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From: jg@mit-eddie.UUCP (Jim Gettys)
Newsgroups: net.columbia
Subject: Re: Launch Aborted
Message-ID: <4690@mit-eddie.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 14-Jul-85 11:59:07 EDT
Article-I.D.: mit-eddi.4690
Posted: Sun Jul 14 11:59:07 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 17-Jul-85 04:34:27 EDT
References: <3987@alice.UUCP>
Reply-To: jg@mit-eddie.UUCP (Jim Gettys)
Organization: MIT, Cambridge, MA
Lines: 26
Keywords: Shuttle, Challenger, Launch


I was at JSC for the attempted launch of Spacelab 2 Friday. (I worked on the
Infrared Telescope that will fly on it five years ago...).  The word was in
a meeting to discuss the impact on various experiments on SL2 that another
attempt would be no earlier than July 30.  This was given as a "first guess"
rather than as gospel; meetings yesterday were to firm up the estimate.
This would put launch at full moon, which is the least desirable time for
two or three experiments on board.  Any slip beyond this date will again
improve the situation.  The concensus of all of the experimenters was
to "go" as soon as Challenger is ready, even if it hurts some of the
experiments.  A good reason for this feeling is the effort required to
get every thing ready for flight is large, and the longer the payload sits,
the more trouble people will have with their experiments.  There are
more and more things which must be serviced the longer the payload sits
on the ground.

This delay should allow the repair of experiment 13 (Super Fluid
Helium), which had a vacuum pump failure a couple days before the launch
attempt. This failure caused some pump oil to be spilled in the payload bay.
This caused KSC to have to turn off the pump, allowing the LHe to go
normal, which would have cause at least half of the helium to be lost when
reconverted on orbit (if successful...).

			Jim Gettys
			Project Athena
			jg@mit-athena.arpa