NASA Tanking Test Completed For Space Shuttle Atlantis
After Tuesday’s test of Atlantis’ external fuel tank, NASA’s Space Shuttle Program Manager Wayne Hale said he was pleased with the data captured from the special equipment wired into the tank’s sensor system.
Speaking from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Hale said with the information gleaned from the test “sets us on the right path to correct this problem so we can return this important safety system to operational capability so we can fly again.”
According to Hale the test confirmed the sensors themselves are not the problem, and the preliminary information actually points to a section of wiring known as a “feed-through” connector.
The data collected Tuesday will continue to be analyzed and presented to program managers Wednesday with recommendations on how to proceed.
Currently, Atlantis is targeted to launch no earlier than Jan. 10, 2008.