Overnight, technicians completed replacing two seals where there previously was a small hypergolic fuel leak at Discovery’s right-hand crossfeed line flange.
The four orbital maneuvering and reaction control system tanks now are being refilled with propellants.
The work should not impact the targeted launch date on Nov. 1.
Seal Replacement Work Begins on Discovery
Sun, 24 Oct 2010 – Technicians now are replacing two seals where there previously was a small hypergolic fuel leak at Discovery’s right-hand crossfeed line flange.
Propellants from the four orbital maneuvering and reaction control system tanks and the crossfeed have been drained. C
rews will disconnect the right-hand fuel crossfeed flange, perform an inspection and replace the primary and secondary seals.
The seal replacement is expected to be completed tonight. The work should not impact the targeted launch date on Nov. 1.
Propellants Removed from OMS, RCS tanks
Fri, 22 Oct 2010 – Technicians finished pumping propellants out of the tanks in the orbital maneuvering and reaction control systems of space shuttle Discovery so they can replace two seals in a fuel line that had been leaking.
The leak occurred at a flange where two propellant lines meet in the shuttle’s aft compartment. The line serves the orbital maneuvering system engines.
The work is being done as Discovery stands at Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Work to replace the seals and reload propellants into the systems should be completed on Oct. 25 and is expected to still support Discovery’s targeted Nov. 1 launch date.
NASA managers will meet Monday at Kennedy for the STS-133 Flight Readiness Review and are expected to set the official launch date.
The crew underwent its L-10 day physicals on Friday and a final bench review of its tools and flight equipment.
