing and imaging data.

Managers will meet again Thursday to determine whether more modifications are needed on the remaining stringers. ‪

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