Atlantis to blast off on 7 Feb

NASA has announced that space shuttle Atlantis will carry Europe's Columbus laboratory to the ISS on 7 February. The new launch date is conditional on the rescheduling of a planned Russian cargo ship flight to the station on the same day, since both vessels can't dock at the same time. It's not, however, dependent on solving …

[Timbo]

Seems a bit petty to me...

"Further tests are planned for this week, but NASA will, if necessary, replace the entire connector with one featuring soldered rather than plug-in connections."

Why have NASA been holding up the launch of a multi-trillion dollar rocket & cargo for nigh on TWO months, for the sake of a connector, that no doubt could be replaced in less time than it takes to run a marathon?

And in the course of which they are affecting other launches to the ISS, such as the forthcoming ATV "Jules Verne" which is/was due to launch early-mid Feb '08.....and sadly the shuttle must have completed it's mission before ATV can dock.

[Anonymous Coward]

@Timbo

"Why have NASA been holding up the launch of a multi-trillion dollar rocket & cargo for nigh on TWO months, for the sake of a connector, that no doubt could be replaced in less time than it takes to run a marathon?"

Because NASA generally can't just change part of the shuttle's design without massive safety concerns being addressed and thoroughly tested? No matter how trivial the change is, it's space. It's not a car, it can't pull over to the lay-by and call for roadside assistance halfway through a mission if their bodge doesn't work as planned.

[Graham Dawson]

What people forget

People tend to forget that the shuttle is actually an experimental craft. It was never meant to be flying for so long and if Nasa's budget hadn't been repeatedly cut all the way up to the late 90s it would have been retired and replaced already. Anyway that's why they take so long over everything; replacing parts in an experimental craft is a lot more involved than replacing parts in a mass-produced craft.

[John Macintyre]

@Timbo

It should also be added to anon that it's a very big space craft, it can't just fly into space whenever it feels like. They need to get a launch window before going - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Launch_window

The thing is several storeys big, so can't just be switched in seconds. Which means the launch window is missed, taxiing off the launchpad (you can't do major fixes there, not enough equipment, driving back to base, fixing, finding another window, booking (in case some other non-public planned nasa govt/secret flights are taking place), then taxiing back, configuring flight control, launching. It does actually take longer than your marathon.

[Anonymous Coward]

Spirit of Seattle arrives in Fla

The launch is "not, however, dependent on solving the ongoing fuel sensor problems which... monitor liquid hydrogen levels in the vessel's fuel tank and prevent it running dry, potentially triggering a catastrophic explosion". Sounds like the M$ philosophy in action.

Now we know why NASA astronauts need diapers.

[Timbo]

@Anonymous Coward

"Because NASA generally can't just change part of the shuttle's design without massive safety concerns...."

They aren't changing part of the design....they are changing a single part.

If I was them, I'd nick a "part" from another shuttle and get it sorted....true, I KNOW that they needed to find out WHERE the problem was...but once they had that figured, why all this pussying around - change the part and get on with it.

[Timbo]

@John Macintyre

"They need to get a launch window before going".

Quite true....but they've missed a number of launch windows already....

I'll get me soldering iron and fly out to Florida and sort it for them, if you like. Hell, I'll even light the blue touch paper if it'll help - I think I've got a spare box of matches (specially commissioned by NASA at a cost of $1.68 million per match - they are so expensive as each one has to be tested prior to use !!)

[John Murgatroyd]

A bit harder than ....

It looks a lot harder than just soldering the pins and plugs together...

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemissions/sts122/solderingteam.html

http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/122488main_ECO_sensors.jpg

Might need a lot of spanners, and a big ladder...

[Ishkandar]

Nice, nice NASA

How nice of them to pick the 7th of Feb as the launch date. If the whole thing goes *BANG*, then they can claim that they were merely celebrating the Chinese New Year with some fireworks !!