STS-135: Soaked Atlantis undergoing checks following lightning storm
As the procession of “lasts” continue for the Space Shuttle Program (SSP), Atlantis is undergoing her final pad flow ahead of the STS-135 mission in July. No Interim Problem Reports (IPRs) are being worked at present, bar checks into the stack’s systems following a thunderstorm, which registered a lightning strike near the pad, coupled with a small water intrusion on the orbiter.
Atlantis – known to internally to some engineers as the orbiter with the most diva-like tendencies – lived up to her reputation, as she waited impatiently for engineers to fix a late issue with a Crawler Transport (CT) system ahead of rollout, before proudly parading under the floodlights to the massive crowd in attendance to watch the slow crawl to Pad 39A .“OV-104/SRB BI-146/RSRM 114/ET-138/MLP-3 (Pad A): A5214 Rollout to Pad A: SSV (Space Shuttle Vehicle) first motion occurred at 2042 EDT. First motion was delayed slightly due to a leaking seal in one of the corner hydraulic valves of the C-T JEL system,” noted the NASA Test Director (NTD) report (L2).
“The 11,970,000 pound stack arrived at Pad A and was hard-down at 0329 EDT (Wednesday morning).”
While waves of tankers full of Liquid Oxygen (LOX) and Liquid Hydrogen (LH2) continue to replenish the spheres at the pad complex, engineers have been working through the initial flow operations to hook up the STS-135 stack with the launch pad.
Integrated power up was achieved at 7am local on Wednesday morning, allowing for an Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) hotfire and the testing of Atlantis’ Reaction Jet Drivers. The Engine Firing Readiness Test (FRT) and Helium Sig Test was also carried out on Thursday.
STS-135 Specific Articles: http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/tag/sts-135/
“S0009 operations continue to proceed well: APU hotfire was successfully completed at 2237 EDT Wednesday evening. RJD Test was successfully completed at 0207 EDT early Thursday morning,” added the NTD report. “The Rotating Service Structure (RSS) was rotated to the Park position at 0700 EDT Thursday.”
However, the protection of the RSS and associated weather protection did not occur in time to stop Atlantis of receiving a soaking during a localized thunderstorm, which resulted in a small water intrusion, via a leak in the White Room hatch located on the end of the Orbiter Access Arm (OAA).
“Due to the weather a leak around the White Room hatch seal allowed a small amount of water intrusion inside the forward of the orbiter,” the NTD report added. “The water was isolated to just inside the hatch near the Waste Containment System (WCS) and was cleaned up.
Helium Leak Detection - News
The first was operator inconsistency while performing sniffer leak detection, in terms of scanning rate, distance and speed. The second was that the readings of the sniffer probe were affected by previously vented helium test gas.
The Engine Firing Readiness Test (FRT) and Helium Sig Test was also carried out on Thursday. “S0009 operations continue to proceed well: APU hotfire was successfully completed at 2237 EDT Wednesday evening. RJD Test was successfully completed at 0207
What are helium leak detectors?
Welcome to article What are helium leak detectors? in this article you'll read information guide article about leak detector
Article by Fiona Monroe
Basic information
What we refer to colloquially as Helium leak detectors or helium leak sniffers are the helium mass spectrometers in the industrial terminology; these are instruments that are used for detecting and locating small leaks. Developed by the Manhattan Project (Code name for the secret United States project set up in 1942 to develop atomic bombs for use in World War II), Helium leak detectors find even the microscopic leaks in the uranium enrichment plants during a gas diffusion process.
A helium leak detector makes use of a vacuum chamber comprising a sealed, helium- filled container. If Helium leaks out of the container, the mass spectrometer detects the leakage as well as the rate at which the leakage occurs.
Since leak detection and prevention is a critical part in the industrial as well as the medical sectors, reliability and accuracy is given the first priority while choosing the helium leak detectors. This is done to stop systems from malfunctioning, which otherwise, may cost lives of workers and patients alike. Of late, the life support systems have also been prescribed to undergo helium leak detection procedures to reinforce their compatibilities.Uses:
Helium leak detectors are typically used for detecting any gap or hole or imperfection in any given system or product, through the process of vacuuming or sniffing.
The vacuum measurement involves a helium leak detector to be connected to a vacuum system with helium being sprayed in the suspect area. Detection of helium confirms a leak; whereas for sniffing, helium is pumped into an object with a probe to sniff up the traces of helium escaping from the object.
Used in which industries
Helium leak detectors find extensive usage in the production line industries (e.g. refrigeration, air conditioning, automotive parts, food, beverage and aerosol packaging). The steam products, gas bottles and fire extinguishers also use the helium leak detector procedures apart from the tire valves manufacturing processes.
About the Author
I have interest in the general technology and chemical industry and primarily like to share my knowledge to give benefit to other individuals.
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Introduction to helium mass spectrometer leak detection
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