Read James Oberg's post and see if you don't agree.
- LRK -
---------------------------------------
ISS Repair Space Walk: A Glimpse Into the Station's Future
http://spectrum.ieee.org/
NASA is changing the way it handles hardware problems
By James Oberg / August 2010
6 August 2010—The dramatic emergency-repair space walks assigned to astronauts Doug Wheelock and Tracy Caldwell Dyson aboard the International Space Station (ISS) tomorrow signify much more than the repair itself. The astronauts are the first to employ an entirely new mode of spacecraft maintenance. Previous approaches to keeping the 380-metric-ton orbital outpost functional are being retired, along with the United States’ space shuttle fleet. Astronauts should expect this new emergency-repair scenario for the remainder of the station’s lifetime, which could be decades.
From now on, urgent repairs will be performed entirely by broadly trained space-station crews, not by specialized teams on brief shuttle visits as was previously done. These crews will use stocks of spare parts left inside and outside the station by the final visiting shuttles. These resources are being sent up based on a careful analysis of the ”mean time between failure” (MTBF) of the spacecraft’s components, which are designed to last for years in space.
snip
The usual preparation period for a Big 14 task is two weeks. But because of a fortunate coincidence (good luck is also known to occur in space), a space walk was already on the schedule, so many of the required preparations have already been done. This allowed the two weeks to be squeezed down to about seven days. That put some pressure on workers at mission control and the crew. But in the tradition of the Apollo 13 crisis, astronauts and ground controllers have responded. And, after this first time, they will have to do so again and again in the years ahead.
About the Author
James Oberg worked as an aerospace engineer at NASA for 22 years. He switched to journalism in the late 1990s and now makes his living reporting on space for such outlets as Popular Science, NBC News, and of course, IEEE Spectrum. He interviewed Wesley T. Huntress, author of NASA’s new manned spaceflight plan, for IEEE Spectrum Online in April 2010.
------------------------------
Pumps break down and you may have backups in place. We had something like that where I worked at NASA Ames, sewer sump pumps to pump the building sewer up to the city sewage system. There was a prime and a backup (which was broken) and when the prime failed we had sewage backup and out into the basement. Backups are only as good as what is working when you need it. Best to keep and eye on both the prime system and the backup. :-)
Read more about the problem on the ISS.
- LRK-
------------------------------
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/
http://www.space.com/
NASA scrambling to plan vital space station repairs
U.S. astronauts set for two spacewalks to fix cooling system
By Tariq Malik
updated 8/2/2010 10:01:52 PM ET
This story was updated at Aug. 3 at 8:28 a.m. ET.
NASA engineers are working round-the-clock to firm up plans to send astronauts on two emergency spacewalks outside the International Space Station to repair a serious cooling system failure.
The move comes after the weekend breakdown of a pump on the right side of the space station that pushes liquid ammonia through one of two cooling system loops that keep the outpost from overheating.
The malfunction occurred late Saturday and forced astronauts on the station to shut down many systems and leave others just one glitch away from failure. The first spacewalk is set for Friday.
Currently, the space station's condition is stable, with its second cooling system loop working well, and its crew is in no danger, NASA officials have stressed. But the space agency wants to fix the problem soon so the station crew can resume science experiments and other work that have been postponed until the pump can be replaced.
"Folks are working hot and heavy to get everything ready," said space station flight director Courtenay McMillan.
snip
------------------------------
Well it looks like there will soon be a handyman going to the ISS who doesn't have to pre-breath oxygen before going out on a spacewalk.
- LRK -
------------------------------
http://singularityhub.com/
Dextre Robot On Space Station Almost Ready For Duty
July 27th, 2010 by Aaron Saenz
“The most sophisticated robot every built…is a handyman.” —Canadian Space Agency
After more than two years, the International Space Station is very close to bringing its Dextre robot completely online. Built by Canada, Dextre is a large white robot with two highly articulated arms, and is meant to assist with repairs aboard the station, reducing the need for astronauts to take EVAs (space-walks). It’s a prime example of how robots can take over tasks that are too dangerous for humans, especially in extremely harsh environments like space. Despite Dextre’s potential, however, it has faced a series of setbacks since it first arrived at the ISS. Which means it’s also a prime example of how robotics has yet to meet our increasingly high expectations.
snip
------------------------------
STS-133 mission prepares for launch to the ISS on Nov 1.
Hope they have a cool reception.
- LRK -
------------------------------
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_
Technicians to Focus on Discovery's Heat Shield
Fri, 06 Aug 2010 07:19:49 AM PDT
This weekend, technicians will continue processing work on space shuttle Discovery's tiled heat shield as it undergoes launch preparations in Orbiter Processing Facility-3 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Recent leak checks on the crew module were completed successfully with no issues arising, and work on the orbiter's S-band antenna and front nose gear were finished. The STS-133 astronauts are spending Friday simulating their roles during the rendezvous phase of the mission, when Discovery will be steered to the International Space Station.
During space shuttle Discovery's final spaceflight, the STS-133 crew members will take important spare parts to the International Space Station along with the Express Logistics Carrier-4. Discovery is being readied for flight inside Kennedy's Orbiter Processing Facility-3 while its solid rocket boosters are stacked inside the nearby Vehicle Assembly Building. STS-133 is slated to launch Nov. 1.
snip
---------------------------------------
Well to live in space we will have to learn how to be self reliant. That may go for some folks down on Earth as well. Keep up the good technology transfer programs.
- LRK -
Thanks for looking up with me.
- LRK -
=============================================
WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK
=============================================
http://spectrum.ieee.org/
NASA is changing the way it handles hardware problems
By James Oberg / August 2010
6 August 2010—The dramatic emergency-repair space walks assigned to astronauts Doug Wheelock and Tracy Caldwell Dyson aboard the International Space Station (ISS) tomorrow signify much more than the repair itself. The astronauts are the first to employ an entirely new mode of spacecraft maintenance. Previous approaches to keeping the 380-metric-ton orbital outpost functional are being retired, along with the United States’ space shuttle fleet. Astronauts should expect this new emergency-repair scenario for the remainder of the station’s lifetime, which could be decades.
From now on, urgent repairs will be performed entirely by broadly trained space-station crews, not by specialized teams on brief shuttle visits as was previously done. These crews will use stocks of spare parts left inside and outside the station by the final visiting shuttles. These resources are being sent up based on a careful analysis of the ”mean time between failure” (MTBF) of the spacecraft’s components, which are designed to last for years in space.
snip
The usual preparation period for a Big 14 task is two weeks. But because of a fortunate coincidence (good luck is also known to occur in space), a space walk was already on the schedule, so many of the required preparations have already been done. This allowed the two weeks to be squeezed down to about seven days. That put some pressure on workers at mission control and the crew. But in the tradition of the Apollo 13 crisis, astronauts and ground controllers have responded. And, after this first time, they will have to do so again and again in the years ahead.
About the Author
James Oberg worked as an aerospace engineer at NASA for 22 years. He switched to journalism in the late 1990s and now makes his living reporting on space for such outlets as Popular Science, NBC News, and of course, IEEE Spectrum. He interviewed Wesley T. Huntress, author of NASA’s new manned spaceflight plan, for IEEE Spectrum Online in April 2010.
------------------------------
Pumps break down and you may have backups in place. We had something like that where I worked at NASA Ames, sewer sump pumps to pump the building sewer up to the city sewage system. There was a prime and a backup (which was broken) and when the prime failed we had sewage backup and out into the basement. Backups are only as good as what is working when you need it. Best to keep and eye on both the prime system and the backup. :-)
Read more about the problem on the ISS.
- LRK-
------------------------------
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/
http://www.space.com/
NASA scrambling to plan vital space station repairs
U.S. astronauts set for two spacewalks to fix cooling system
By Tariq Malik
updated 8/2/2010 10:01:52 PM ET
This story was updated at Aug. 3 at 8:28 a.m. ET.
NASA engineers are working round-the-clock to firm up plans to send astronauts on two emergency spacewalks outside the International Space Station to repair a serious cooling system failure.
The move comes after the weekend breakdown of a pump on the right side of the space station that pushes liquid ammonia through one of two cooling system loops that keep the outpost from overheating.
The malfunction occurred late Saturday and forced astronauts on the station to shut down many systems and leave others just one glitch away from failure. The first spacewalk is set for Friday.
Currently, the space station's condition is stable, with its second cooling system loop working well, and its crew is in no danger, NASA officials have stressed. But the space agency wants to fix the problem soon so the station crew can resume science experiments and other work that have been postponed until the pump can be replaced.
"Folks are working hot and heavy to get everything ready," said space station flight director Courtenay McMillan.
snip
------------------------------
Well it looks like there will soon be a handyman going to the ISS who doesn't have to pre-breath oxygen before going out on a spacewalk.
- LRK -
------------------------------
http://singularityhub.com/
Dextre Robot On Space Station Almost Ready For Duty
July 27th, 2010 by Aaron Saenz
“The most sophisticated robot every built…is a handyman.” —Canadian Space Agency
After more than two years, the International Space Station is very close to bringing its Dextre robot completely online. Built by Canada, Dextre is a large white robot with two highly articulated arms, and is meant to assist with repairs aboard the station, reducing the need for astronauts to take EVAs (space-walks). It’s a prime example of how robots can take over tasks that are too dangerous for humans, especially in extremely harsh environments like space. Despite Dextre’s potential, however, it has faced a series of setbacks since it first arrived at the ISS. Which means it’s also a prime example of how robotics has yet to meet our increasingly high expectations.
snip
------------------------------
STS-133 mission prepares for launch to the ISS on Nov 1.
Hope they have a cool reception.
- LRK -
------------------------------
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_
Technicians to Focus on Discovery's Heat Shield
Fri, 06 Aug 2010 07:19:49 AM PDT
This weekend, technicians will continue processing work on space shuttle Discovery's tiled heat shield as it undergoes launch preparations in Orbiter Processing Facility-3 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Recent leak checks on the crew module were completed successfully with no issues arising, and work on the orbiter's S-band antenna and front nose gear were finished. The STS-133 astronauts are spending Friday simulating their roles during the rendezvous phase of the mission, when Discovery will be steered to the International Space Station.
During space shuttle Discovery's final spaceflight, the STS-133 crew members will take important spare parts to the International Space Station along with the Express Logistics Carrier-4. Discovery is being readied for flight inside Kennedy's Orbiter Processing Facility-3 while its solid rocket boosters are stacked inside the nearby Vehicle Assembly Building. STS-133 is slated to launch Nov. 1.
snip
---------------------------------------
Well to live in space we will have to learn how to be self reliant. That may go for some folks down on Earth as well. Keep up the good technology transfer programs.
- LRK -
Thanks for looking up with me.
- LRK -
=============================================
WHAT THE MIND CAN CONCEIVE, AND BELIEVE, IT WILL ACHIEVE - LRK
=============================================
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