Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!dali.cs.montana.edu!milton!unicorn!n8035388
From: n8035388@unicorn.WWU.EDU (Worth Henry A)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: Re: Hydrogen leak discovered on Shuttle Atlantis (Forwarded)
Keywords: leaks, sensors
Message-ID: <1178@unicorn.WWU.EDU>
Date: 30 Jun 90 01:10:27 GMT
References: <52769@ames.arc.nasa.gov>
Reply-To: n8035388@unicorn.WWU.EDU (Worth Henry A)
Distribution: na
Organization: Western Washington Univ, Bellingham, WA
Lines: 30


In article <52769@ames.arc.nasa.gov> yee@trident.arc.nasa.gov
(Peter E. Yee) writes:
>
>HYDROGEN LEAK DISCOVERED ON SHUTTLE ATLANTIS
>
>
>     A propellant loading test of the STS-38 Space Shuttle 
>vehicle, slated to conduct a dedicated Department of Defense 
>mission in mid-July, revealed a hydrogen leak.  Although similar 
>to the leak that caused the postponement of the STS-35/Astro-1 
>mission, the leak appears to be smaller than the one detected 
>during the tanking exercise on the STS-35 vehicle prior to its 
>rollback to the VAB and demating.
>

Ok, I haven't seen anyone else asking, so I'll bite...

     Are these leaks REALLY something NEW or has NASA installed some
new leak sensors that are detecting leaks that have existed all along?
Perhaps some other change in the monitoring system or procedures?
After all, in practice, monitoring systems are often more prone to 
problems than the systems they are suppose to monitor (need I mention
HUBBLE? :-) ).

     Perhaps a decimal point was substituted for a comma in a DO statement
of the latest version of the FORTRAN program that monitors the sensors? :-)

HW
6/29/90