Endeavour launched!!!

The heaviest logistic flight to the ISS has been launched by NASA. STS-126 carries the Leonardo MPLM that is packed with supplies for the ISS crew. The mission would carry out a crew rotation on the ISS and the EVA's would solely focus on the starboard SARJ. The countdown was clean except for couple of issues during the opening part of the final DOO.

New modifications to the SRB holddown posts debuted on STS-126 that would prevent stud hang ups during launch. A stud hang-up occurs when the stud does not clear the aft skirt foot bore hole prior to the vehicle first liftoff motion (appx 200-250 milliseconds after ignition). A total of 25 aft skirt stud hang-ups at launch have randomly occurred on 23 shuttle launches since program inception, according to historical documentation. Looking to the future, STS-126 will also debut two new sets of instrumentation aimed at gathering data on RSRM behavior during the first stage. The resulting data would benefit to understand and mitigate TO on Ares I

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Alone!

Looking out the window,

I see cloudy skies,

And not a single star shines,

A cold air blows sending chills down my spine,

All alone I stand by my window

...Awaiting the light of the day...

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Constellation debate deleting Ares tests to beat 2015

The Constellation Acceleration Study Team are evaluating 160 “brainstorming ideas” in an attempt to reduce the current gap between shuttle and Ares/Orion by up to 18 months. However, such a process would come at a cost, with widescale deletions to Ares I testing and a major deferral to the development of the Lunar Orion. In response to budgetary pressures and the effort to move up the first flights of Ares/Orion, Constellation planners are considering changes to the Ares I test schedule, including the deletion of certain upper stage tests.

Five upper stage tests and their related hardware are currently being considered for deletion. These “development test articles” are designed primarily to validate design assumptions during development and increase the likelihood of a smooth flight qualification program later on.The advantages to eliminating some of the tests are to reduce costly paperwork, keep CDR (Critical Design Review) on pace for 2010, and keep specifications on track to gain margin.

However, it would mean items such as the Main Propulsion Test Article (MPTA) - a key Ares test item - would miss a large amount of its original test schedule, adding strain to the Ares I-Y test flight, which would lack pre-flight testing as a result.

As the budget for FY08 and FY09 is coming in at lower than requested levels, planners are trying to defer non critical costs to after the retirement of the shuttle. This would be two-fold, with Constellation concentrating on the ISS version of Orion, deferring work on the Lunar Orion to a later date.

The goal is to relieve stress on the critical software development cycles and the availability of high bays and other MAF (Michoud Assembly Facility) facilities. The plan is in direct competition with the assessment in extending the shuttle program past 2010 - which is currently at the White paper stage with NASA HQ - should NASA managers decide to add flights to a manifest that is already naturally filling 2010 due to the delay to STS-125. The conflict would relate to additional production of External Tanks.

Extending the shuttle program has widescale support, but importantly lacks willingness from high level managers at NASA HQ and MSFC (Marshall Space Flight Center) who are tied to an Ares I program that is struggling to keep to budget and schedule due to technical issues - as listed in the official NASA documentation.

So, to counter the shuttle option of extending its manifest to reduce the five-six year gap, Constellation have set about creating their own options to move the schedule to the left.

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A Memorable Diwali With a Friend 10000mi Away!

I just remember having celebrated Vinayaka Chaturthi just a while ago and the festival of lights has snaked its way already toward us. The festival marks the triumph of good over evil. The day starts with visiting the temple and distributing sweets to near and dear ones. Nights, of course have children and youngsters light up the sky and suffocate (literally!) with the sheer joy of witnessing their multi-colored sparkles find their way above rooftops and lanky trees.

To me it was business as usual and was beginning to think that the day would turn out just like so many of my other Diwali days...but I was in for a beautiful surprise 10000 miles away from me.

I had one of the most memorable Diwali with a friend (name withheld) of mine who lives in the US and whom I haven't met yet but known her for like a year. It is the common love for spaceflight and NASA that stands at the helm of this friendship that was forged on a social networking site. It was one of those conversations that would make you feel like you would wanna just sit with your beloved, hand in hand, on the shores of a misty pond and listening to a bunch of crickets perform their song. Sit there just listening to the world around you until the dawn breaks. The conversation was so deep that it made me hold off the Dr. Wernher Von Braun inside me and bring out the more subtle and human side which, I keep carefully hidden.

Our talk today has been so full of understanding, thought-provoking and spirited; if not actually helpful and healing conversation. To me, it was one of those few hours where I could share my greatest dreams and disappointments without any fear. And as I sit down to write this, I cannot stop myself from thinking how exceptional it has been in getting to know her. The respect and warmth I have for her has already reached the very core and depth of my soul. And this small piece of my mind is just a thanksgiving, if you will, for what I share so joyfully with my friend.

All I can wish for is that we remain this way till the end . And this is what makes it one of the big-league Diwalis that I've had in a while.

Wish all my readers a Happy and Safe Diwali!

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The shame of indifference

The notion that the rich must be happy is complemented by the delusion that the poor must be miserable. Our society is so constituted that most people remain all their lives in the condition in which they were born, and have to depend on their imagination for their notions of what it is like to be in the opposite condition. The rich, it is said, do not know how the poor live; but nobody insists on the more mischievous fact that the poor do not know how the rich live. The rich are a minority. But the poor are a huge majority and they are so demoralized by the notion that they would be happy if only they were rich. And, they wouldn't mind buying sweepstakes on the chance of realizing their daydreams of unearned fortunes.

The slowing Indian economy is just more of a nuisance to the rich and middle class people. But what about the fate of the population that hovers close to the acute poverty line? If they thought washing the floors, driving the cars and cleaning the windows of the rich/middle class would open the doors to a better life, they know now that they were wrong. With prices rising, their savings are being eaten away. Higher food and fuel prices are being driven by big changes in the global economy that look set to continue. Even the most cheerful optimist in the past decade has seen the huge divide between the haves and have-nots, but the hope has persisted that it would somehow go away. Inflation has set like asphalt into that divide, solidifying the gap between the two Indias. The future for the country is two futures: rosy and grim. Indian companies will buy more foreign businesses and more Indian children will starve. In economic terms, India has become neither the U.S. nor Sudan, but something in between — a Latin American republic with an entrenched class chasm. Higher levels of crime and social unrest are almost certain to follow. For years or decades to come, we will not be able to talk of one destiny for all the people of the country. India is still just a Sudan - with a little icing on the top.

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Chandrayaan-1 Launched!

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched their Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft on their debut mission to the moon. A Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-XL-C11) lifted-off from Sriharikota, India early on Wednesday, local time.

The PSLV-C11 is an uprated version of ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle standard configuration. Weighing 316 tonnes at lift-off, the vehicle uses larger strap-on motors (PSOM-XL) to achieve higher payload capability.

Since 1993, the vehicle has achieved twelve successful launches carrying satellites to Sun Synchronous, Low Earth and Geosynchronous Transfer Orbits, launching 29 satellites in total. The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram, designed and developed PSLV-C11, which is 44.4 metres tall and has four stages using solid and liquid propulsion systems. The first stage, carrying 138 tonne of propellant, is one of the largest solid propellant boosters in the world. Six solid propellant strap-on motors (PSOM-XL), each carrying twelve tonne of solid propellant, are strapped on to the first stage. The second stage carries 41.5 tonne of liquid propellant. The third stage uses 7.6 tonne of solid propellant and the fourth has a twin engine configuration with 2.5 tonne of liquid propellant.

Chandrayaan-1 will carry out high-resolution remote sensing of the Moon on a global scale. It will study lunar surface composition, produce a 3D map of the Moon’s surface and drop an impact probe for added surface studies.

Following launch, Chandrayaan-1 will travel for about five and a half days to the Moon. The final operational orbit (polar, circular at 100-km altitude) will be reached about two weeks later.

Two NASA instruments to map the lunar surface will launch on Chandrayaan-1, which consist of the Moon Mineralogy Mapper, which will assess mineral resources, and the Miniature Synthetic Aperture Radar, or Mini-SAR, which will map the polar regions and look for ice deposits. Data from the two instruments will contribute to NASA’s increased understanding of the lunar environment ahead of its project return to the moon via Orion in 2019.

“The opportunity to fly NASA instruments on Chandrayaan-1 undoubtedly will lead to important scientific discoveries,” noted NASA administrator Michael Griffin. “This exciting collaboration represents an important next step in what we hope to be a long and mutually beneficial relationship with India in future civil space exploration.”

In addition to the two science instruments, NASA will provide space communications support to Chandrayaan-1 during its two-year lunar mission. The spacecraft also will carry four instruments and a small lunar impactor provided by ISRO, and several instruments from the Europe Space Agency (ESA). This cooperation follows on from the first venture between India and Europe, which took place in the 1980s. In 1981, Europe’s Ariane 3 rocket launched into space India’s first geostationary satellite Apple.

Riding onboard, Europe’s Compact Imaging X-ray Spectrometer (CIXS) will carry out high-quality, low-energy (soft) X-ray spectroscopic mapping of the Moon. The Infrared Spectrometer, known as SIR-2, will observe the chemical composition of the Moon’s crust and mantle. Both of these instruments were flown on SMART-1 and have been upgraded and rebuilt for Chandrayaan-1. They will continue the work on surface composition started by the original instruments.

The third European contribution is the Sub-keV Atom Reflecting Analyser (SARA). Derived from the ASPERA (energetic neutral atoms analyser) instruments, flown on Mars Express and Venus Express, it will be the first lunar experiment dedicated to direct studies of the interaction between electrically charged particles and the surface of the Moon.

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Positive news as MSFC testing finds faults with connector

Weekend testing of the removed ET-125 LH2 Feed-through connector resulted in "circuit instability" on two ECO (Engine Cut Off) sensors during LH2 test runs at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC).

While testing will continue, these opening results add confidence to the initial data that pointed to the "External Plug / Feed Through Receptacle Pin Contacts" as the cause of the ECO system anomalies during the two STS-122 launch attempts and subsequent tanking test.

The LH2 Feed-through connector from ET-125 was removed from the tank before Christmas, before being shipped off to MSFC. Further tests - from visual to X-ray - were conducted, prior to its installation into a test area (Test Stand 300).

Over the weekend - while its replacement was being installed into ET-125 - engineers tested the removed connector in a simulation of the conditions of cryogenic tanking.

The hope was to find similar issues with the ECO data readouts that caused the scrub of the launch attempts late last year, so as to confirm the removed external feed-through hardware is the culprit. This exercise appears to have been successful.

'Re-create the open circuit anomaly seen on STS-122 at ET-125 Feed-through with LH2, results: Helium Cryo Test: Circuit #2 showed signs of instability - 10mv upward excursion,' noted test result documentation, acquired by L2.

'LH2 Test #1: Circuit #4 showed signs of instability - Max around 250mv for 5 Minutes, around 9 minutes into Chill-down profile (-416 F). Max around 270mv for 45 minutes, and around 2 hours into Warm-up profile (-200 F): Isolated to circuit 4 excitation pin 35.

'LH2 Test #2: Circuit #4 showing signs of instability - Max around 270mv for around 9 minutes into Chill-down profile (-416 F) Has not recovered (during test). Isolated to circuit 4 excitation pin 35. Circuit transitioned back during Warm-up.

'Circuit #2 showing signs of instability. Max around 50mv, around 1 hour at stable temps (-416 F) Has not recovered (during test). Isolated to circuit 2 excitation pin 4. Circuit transitioned back during Warm-up

'LH2 Test #3: Circuit #4 intermittently opened shortly after cryo-shock. Open was controlled to Cryostat pressure (40 to 5 psig pressure cycles). TDR was monitoring circuit and captured open. Isolated to circuit 4 excitation pin 35.'

More data will be gained from the results, likely to focus on the root cause, currently believed to be caused by the "relative motion possible between socket and pin contacts". This issue should not occur with the replacement connector now inside ET-125, following a procedure to solder the pins in place.

The test schedule remains on track to support the re-aligned launch date target of NET February 7, with the latest schedules on both testing and ET-125 repair, showing completion dates of January 28.

'Splice/Channelize Pigtails to W01 Harness was completed on Friday afternoon. Work continued throughout the weekend with Internal Connector mate to New Feedthru Assembly, Confidence Test being successfully performed,' noted processing information on Monday.

'Feedthru Plate and Seal Leak Checks passing nominally and the ET LH2 Tank being repressurized. Fairing and Strut Cover installation will begin this morning. PDL Pour of Penetrations and subsequent cure will follow.'

Allowing for the process of returning the vehicle into a launch posture, engineers have some flexibility, should the repair - such as cure time - suffer any related delays.

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STS-122: Engineers install ET-125's modified connector

United Space Alliance (USA) and Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) engineers have installed the replacement external LH2 Feed-through connector inside Atlantis' ET-125, marking a key milestone ahead of Atlantis' NET February 7 launch.

The modified element of hardware is the "most likely" solution to the Engine Cut Off (ECO) system anomalies that have delayed the mission - as tests continue at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC).


The replacement of the external element of the LH2 Feed-through connector was called after data - gained via Time-Domain Reflectometry (TDR) equipment - showed the sensor circuits issues common to the aft ET Feed-through connector system.

In total, LH2 ECOs 1 to 4 and a 5 percent level sensor showed anomalous readings during STS-122 / ET-125 tankings (two launch attempts and one tanking test), with the open circuit conditions occurring at times consistent with rapid cryogenic conditioning of connector hardware.

Engineers do not have a confirmed root cause, though a combination of physics-based analysis, reviews of ET-120 hardware data, and ET-125 investigation data were used to determine most probable candidate - namely the External Plug / Feed-through Receptacle Pin Contacts.

With only the external element of the feed-through hardware deemed at fault, engineers were given the green light to conduct work at the pad. Rollback would have been required, had the data shown the internal connector was the culprit.

Engineers worked off a complex and delicate plan for foam TPS (Thermal Protection System) to be removed incrementally from ET-125, in order to provide unobstructed access for in-situ inspections.

While the ultimate goal was to remove the external connector/plug, engineers carried out a detailed dissection of TPS within J-box surrounding the connector) so as to identify any potential contributors to the problems.

The connector and plug assembly was then removed intact to perform X-ray and visual inspections, while continuous circuit monitoring was performed during hardware manipulation. This presented early data points on the health of the connector, prior to it being shipped to MSFC (Marshall Space Flight Center) for extensive testing - which is still ongoing.

The in-situ inspections at the pad were also used to mitigate potential causes associated with internal plug and feed-through connector (contamination, bent pins, damaged sockets, etc.) due to the lack of an absolute confirmation of root cause.

'Feed Through Pins - Remote: Open circuit requires break in pin - Recovery of circuit performance not possible. Ambient and cryogenic leak testing performed on ET-120 feed through connector ? No issues identified,' noted the results from the in-situ inspections.

'Wire Harnesses / Socket Crimps - Remote: Unlikely to occur simultaneously. Design and manufacturing processing requires wire slack during assembly. Broken connections unlikely to 'heal' during subsequent tanking and recover during drain back. Nanofocus NDE of ET-120 hardware showed no evidence of crimp degradation. Acceptance testing performed to verify connection (21 lbs).

'Internal Plug / Feed Through Receptacle Pin Contacts - Remote: Minimal relative motion between socket and pin contacts. CTE-induced effects increase contact pressure between sockets and pins. CTE- induced effects have minimal effect on pin/socket engagement (around -0.007''). Sockets fully locked to retaining ring. Thermally-induced delta pressure loading within connector cavity not possible (GHe purge / LH2).

'Teflon grommet material thermally stable at cryogenic temperatures (no cracking). Less chance of contamination as compared to external plug. Contamination due to solid air / moisture not possible (GHe purge). Other contamination possible but unlikely to remain following 3 LH2 loadings.

'ET-120 internal plug flown with no issue. Inspection and testing of ET-125 internal plug (in-situ) and feed through replacement being used to mitigate potential causes associated with internal plug and feed through (contamination, bent pins, damaged sockets, etc.). No anomalous conditions identified.'

Interestingly, one flag on the internal connector was noted on one presentation, relating to trace amounts of Krytox, observed on internal connector through KSC lab analysis. However, it was noted that it was not located in location that would result in open circuit.

'Swab samples obtained from ET-125 feed through connector analyzed by MSFC M&P lab using an attenuated total reflectance (ATR) infrared technique,' noted the Marshall presentation. 'No apparent differences between the control swab and swabs used on the pins, the glass surfaces and the housing surfaces.'

The results - gained via previous analysis and their latest inspections - left engineers with just the one main culprit.

'External Plug / Feed Through Receptacle Pin Contacts - Most Likely: Significant relative motion possible between socket and pin contacts. CTE (Coefficient of Thermal Expansion)-induced effects increase contact pressure between sockets and pins. CTE-induced effects can cause around -0.019'' decrease in pin engagement. Sockets allowed to move towards receptacles.

'Review of ET-120 plug showed evidence of grommet material / socket retention degradation. Thermally-induced delta pressure loading test demonstrated at cryogenic temperatures (vacuum). Greater chance for contamination as compared to internal plug

'Contamination due to solid air / moisture probable (cryopumping through harness). Moisture proof material cracked on ET-125. Most likely a result of out-gassing. Other contamination possible. Bench testing demonstrated open circuit condition with ice contamination and relative motion between pin / sockets.

'Root cause of ET-125 anomalies most likely attributed to separation of plug socket / feed through pin contacts. Contact separation caused by thermally-induced effects (CTE, delta pressure, contamination, relative motion between parts) result in open circuit at external plug / feed through connection.'

With these findings collated early in the troubleshooting process, engineers devised a plan of action, one that would mitigate the aforementioned issues of the pin contacts separating from the plug socket. Ironically, they would receive a welcome break, via a ready-made solution from the Atlas/Centaur program.

Used to mitigate intermittent circuit anomalies, isolated to connection between external plug and feed-through receptacles on the Atlas vehicle, Lockheed Martin engineers had devised a 'pin soldering' solution, one that has proved to work without issue on their subsequent Atlas flights.

'ECO Circuit Anomaly Root Cause Mitigation Plan: Pursue design solution that addresses most likely root cause by implementing solid state connection between external harness and feed through connector. Pin soldering provides proven technology and can be screened prior to implementation (NDE, acceptance test loading).

'Technical Basis for Redesign: Eliminates significant contributors to most likely root cause of STS-122 ECO circuit anomalies. Contamination / relative motion effects between external plug socket and feed through pins eliminated.

'Pin soldering used on Atlas/Centaur program. Similar connector design as used on ET. Same pin / socket material and pin diameter. Testing performed on Atlas/Centaur program to verify design performance. Pin / socket tensile strength and qualification testing with cryogenic cycling (LN2) with vibration environments. Similar solder design (Atlas/Centaur) successfully flown with no issues (> 12 missions).'

The process of soldering the pins involved the requirement to solder the 'split tine socket' onto the feed-through pins, requiring the modification of the internal contact, by removing the outer sleeve (silver hood) and removal of gold plate from pins and sockets - which provided a better surface for the solder.

Tests were carried out on the soldered pins, including Cryo cycle testing to -407 degrees F, and then pull tested to the point of failure - seen at the crimp, as opposed to the solder joint - after 39lbs worth of pull.

'Atlas / Centaur Design and Usage: Atlas/Centaur used a Capacitance Level sensor system for their LH2 and LO2 tanks. Contact resistance critical to Atlas/Centaur operation (Operating voltage and current is well below ECO system). Cryo feed through located on forward dome of LO2 and LH2 tanks,' added related information on the Atlas approach.

'Cryo feed through similar to ET design with the exception is was a twelve contact version of the Deutsch connector. Internal plug was teflon insert. External was silicone insert. Feed through was glass/teflon insert. Plug sockets were originally 'leaf spring' design. Grease was used in external connector to prevent moisture affecting the circuits.'

So the plan was in place. Engineers at MSFC got to work on the replacement connectors for both ET-125 and ET-126, using the Atlas approach of soldering the pins, whilst an additional mitigation plan was worked on the replacing of the silicone grommet with a teflon insert - following the findings of cracks on the ET-120 silicone grommet.

Additional areas of mitigation were also put into play, with an increase to the wire gage and a replacement back shell design.

'Replace 22 gage wire with 20 gage. Add wire strain relief to each conductor after the crimp and before backshell strain relief. Replace RFI backshell with strain relief backshell. Contact of overall metallic braid retained through solid state connection to straight backshell,' added a presentation on additional tasks.

'Background / Reason for Design Selection: Larger wire provides better contact, wire support and crimp. Larger gage wire suggested in connector specification. Meets approved crimp configurations for contact and splices. Wire strain relief and straight backshell used to mitigate stresses on solder contact due to restrained wire movement.

'Current design strain relief only through silicone insert support of wires. RFI backshell does not support wire. Verified through vibration Qualification Test.'

A dual troubleshooting approach is continuing, as engineers attempt to bring Atlantis back into a launch configuration, while tests continues on the removed external feed-through connector at MSFC.

At the pad, the installation of the replacement connector (Saturday night/Sunday morning) marked a milestone en route to the February 7 launch attempt. Engineers were tasked with the removal of the vertical strut cable tray, J-box cover and SRB PAL TPS ahead of numerous tests on the replacement connector.

The process of installation took slightly longer than planned, due to issues with 'wire and splice issues.'

The connector's installation into ET-125 - involving the splicing of wiring - is being continually monitored by electrical equipment at the pad. Leak checks will follow, along with further electrical testing, prior to the reapplication of foam TPS to the work area.

'TPS Re-Application Materials and Processes: TPS shall be replaced using current materials and processes. Vertical strut cable tray and fairing. Ablator closeout (hand pack) of new trays brought from MAF. PDL pour under and in fairing around connector. Segmented manually spray BX-265 on cable tray cover bolt hole runs and J-box,' noted a MAF presentation.

'SRB PAL Ramp (BX spray foam). Manually sprayed BX-265 in three segments. Manually spray BX-265 closeouts configuration on cable tray covers will be slightly different due to R&R. Spay segment bondline locations. Manual sprays will be Vertical versus Horizontal. Vertical spray demonstration performed.'

Once the foam has been re-applicated to the work area, MAF information notes it will typically take two weeks for the foam to 'cure' - which allows for plenty of time ahead of the current launch target of February 7.

This is the final element of the pad work, with all other areas of implementation scheduled for completion by Jan 27.

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New issue found on Atlantis' removed ET Feed-through connector

A new issue with Atlantis' External Tank LH2 Feed-through connector hardware will require further investigation, after cracks were found on the glass seal below the pins on ET-125's removed external connector.
At present, engineers do not believe it is related to the Engine Cut Off (ECO) system anomalies, as the process begins at the pad to install a replacement Feed-through connector system into the tank, in time to allow STS-122 to launch in early February


The surface cracks were observed on the vitreous glass seal, via initial inspections over the weekend at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Engineers used a magnification of x50 to gain imagery of the 'crazed' cracks.

The concern relates to the potential that unacceptable amounts of liquid hydrogen could leak through those cracks during ascent, which would breach safety rules. As a result, engineers are being tasked with understanding and eliminating the concern via testing. 'Surface cracks could result in unacceptable LH2 leakage during ascent (Crit. 1). Rationale required prior to installation and flight. This is currently the main focus of the engineering evaluations on the cracking, after opening results showed that there is neither the flight history, nor the data, that supports any correlation between the observation of cracked glass and the ECO sensor system anomalies.

As a result, MSFC engineers are now tasked with a separate investigation, likely in cooperation with the vendor, to pinpoint the exact cause of the cracks, along with a full understanding of any potential safety implications during the ride uphill.

Opening data shows that engineers have been aware such cracks can exist, and are the result of processing. Sources believe that certain levels of observed cracking leads to hardware being rejected - via a quality control process. However, such cracking has only when spotted via inspections that are to a certain level of magnification.

Due to the intense focus on ET-125's connector, the cracking was observed at magnification levels of up to the power of x50. This may add confidence, due to the likelihood that cracking is typical - though not always spotted - yet has not exhibited a problem on any flight of the shuttle.

However, NASA aren't taking any chances with the connector hardware, following the problems associated with STS-122. A full investigation will be utilized in parallel with the MSFC cryogenic testing of ET-125's connector, as engineers hope to recreate the error seen during the two launch scrubs and subsequent tanking test, with an eye on confirming that the removed external connector is at fault.

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