Fourth Crack Discovered On Space Shuttle Discovery's Fuel Tank

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Discovery launch pad at night
At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, xenon lights illuminate space shuttle Discovery on Launch Pad 39A following the retraction of the rotating service structure on Nov. 3, ahead of its launch on the STS-133 shuttle mission. (Image credit: NASA/Troy Cryder)

NASAengineers have found another crack ? the fourth so far ? in the metal skin ofthe external fuel tank attached to the space shuttle Discovery.

Thenew crack is similarto three others spotted on aluminum ribs near the midpoint of Discovery's15-story external fuel tank. The cracks and a hydrogen gas leak on the tankhave prevented Discovery from launching on its final spaceflight this monthfrom its seaside pad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

NASAspokesman Allard Beutel told SPACE.com today (Nov. 15) that an analysis isunder way on Discovery's fuel tank and engineers are discussing plans toinspect other nearby ribs for cracks as well. The cracks and gas leak onDiscovery's tank must be repaired before the shuttle can launch on its lastspace voyage, he added.

Inspectorsinitially spotted a long crack in the insulating foam on the shuttle fuel tank.

Whileinvestigating that crack, engineers found two smaller cracks in one of the 108ribs that girdle the external tank's midpoint between its liquid hydrogen andliquid oxygen tanks. A third crack was discovered last week, only to befollowed by this latest, fourth crack over the weekend.

Beutelsaid that NASA has repaired cracks similar to those on Discovery's fuel tankmany times in the history of the agency's nearly 30-year shuttle program.However, this is the first time the cracks have been detected on a tank alreadyat the launch pad, awaiting blastoff, he added.

"Thekey thing is this work that we've never done before on the pad," Beutelsaid.

Thecracks are on ribs that provide extra structural support to the shuttle fueltank's so-called "intertank" region ? a transition spot between thetwo fuel tanks. [GRAPHIC:NASA's Space Shuttle ? From Top to Bottom]

"It'swhere we keep the electronics and wiring for the tank," Beutel said."It's mostly just empty space."

Tofix the cracks, engineers typically cut off the cracked portions and replacethem with thicker aluminum ribs that are then bolted into place. The foaminsulation is then reapplied.

Beutelsaid NASA is still aiming to try and complete repairs on Discovery's fuel tankin time for the next window to launch the shuttle on its mission to theInternational Space Station. That window opens Nov. 30 and closes around Dec.6, he added.

The nextpossible time that Discoverycan attempt a liftoff is Nov. 30 at 4:02 a.m. EST (0902 GMT). Discovery isscheduled for an 11-day supply mission to the space station to deliver ahumanoid robot helper for the station crew and a new storage room for theorbiting lab.

The STS-133mission will be Discovery's grand finale in space beforebeing retired in 2011 along with the rest of NASA's shuttle fleet.

 

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Tariq Malik
Tariq Malik
Editor-in-Chief

Tariq is the Editor-in-Chief of Space.com and joined the team in 2001, first as an intern and staff writer, and later as an editor. He covers human spaceflight, exploration and space science, as well as skywatching and entertainment. He became Space.com's Managing Editor in 2009 and Editor-in-Chief in 2019. Before joining Space.com, Tariq was a staff reporter for The Los Angeles Times covering education and city beats in La Habra, Fullerton and Huntington Beach. In October 2022, Tariq received the Harry Kolcum Award for excellence in space reporting from the National Space Club Florida Committee. He is also an Eagle Scout (yes, he has the Space Exploration merit badge) and went to Space Camp four times as a kid and a fifth time as an adult. He has journalism degrees from the University of Southern California and New York University. You can find Tariq at Space.com and as the co-host to the This Week In Space podcast with space historian Rod Pyle on the TWiT network. To see his latest project, you can follow Tariq on Twitter @tariqjmalik.