Inside KSC News Feeds
06-27-2008, 05:39 AM
CAPE CANAVERAL -- NASA will start repairing serious damage at Kennedy Space Center's launch pad 39A today, but the work isn't expected to delay the planned Oct. 8 launch of a Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission.
Technicians will work two 10-hour shifts a day for the next two weeks to clear debris and damaged bricks from the pad's flame trench, which was torn up during the May 31 launch of shuttle Discovery.
Then NASA will patch two large areas with steel grid and refractory concrete. The "fondue fire" will be applied in much the same manner that contractors spray gunite to build backyard swimming pools.
The $2.7 million job should be done by the third week of August, clearing the way for Atlantis to roll out to the pad as scheduled on Aug. 29.
"We're confident we have a good go-forward plan, and we're ready to proceed," said Perry Becker, who led the engineering investigation team that came up with the repair scheme.
More... (http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080627/NEWS02/806270333/1007/rss06)
Technicians will work two 10-hour shifts a day for the next two weeks to clear debris and damaged bricks from the pad's flame trench, which was torn up during the May 31 launch of shuttle Discovery.
Then NASA will patch two large areas with steel grid and refractory concrete. The "fondue fire" will be applied in much the same manner that contractors spray gunite to build backyard swimming pools.
The $2.7 million job should be done by the third week of August, clearing the way for Atlantis to roll out to the pad as scheduled on Aug. 29.
"We're confident we have a good go-forward plan, and we're ready to proceed," said Perry Becker, who led the engineering investigation team that came up with the repair scheme.
More... (http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080627/NEWS02/806270333/1007/rss06)