vxbush 8/30/2022 6:07:16 AM

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Rats. I missed all the space discussions yesterday afternoon. I read an article early this morning that said NASA didn't finish a key fueling test: 

Beginning in April of this year, NASA conducted four separate "wet dress rehearsal" tests during which the agency aimed to fully fuel the SLS rocket and countdown to T-10 seconds, ending the test before ignition of the main engines. Each of these four tests ultimately ended prematurely, although the fourth attempt in June saw engineers bring the rocket down to T-29 seconds.

However, to reach that late stage in the countdown, NASA had to "fool" the flight computer. During the test, a 4-inch hydrogen line—smaller than the problematic 8-inch line on Monday—had a leaky seal. To complete the wet dress test, NASA chose to mask the leak from the ground launch sequencer, the ground-side computer that controls the majority of the countdown.

Because of this masking, NASA could not complete the engine chill portion of the test. Had it done so, the agency may well have uncovered the problem that caused a scrub on Monday. In hindsight, therefore, NASA probably should have completed a full wet dress rehearsal before rolling the rocket out for a launch. Instead, the agency effectively attempted a fifth wet dress test on Monday, when the world was expecting a launch.

Never, ever jump a step would be my mantra without damn good reasons. Do you guys know why they skipped fooled the computer?

But I loved this part: 

To their credit, the launch controllers successfully worked through a host of issues on Monday prior to the scrub. For example, fueling operations started nearly two hours late due to lightning in proximity to the launch pad. This forced the team to push hard through a compressed timeline ahead of a launch window that opened at 8:33 am ET (12:33 UTC).

Once the launch team got into propellant loading, work to fill the large liquid hydrogen tank was stymied by a leak at an 8-inch inlet leading into the tank. This problem was ultimately resolved by stopping the process and then restarting propellant loading—yes, NASA resolved the problem by essentially turning off the SLS and turning it back on again.

JCM 8/30/2022 7:16:19 AM

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Reply to vxbush in 1:

Challenger, it is too cold to launch.... skip that step.

Like I said yesterday. Artemis is a political rocket, designed by congress as works program.

The pressure to be launch must be enormous.

The engineers have to have the courage to insist on the proper procedures.

vxbush 8/30/2022 7:27:15 AM

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In #2 JCM said: Challenger, it is too cold to launch.... skip that step. Like I said yesterday. Artemis is a political rocket, designed by congress as works program. The pressure to be launch must be enormous. The engineers have to have the courage to insist on the proper procedures.

Yup, yup. Am I remembering correctly that in the Challenger situation, one engineer refused to certify to fly and was overridden by another engineer or manager? I don't recall the specifics well enough. 

JCM 8/30/2022 7:36:56 AM

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Reply to vxbush in 3:

Colleges are pushing "woke" into the hard sciences in a big way.

Did you do the dynamic stress evaluations on the bridge design?

The math is racist, the formulas colonist so I feel it from the spirits the design is good to go!

vxbush 8/30/2022 8:45:13 AM

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In #4 JCM said: Colleges are pushing "woke" into the hard sciences in a big way.

A local university is planning on starting an engineering school with the specific goal of working in equity. I honestly don't expect it to produce any capable engineers. 

Occasional Reader 8/30/2022 12:02:39 PM

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In #5 vxbush said: an engineering school with the specific goal of working in equity.

Boy, I can't wait to drive over the bridges/fly on the airplanes/etc. etc. designed by those graduates! 

vxbush 8/30/2022 2:00:44 PM

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In #6 Occasional Reader said: Boy, I can't wait to drive over the bridges/fly on the airplanes/etc. etc. designed by those graduates! 

To be honest, I'll be surprised if they can pass the licensing exams. 

buzzsawmonkey 8/30/2022 2:07:32 PM

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In #7 vxbush said: To be honest, I'll be surprised if they can pass the licensing exams. 

Licensing exams are racist, sexist, and generally discriminatory, didn't you know?

Occasional Reader 8/30/2022 3:23:48 PM

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Reply to vxbush in 7:

in which case, you know what the next step will be, right?

JCM 8/30/2022 4:36:52 PM

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