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From: wargo@odin.ucsd.edu (Dave Wargo)
Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Subject: A question and a thought about hydrogen leaks.
Message-ID: <12748@sdcc6.ucsd.edu>
Date: 21 Sep 90 21:58:08 GMT
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The friday KCS Shuttle status reports:

                        STS-35 - COLUMBIA (OV 102) - PAD 39-A

               Workers  gained  access to the aft compartment yesterday and
          have begun preliminary inspections. Technicians are continuing to
          remove foam from around valves, actuators and areas of the recir-
          culation pump package to allow further inspections and tests.

The question I have is what is the foam doing there? Is it to deaden the
noise?

If it needs to be there why not develop a foam that reacts to concentrations
of hydrogen (turns a different color) so that it would make detecting leaks a
little easier.

Just a thought.

Dave
-- 
Dave Wargo
dwargo@odin.ucsd.edu 

Ice Cream, it isn't just for breakfast anymore.