NASA's Chances for Extra Space Shuttle Flight in Doubt

The many new check of the space convey Discovery's goal over issues with its fuel tank has lifted a little questions over either NASA will be means to fly an additional convey goal after this year as planned.

NASA has two some-more convey trips programmed prior to the aging three-orbiter swift is retired. A third, last goal was certified last year by Congress in a NASA authorisation check sealed by President Barack Obama.

Yet, funding for which bill has not been appropriated. Instead, the nation is operative underneath a stability fortitude – a refuge magnitude put in place until lawmakers can determine on a grave bill – which freezes NASA and the rest of the supervision at 2010 appropriation levels.

Now a little say the issues with the shuttle Discovery's fuel tank, which embody countless cracks detected on a little await beams, don't bode good for the additional mission, dubbed STS-135, pronounced Florida's Senator Check Nelson.

NASA engineers have been operative to correct the cracks for the last multiform weeks.

"If misfortune came to misfortune and they felt identical to this tank was not safe, they would mount down and at which indicate would usually fly two some-more convey flights instead of the 3 which are authorized," Nelson told Florida's WFTV.

If NASA decides Discovery's tank is unusable, there are no spares. There are usually the two superfluous armoured column indifferent for the alternative two missions in the queue. If Discovery's tank cannot be fixed, Nelson referred to which NASA could terminate the STS-135 goal and use the tank allocated for it on the arriving launch of Discovery.

However, given the tank set in reserve for the probable STS-135 convey goal was made and fabricated from the same collection of element as Discovery's tank, it would substantially humour the same problems and need identical fixes.

"I design it to have just the same issues which this tank had," pronounced NASA's convey module physical education instructor John Shannon during a Tuesday (Jan. 11) press conference. "Of course, we're starting to go on to do testing. I'm starting to say it's expected we'll do the expect same repair" on the tank for the additional mission.

Discovery's arriving STS-133 moody has been delayed repeatedlyfrom an primary launch aim of Nov 2010. It is now slated to launch Feb. 24on its goal to broach gangling reserve and a drudge supporter to the International Space Station. After that, NASA is aiming to launch the convey Endeavour on its last excursion in mid-April to lift an astrophysics examination to the space station.

NASA is timid the convey swift after 30 years of servive to have way. The initial space convey moody launched on. To date, 132 convey missions have flown.

If the additional STS-135 goal goes forward, it will be flown by the space convey Atlantis. Which moody would additionally transport gangling tools to assistance outfit the orbiting laboratory for hold up after NASA retires its space convey program.

Another emanate melancholy this moody is funding. While the goal was authorized, the income for it has not yet been postulated to NASA, and the group is stranded in dilapidation until a last bill is approved.

"We have the bill to get by the Apr moody and can get tighten to the Jun flight," pronounced Check Gerstenmaier, NASA's join forces with director for space operations. "We will need to see what happens with Congress and stability resolution."

The stream stability fortitude binds until March.

"We would need to get a new devise for the rest of the mercantile year," Gerstenmaier said. "It becomes difficult for us to assume what appropriation we have" over the scheduled Apr moody of Endeavour.