NASA To Embed Sensors In Shuttle Wings

NASA To Embed Sensors In Shuttle Wings
Sensors To Determine Whether Leading Edges Of Wings Are Damaged

POSTED: 2:42 PM EST December 11, 2003
UPDATED: 2:48 PM EST December 11, 2003

SPACE CENTER, Houston. -- Taking a lesson from the Columbia disaster,
NASA plans to embed high-tech sensors in the wings of the three
remaining space shuttles to detect any blows from debris, an oversight
panel said Thursday.

The sensors will determine whether the leading edges of the wings were
hit, but not the degree of damage, said Joseph Cuzzupoli, a Kistler
Aerospace Corp. vice president who is part of the return-to-flight
task force.

The extent of damage would still have to be determined by an
inspection in orbit, using an extension boom equipped with cameras and
lasers.

"It's just a tool that helps us to know and gives us a feeling that
something hit it," said Cuzzupoli, who worked on both the Apollo and
shuttle programs for the former Rockwell International.

Inspecting the outside of an orbiting shuttle will be difficult,
Cuzzupoli said, and knowing where debris struck will save time and
reduce risk of, say, banging the boom against the shuttle and damaging
it.

The sensors have never been used on a shuttle before. They would
detect blows from debris during launch and later in flight as well,
Cuzzupoli said.

Cuzzupoli and other members of the NASA-appointed task force charged
with overseeing return-to-flight activities held their second public
meeting on Thursday.

They said NASA is making progress on all the recommendations put forth
by the Columbia accident investigators. But they stressed the space
agency is still developing a repair kit for the reinforced carbon
panels that line the edges of the wings, and it is also struggling
with the software needed for the inspection boom.

NASA's latest target for resuming shuttle flights is next fall. The
independent task force was assembled by NASA last summer to help the
space agency meet the Columbia investigators' recommendations for
returning to flight.

The Columbia Accident Investigation Board determined that the disaster
was caused by a a piece of foam insulation that broke off the external
fuel tank during liftoff last January and smashed into the leading
edge of the shuttle's left wing.

Engineers did not know the shuttle had been hit by a chunk of foam
until they reviewed footage of the launch a day later. No one had a
clear idea of the severity of the damage before the spacecraft broke
apart over Texas during re-entry on Feb. 1. All seven astronauts were
killed.

- Associated Press

http://www.local6.com/news/2699302/detail.html

So, what form do these sensors take? Presumably some form of vibration
monitor that can spot the diff between normal vibrations and a clout by
something as a transient spike of some sort.

As for on orbit repair, well, I'm not so sure that this can be done. Looks
to me like the way the leading edge has been designed relies on precision
manufactured parts, and hastily fashioned hole blockers simply would not
work.

Best plan is to stop the damage in the first place. Brian

--
Brian Gaff....
graphics are great, but the blind can't hear them
Email:
__________________________________________________ __________________________
__________________________________





---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free, so there!
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.548 / Virus Database: 341 - Release Date: 05/12/03

"Brian Gaff" wrote ...
So, what form do these sensors take? Presumably some form of vibration
monitor that can spot the diff between normal vibrations and a clout by
something as a transient spike of some sort.

As for on orbit repair, well, I'm not so sure that this can be done. Looks
to me like the way the leading edge has been designed relies on precision
manufactured parts, and hastily fashioned hole blockers simply would not
work.

Best plan is to stop the damage in the first place. Brian

What would it take to have a free-flying 'lifeboat', with limited orbital
manoeuvre capability, stationed in a suitable orbital plane for all the non-ISS
shuttle missions?

If it isn't greatly more than a station-based system (presumably you could
get a fair amount of over-lap) it might not be a terrible idea.

What would it take to have a free-flying 'lifeboat', with limited orbital
manoeuvre capability, stationed in a suitable orbital plane for all the
non-ISS
shuttle missions?

Better to move hubble into a more ISS friendly orbit.

Although a rescue craft docked at ISS would be very useful for all sorts of
jobs.

Today if a shuttle has a manuvering failuree it could go right past ISS and
nothing could be done for the crew, let alone the vehicle.

From: (Hallerb)

Better to move hubble into a more ISS friendly orbit.


Your ignorance of orbital mechanics is showing.

Better to move hubble into a more ISS friendly orbit.


Your ignorance of orbital mechanics is showing.

I didnt mean a formation flying or anything like that. I was thinking of a
flying lifeboat that could live docked at ISS but have the capability of
visiting hubble for service or be used as a rescue service in orbit craft. In
case the shuttle or other vehicle has a problem.

Ideally it could be a capsule like system ala apollo with a service module for
in orbit operations and emergency de oprbit capabilties.

On or about 12 Dec 2003 14:00:37 GMT, Dave Fowler
made the sensational claim that:
Your ignorance of orbital mechanics is showing.

Originally parsed as "is astounding". Come to think of it, I like that better.
:-)
--
This is a siggy | To E-mail, do note | This space is for rent
It's properly formatted | who you mean to reply-to | Inquire within if you
No person, none, care | and it will reach me | Would like your ad here

Need to establish a spec for what is needed. If you could make a module for
the Iss that would allow you to move about it would be a nice thing to
have, but I seem to recall on this very group, the problem of orbit
inclination is not a trivial one as far as fuel is concerned, so is it
really feasible to have such a craft that can do any more than move about
in the orbit plane of the Iss, or wherever else it is stationed.

Brian

--
Brian Gaff....
graphics are great, but the blind can't hear them
Email:
__________________________________________________ __________________________
__________________________________


"Hallerb" wrote in message
...
|
| What would it take to have a free-flying 'lifeboat', with limited orbital
| manoeuvre capability, stationed in a suitable orbital plane for all the
| non-ISS
| shuttle missions?
|
| Better to move hubble into a more ISS friendly orbit.
|
| Although a rescue craft docked at ISS would be very useful for all sorts
of
| jobs.
|
| Today if a shuttle has a manuvering failuree it could go right past ISS
and
| nothing could be done for the crew, let alone the vehicle.
|
|


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free, so there!
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.548 / Virus Database: 341 - Release Date: 05/12/03

(Hallerb) wrote:

Today if a shuttle has a manuvering failuree it could go right past ISS and
nothing could be done for the crew, let alone the vehicle.

And lacking an OTV far more ambitions than any proposed to date,
tommorow won't be much different.

D.
--
The STS-107 Columbia Loss FAQ can be found
at the following URLs:

Text-Only Version:
http://www.io.com/~o_m/columbia_loss_faq.html

Enhanced HTML Version:
http://www.io.com/~o_m/columbia_loss_faq_x.html

Corrections, comments, and additions should be
e-mailed to , as well as posted to
sci.space.history and sci.space.shuttle for
discussion.

Oh, you mean the space tug that doesn't exist either?

actually there was a proposal and picture on the net not long ago