Aresearch.35 net.columbia utzoo!decvax!duke!chico!harpo!research!sjb Wed Sep 16 23:30:32 1981 shuttle tests A test of the water-spraying system was completed today, with ``complete success'' as the result. The system, in combination with steel plates, is hoped to lessen shock waves caused by the shuttle's two solid fuel rocket boosters. The SRB's were not fired--this was only a test of the plumbing, in which around 200,000 gallons of water were sprayed into the nozzles of the SRB's. The shock waves, produced from expanding air on ignition of the SRB's during the April lift off, were 4 times the expected amount. They bent supporting struts on the shuttle's external tank and moved locked winged supports, endangering the landing. The water and plates are hoped to deaden and absorb whatever vibrations occur from the ignition of the SRB's (which are, incidentally, not the ones used in April. Those are being repaired and will be used in a future mission.) The results from the test increase the chance that the 50 foot robot arm, made in Canada, and a number of scientific experiments will be taken on this five-day mission. The next step on the road to the 5 October countdown and 9 October lift off is a week of loading fuel into the shuttle itself. ----------------------------------------------------------------- gopher://quux.org/ conversion by John Goerzen of http://communication.ucsd.edu/A-News/ This Usenet Oldnews Archive article may be copied and distributed freely, provided: 1. There is no money collected for the text(s) of the articles. 2. The following notice remains appended to each copy: The Usenet Oldnews Archive: Compilation Copyright (C) 1981, 1996 Bruce Jones, Henry Spencer, David Wiseman.