The space shuttle Discovery retook launch position at Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, ready to be jettisoned into the ether by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration sometime between July 13 and 31.
Discovery had made a NASA hanger its temporary lodging last month while engineers addressed ways to reduce ice buildup on the fuel tanks that hold super cold liquid gases required for take-off.
NASA didn’t want to take any chances on having a repeat of the 2003 Columbia disaster, where breaking ice during liftoff is thought to have caused external damage to the craft that disintegrated on reentry into the atmosphere.
A giant transporter rolled the spacecraft 3.7 miles to its launch pad destination, arriving at 6:17 PM.
“We’ve addressed some additional concerns about ice formation on the external fuel tank,” said NASA’s Deputy Associate Administrator Michael Kostelnik. “This is an even safer vehicle for Commander Eileen Collins and her crew, and the new modifications will ensure this important mission to the International Space Station is successful.”
A new external fuel tank equipped a special heater added to the feedline bellows, which carry liquid oxygen to the shuttle’s engines, was designed specially for Discovery to minimize ice and frost buildup. The new tank features temperature sensors and accelerometers to collect data about the tank’s ability to handle liftoff and flight.
Launch of the space shuttle Discovery will be the first launch in over two years. Flights were suspended by NASA after the space shuttle Columbia broke up on reentry, killing all seven crew members aboard.
