 |
| NASA successfully launched space
shuttle Discovery on Tuesday, but anxiously reviewed video
showing debris falling from the craft during liftoff, the same
problem that caused the fatal Columbia
disaster 2-1/2 years
earlier. | |
NASA successfully launched space shuttle Discovery
on Tuesday, but anxiously reviewed video showing debris
falling from the
craft during liftoff, the same problem that caused the fatal Columbia
disaster 2-1/2 years earlier.
The debris did not appear to hit the shuttle during the smooth morning
blastoff, marking a triumphant U.S. return to manned space travel after
the long struggle to recover from Columbia's breakup over Texas.
Engineers hoped to know by Sunday whether Discovery was damaged and
whether the crew should attempt repairs, flight operations manager John
Shannon said.
A chunk of foam from an external fuel tank hit Columbia's wing during
liftoff on Jan. 16, 2003, and caused a breach that tore the shuttle apart
when it reentered Earth's atmosphere 16 days later. All seven astronauts
aboard were killed.
Discovery, also carrying seven crew members, soared into slightly hazy
skies on Tuesday, leaving behind a trail of smoke and flames, while the
roar of its booster rockets rattled windows and shook the ground across
Cape Canaveral in Florida.
"I want to ask you all to take note of what you saw
here today," said NASA's new administrator Michael Griffin, basking in a
palpable
sense of
relief that swept through the launch management team after Discovery
safely reached orbit.
"The power and the majesty of the launch, of
course, but also the competence and the professionalism, the sheer gall,
the pluckiness, the grittiness
of this team that pulled this program out of the depths of
despair two years ago and made it fly."
Discovery's main mission on the 12-day space flight under veteran
astronaut Eileen Collins is to test new safety measures and heat shield
repair techniques introduced since sister ship Columbia disintegrated on
Feb. 1, 2003.
An unprecedented array of 112 cameras, radars and sensors was set up to
monitor Discovery's launch. One showed what may have been a small chip
from an insulating tile falling off the underside of the shuttle's nose
cone, Shannon said.
Another seemed to show a larger piece of debris peeling off the
exterior fuel tank. Mission control officials at Johnson Space Center in
Houston said technicians would analyze the data "frame by frame" to see if
there was any damage.
Discovery's other main mission is to deliver several tonnes of supplies
and equipment to the International Space Station, whose construction has
been on hold since the remaining three shuttles were grounded in the
aftermath of Columbia.
Discovery's launch was delayed for two weeks while
engineers searched for the cause of an elusive
problem with one of its hydrogen fuel-level sensors during the first launch attempt on July 13.
(Agencies) |
本周二（7月26日），美國宇航局成功地把“發現”號航天飛機送入太空，但是又忐忑不安地仔細研究監控航天飛機發射升空的錄像帶。錄像帶顯示，當航天飛機發射升空時，有碎片從飛船上脫落。而導致兩年半前“哥倫比亞”號慘劇的正是同樣的問題。
周二早上進行的發射比較順利，碎片并沒有擊中航天飛機。自從“哥倫比亞”號在德克薩斯州上空解體爆炸后，美國長時間以來一直努力恢復載人太空飛行，“發現”號的順利升空也標志著美國這方面的努力取得成功。
飛行操作主管約翰·沙農表示，工程師要到本周日才能知道“發現”號是否受損，以及機組成員是否應進行維修。
2003年1月16日，“哥倫比亞”號在點火升空時，一大塊泡沫材料從外掛燃料箱脫落，擊中了飛機的左翼，造成一個裂口。正是由于這個裂口，16天后“哥倫比亞”號在返回地球大氣層時解體爆炸，7名機組成員全部遇難。
本周二，同樣載有7名機組成員的“發現”號再次發射，身后拖著長長的濃煙和烈焰，升入霧蒙蒙的天空。助推火箭的巨大的轟鳴聲震得佛羅里達州卡納維拉爾角附近的窗戶嗡嗡作響，大地顫動。
在“發現”號安全進入預定軌道之后，整個發射管理團隊如釋負重。美國宇航局新任局長邁克爾·格里芬(Michael
Griffin)也長舒一口氣，說，“我希望你們能夠記住今天所看到的一切?！?
“你們要記住這次宏偉壯麗的發射，當然還有這個發射管理團隊的專業水平、敬業精神、無畏的膽量和勇氣，以及他們堅韌不拔的意志。正是這個團隊使發射計劃走出兩年前失敗的陰影，使‘發現’號順利升空。”
“發現”號航天飛機預定進行為期十二天的太空飛行，由資深航天員艾琳·柯林斯負責指揮。飛機的主要任務是測試新的安全措施和隔熱擋板修理技術。在“發現”號的姊妹機“哥倫比亞”號于2003年2月1日發生解體之后，美國宇航局引入了這些措施和技術。
在“發現”號發射的過程中，共有112部攝像機、雷達和傳感器負責監控，可謂是史無前例。沙農透露，其中的一部攝像機拍攝到一小塊隔熱瓦從航天飛機頭錐外部脫落。
另外一部攝像機還拍攝到有一塊更大的碎片從飛機外掛燃料箱脫落。休斯敦約翰遜航天中心的飛行任務控制官員說，技術人員將會一幀一幀地分析相關數據，以檢查飛機是否受損。
“發現”號的另外一個主要任務就是向國際空間站運送數噸重的補給和設備。自從“哥倫比亞”號慘劇發生之后，其余的三架航天飛機就一直停在地面上，國際空間站的建設也不得不暫停。
“發現”號原定于7月13日發射，但是由于其中一個液氫燃料傳感器發生故障，工程師花費了兩個星期來尋找造成這個難題的原因，“發現”號也不得不推遲至本周二發射。
（中國日報網站譯） |
Updated: 2005-07-28 09:51
