14 DAY TRIAL // With the recent situation the space shuttle Atlantis, freshly returned from servicing the Hubble Space Telescope for the fifth and final time, finds itself in, many have begun to talk about postponing future space missions, or even early retirement. NASA officials, however, tend to be a bit more optimistic, and say that the situation will be resolved. Engineers at the agency and in the shuttle team are caught in the middle, and all pressure now resides squarely on their shoulders, to come up with a solution, Space informs.
The situation may have seemed hilarious if millions of dollars and a tight schedule for building the International Space Station were not on the line. Basically, what happened was that, during the STS-125 flight, a knob generally used for anchoring a lamp onto a designated position broke loose from its place and found its way in the narrow space between one of the shuttle's three-layered forward pane windows and the instrument dashboard. It apparently lodged itself in there so efficiently, that engineers fear removing it, so as not to crack the window.
The verdict that NASA gave was very straightforward – there was no way the shuttle would launch to space with the knob jammed in there, and pressing against the window. If it cannot guarantee the safety of the mission, then controllers will not give permission for Atlantis' next flight, STS-129, scheduled for November 12th, 2009. Despite being 2 1/2 inches thick, the window was not built to function properly with something sharp pressing against it.
Already, preliminary investigations have revealed that small gouges have started appearing near the point of contact between the two, and engineers are reluctant in taking any chances with pulling the knob out. Separating the dashboard is not an option, because taking the instruments apart and setting them back in is an operation that usually takes months. The shuttles are not used cars, on which the dashboard can be changed altogether in less than a day, engineers stress.
NASA tried to use dry ice on the knob, in hopes of shrinking it, but that didn't work. So, it will now attempt to increase cabin pressure, in hopes that the window and the dashboard will move further apart. If all options fail, the agency is seriously considering running all other eight remaining missions to the ISS using only Endeavor and Discovery. We'll keep you posted as the situation develops.