Friday, December 11, 2009

Water Found Inside Dragon Spacecraft After Splashdown
Technicians found a settled amount of water inmost the latest SpaceX Dragon shot to land in the Pacific after a ephemeral to the Transnational Appearance Space, raising concerns the mercantile commodities shot leaked after splashdown. The dose of seawater intrusion and the ably is dull, theoretical Dan Hartman, NASA's proxy ISS program coordinator. All of the science possessions and other NASA hardware in the Dragon shot is in sound shape, he theoretical within a May 21 preparation. Revival of the shot after it speckled down May 18 took 11 hr., supposedly longer than actual, and may wear been associate in the middle of the loatheness. This Dragon is an upgraded version, in the middle of extra transportation capability and new freezers for samples.

The downmass load of honorable extra than 3,500 lb.of possessions, including 1,600 lb. of science possessions and perishable specimens, was undamaged, Hartman theoretical. The research effects and samples were flown from the Los Angeles area to Houston and greeted by ISS officials late May 20, so dispersed to chief investigators by breakneck May 21.

Witnesses at the port observed settled water as the cold unite containers brought encourage from the ISS were unconnected, and represent was a report the capsule's domestic humidity sensors tripped, according to an workers ably.

The shot itself behest be hectic by means of transportation to SpaceX proving grounds in McGregor, Texas, by late this week for esteem troubleshooting, Hartman theoretical.

"With a leg on each side of the sanction, I recognize of no wipe out to hardware," Hartman theoretical. "Apparently, SpaceX behest be very snooping in success Dragon encourage to McGregor."

Number one, represent was conjecture the water ably might wear been one of various containment belongings of water that NASA was continual on Dragon as unfair of its investigation trendy the July 16 water leak trendy the headdress of a U.S. spacesuit dirty by Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano. Plenty containing various gallons of water from the ISS airlock were returned to Realm for deem to depletion draw together the investigation that has annoyed a suspension of all but manage without U.S. spacewalks.

Calm, the NASA water belongings were accounted for, eliminating them as the ably of the water found in Dragon, Hartman theoretical.

Observe from a trivial space inmost Russia's Soyuz group vehicles, the Dragon is the righteous way scientists and engineers wear to reclaim arithmetic samples and hardware for deem on the ground. A NASA legitimate theoretical the capsule's arithmetic samples play a part to be undamaged, but it remained to be seen if represent was water wipe out to the other payloads in the spacecraft.

"The science samples returned to Realm are angry to improving our culture of how space affects humans who live and work represent for want durations," theoretical William Gerstenmaier, NASA friend officer for human exploration and operations, after the landing, which came at 3:05 p.m. EDT May 18, about 350 mi. west of Baja, Calif.

The landing ample the third SpaceX mercantile ephemeral to and from the space station. Separation up, it carried adjacent 5,000 lb. of necessities.

The institution had no set say on the oddness.

Hartman theoretical it was too breakneck to put forward on whether the intrusion would law projected Dragon missions. The institution strategy to set off the fourth of its round-trip resupply missions to the station in Imperial or breakneck September under the provisions of its 1.6 billion, 12-flight settlement in the middle of NASA reached in late 2008. The NASA contract extends order 2016.

"It depends on what we hook," Hartman theoretical of projected ephemeral strategy. "I'm sure that whatever they hook, they behest change on real short."

Credit: aviationweek.com


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