男女羞羞视频在线观看,国产精品黄色免费,麻豆91在线视频,美女被羞羞免费软件下载,国产的一级片,亚洲熟色妇,天天操夜夜摸,一区二区三区在线电影
  Home>News Center>World
         
 

Discovery's astronauts to inspect shuttle
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-07-29 18:57

Discovery's astronauts were unloading 15 tons of supplies onto the space station Friday and they planned to check the shuttle for damage after NASA said a chunk of foam may have hit a wing during liftoff, reported the Associated Press.


Discovery's robot arm raises the Raffaello Multi-Purpose Logistics Module from the cargo bay with the Earth in the background in this view from television Friday, July 29, 2005. The Raffaello can hold 15 tons of equipment, this would be equal to 7 1/2 Progress resupply ships. [AP]

"They want to get all of the angles to make sure that we haven't missed any small thing," deputy shuttle program manger Wayne Hale said.

NASA said Thursday that Discovery escaped damage from the potentially deadly chunk of foam that broke off from the fuel tank, but may have been struck in the wing by a much smaller piece. Even if the small foam fragment did hit, engineers believe the impact caused no damage of concern, Hale said.

Despite the latest development, officials said Discovery still looks safe to fly home in a week, but stressed it will be another few days before the space agency can conclusively give the shuttle a clean bill of health.

NASA analysts have identified 11 areas - including Discovery's wings, nose and belly - they want astronauts to take another look at. Nine of those areas were set to be examined Friday using the shuttle's new laser-tipped extension to its robotic arm.

Astronauts Stephen Robinson and Soichi Noguichi were to take a personal look at the other two areas - along the leading edges of the shuttles wings - during the mission's first spacewalk Saturday. It will be the first of three orbital outings.

During the spacewalks, Robinson and Noguichi will replace a gyroscope, which helps steer the space station; try out new repair techniques for the shuttle's tiles and delicate carbon panels; and install a storage platform on the station.

In television images Friday, Robinson and Noguichi smiled and waved to the camera as they worked weightlessly about the station, wearing yellow plastic hard hats for comic effect. Robinson, with a manual in his hand, wore a hat so tiny it didn't come close to covering his head.

The lighthearted atmosphere contrasted with days of sobering news for the shuttle program.

NASA suspended future shuttle flights earlier this week after learning that the big piece of foam insulation, which weighed less than a pound, flew from Discovery's external fuel tank. It was an alarming repeat of the problem that doomed Columbia more than two years ago.

The piece of insulating foam that broke off Columbia's external tank during liftoff knocked a hole in its left wing. The searing gases of re-entry melted the wing from the inside out, causing the spacecraft to disintegrate as it headed to Cape Canaveral, Fla. in February 2003. All seven astronauts aboard died.

The small bit of foam that may have hit Discovery's right wing came off about 20 seconds after the big piece, and was from the same general area, Hale said. None of the newly installed wing sensors detected anything unusual.

An earlier inspection with the laser didn't reveal any damage. Camera views during liftoff were inconclusive because the foam tumbled out of sight.

NASA already has run tests showing that if the foam did strike the wing, it would have exerted just one-tenth of the energy needed to cause worrisome damage, Hale said.

"So we feel very good about this," he said.

If the astronauts do find a problem with the shuttle, however, the contingency plan is to use untested repair techniques that were developed after the Columbia disaster or have the astronauts stay on the space station until a rescue mission can be launched.

NASA said Friday it was trying to come up with ways to leave more water and oxygen aboard the space station than initially planned, given the grounding of its shuttle fleet. Water is generated as a byproduct of the shuttle's fuel cells, which power the spacecraft.



American women call for end of war
Israeli forces storm Gaza settlement
South Korean, DPRK separated families hold video reunions
 
  Today's Top News     Top World News
 

Guangzhou oil supply 'returning to normal'

 

   
 

First joint drill with Russia launched

 

   
 

Scotland bank in US$3.1b deal for BOC stake

 

   
 

China-US textile talks make progress

 

   
 

Opinion: Corruption has to stay capital crime

 

   
 

'Bird flu may cause global economic mayhem'

 

   
  al-Qaida leader in Saudi Arabia killed
   
  Iraq lawmakers work on draft constitution
   
  Israeli forces storm Gaza Synagogues
   
  Encephalitis kills 79 children in India
   
  Almost 90 arrested after Bangladesh bombings
   
  Tigers agree to review Sri Lanka truce, emergency extended
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
  News Talk  
  Are the Republicans exploiting the memory of 9/11?  
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 仪征市| 汕尾市| 商城县| 阳西县| 民县| 佳木斯市| 天柱县| 凤冈县| 行唐县| 宜都市| 元氏县| 永济市| 仪征市| 隆安县| 武定县| 闻喜县| 司法| 武宣县| 新化县| 龙南县| 武清区| 稻城县| 宁乡县| 乡宁县| 平武县| 泰兴市| 许昌市| 清镇市| 五华县| 泸西县| 九龙坡区| 文成县| 奉新县| 金昌市| 两当县| 吕梁市| 凤冈县| 黄山市| 大悟县| 广昌县| 屏东市| 阿瓦提县| 天峨县| 曲沃县| 叶城县| 大丰市| 石林| 松阳县| 锦屏县| 手机| 徐水县| 交口县| 津市市| 娄底市| 包头市| 平山县| 沈阳市| 焉耆| 温泉县| 满城县| 峨边| 余庆县| 昌宁县| 漳州市| 安国市| 新郑市| 黑河市| 中宁县| 钟山县| 崇礼县| 儋州市| 象州县| 长治县| 石阡县| 离岛区| 正镶白旗| 扎鲁特旗| 嵊泗县| 济宁市| 蚌埠市| 青岛市| 普兰店市|