NASA Holds Test to Verify Endeavour Tank Repairs

June 29, 2009

Michael Curie
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100


Kyle Herring
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111


Candrea Thomas
Kennedy Space Center, Fla.
321-867-2468

MEDIA ADVISORY: M09-118

NASA HOLDS TEST TO VERIFY ENDEAVOUR TANK REPAIRS

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- NASA will conduct a tanking test at the
agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday, July 1, to
ensure repairs to space shuttle Endeavour's external fuel tank were
successful.

The test will be shown live on NASA Television beginning at 7 a.m.
EDT. It will be followed by a news conference at approximately 1 p.m.
Briefing participants will be shuttle program Launch Integration
Manager Mike Moses and STS-127 Launch Director Pete Nickolenko.

During the test, the external tank will be filled with liquid
hydrogen
and liquid oxygen, just as it is before launch. A hydrogen gas leak
at the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate, or GUCP, postponed Endeavour's
launch attempts June 13 and 17. The GUCP is attached to the venting
system used to carry excess hydrogen safely away from the launch pad.


Engineers determined the most likely cause of the leak is a slight
misalignment in the External Tank Carrier Assembly. The assembly was
fastened to the tank during manufacturing. The misalignment likely is
putting uneven pressure on a Teflon seal, causing a small leak when
extremely low temperatures occur during fueling.

Technicians replaced the old seal with a two-piece seal and added
small washers to counter any movement of the external tank carrier
assembly as the tank is fueled.

Endeavour's launch on the STS-127 mission is targeted for 7:39 p.m.
on
Saturday, July 11. The 16-day mission to the International Space
Station will feature five spacewalks and complete construction of the
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory. Astronauts will
attach a platform to the outside of the Japanese module that will
allow experiments to be exposed to space.

For the latest information about the STS-127 mission and its crew,
visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

STS-127 mission Commander Mark Polansky's Twitter account can be
followed at:

http://www.twitter.com/Astro_127

For information about the International Space Station, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/station

For information about NASA TV streaming video, downlink and schedule
information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

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