Re: Same sealants as on the storage tank
There are permanent seals that are bolted tight. There are small filling connectors for when a tanker unloads into storage tank, operated by a skilled human. There is a great big connector on the quick disconnect arm. This connector has to handle a huge flow rate and disconnect quickly by remote operation just before launch. It may also have to reattach after a late scrub while it is dangerous for people to approach. It cannot be bolted as tight as the more permanent or less time critical connections.
This particular failure may be because the pressure was commanded way too high shortly before filling started. During the post scrub press briefing NASA avoided answering many related questions. The pressure was commanded too high. It was not certain that the high pressure caused the leak as at the time people could not safely inspect the quick disconnect. NASA did not say if the command came from software or a human. If it really was human error that caused the scrub then I would say that a human is still more reliable than Boeing software.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
