Have faith in the all-powerful jackass christian god, have faith in him to
MURDER everyone that is.
I'm sure the "loving, caring" christian god will look out for everyone,
LMAO.
The only good christian god is a DEAD christian god
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - NASA on Tuesday postponed the launch of space shuttle
Discovery from May until at least July because of an all-too-familiar
problem: a faulty fuel tank sensor.
A similar problem briefly delayed last summer's launch of Discovery on the
first shuttle flight since the Columbia disaster in 2003.
NASA said it needs the time to open up the spacecraft's hydrogen fuel tank
and replace the sensor, which gave an electrical resistance reading that was
slightly off. The space agency plans to replace the three other sensors in
the tank, too, to be safe.
The fuel gauges are designed to prevent the main engines from running too
long or not long enough, during the climb to space. An engine shutdown at
the wrong time could prove catastrophic, forcing the astronauts to attempt a
risky emergency landing overseas, or leading to a ruptured engine.
"We wish it had worked out differently, but it's first and foremost that we
fly safely," said Wayne Hale, NASA's shuttle program manager. "It was
prudent to change these sensors out."
Despite the delay, Hale said he was still confident NASA will be able to
launch three shuttles this year.
An investigation after last summer's sensor trouble showed that there may be
a manufacturing problem that causes a loose connection between the
10-year-old sensors and wires, but further testing is needed to reach a
conclusive answer, Hale said.
Replacing the sensors will take three weeks and require a worker to enter
through the bottom of the 153-foot tank while it is upright.
The space agency had been working a tight schedule to meet the May launch
date and had little room for any technical problems that might crop up.
In recent months, NASA has concentrated heavily on modifying the shuttle's
big external fuel tank to prevent large pieces of foam insulation from
breaking off during liftoff - the problem that doomed Columbia and its seven
astronauts.
Last summer, despite 2 1/2 years of safety modifications and other steps to
make the shuttle safer, large chunks of foam fell off Discovery at launch,
to NASA's alarm.
The fuel tank sensor was not the only problem facing the space agency.
Discovery's robotic arm was removed on Monday after a small crack was found
in it over the weekend.
NASA managers had been debating whether to replace or repair the robotic
arm. The launch delay now gives them time to ship the robotic arm back to
Canada for repairs, but Hale said no decision had been made.
Technicians discovered the crack over the weekend using a visual magnifier
and ultrasound equipment. The inspections were ordered after a work platform
bumped the robotic arm more than a week ago while the workers were trying to
clean up glass in the shuttle's payload bay.
The robotic arm has been used to inspect the outside of the shuttle with a
camera, construct the international space station and release and retrieve
satellites.
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