shuttle Delayed again

STS-122 LAUNCH UPDATE:
Space shuttle Atlantis’ STS-122 mission to the International Space Station is targeted to launch no earlier than Jan. 2 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The liftoff date depends on the resolution of a problem in a fuel sensor system.

Early Sunday, one of the four engine cutoff, or ECO, sensors inside the liquid hydrogen section of Atlantis’ external fuel tank gave a false reading while the tank was being filled. NASA’s current Launch Commit Criteria require that all four sensors function properly.

The sensor system is one of several that protect the shuttle’s main engines by triggering their shut down if fuel runs unexpectedly low. Atlantis’ scheduled launch on Thursday, Dec. 6, was delayed after two liquid hydrogen ECO sensors gave false readings.

The crew of STS-122 will be heading back to Houston on Sunday evening but before leaving they expressed their gratitude for the effort to launch.

“We want to thank everyone who worked so hard to get us into space this launch window,” the astronauts said in a statement. “We had support teams working around the clock at KSC, JSC, and numerous sites in Europe. We were ready to fly, but understand that these types of technical challenges are part of the space program. We hope everyone gets some well-deserved rest, and we will be back to try again when the vehicle is ready to fly.”

So that’s that then… cya next year!

The launch of NASA’s space shuttle Atlantis will take place no earlier than Saturday, Dec. 8, at 3:43 p.m. EST. Thursday’s scheduled liftoff from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Fla., was postponed because of a problem with a fuel cutoff sensor system inside the shuttle’s external fuel tank.

The fuel cutoff sensor system is one of several that protect the shuttle’s main engines by triggering their shut down if fuel runs unexpectedly low. Launch Commit Criteria require that three of the four sensor systems function properly before liftoff.

If the sensors do not work correctly and fail to shut the main engines down BEFORE they run out of fuel the fuel pumps will exploded when they run dry and destroy the shuttle…

Space Shuttle Program managers will hold a Mission Management Team meeting Friday at 3 p.m. to discuss the issue and determine the steps necessary to start a new launch countdown. A news conference will be held at about 6 p.m. after the meeting’s conclusion.

On Thursday morning, two of the four engine cutoff, or ECO, sensors inside the liquid hydrogen section of the tank failed a routine prelaunch check. Following the launch postponement, the tank’s liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen were drained. While the tank was being emptied, engineers monitored and collected data on the liquid hydrogen sensors that failed. During that process, another sensor gave a false reading, indicating that the tank was “wet,” when it was dry. All ECO sensors are now indicating dry as they should be.

Fingers crossed!!! Pucker factor 10!!

You can read updates from NASA here: http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/071227-sts122-sensor-update.html