Space Station Circuit Breaker Again Fails

AP on Yahoo ^ | 3/16/05 | Marcia Dunn - AP

[NormsRevenge]

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - For the second time in just under a year, a circuit breaker failed on the international space station Wednesday, shutting down one of the gyroscopes needed to keep the orbiting outpost steady and pointed in the right position.

The circuit breaker was a new one put in by spacewalking astronauts last summer.

In a repeat from one year ago, the latest failure left the space station with only two functioning gyroscopes, the bare minimum needed for control, NASA (news - web sites) said.

This time, though, the problem could affect NASA's plans to launch Discovery to the station in mid-May after a two-year grounding of the shuttle fleet. The space station must be steady for a shuttle to dock.

Despite the early-morning breakdown, the space station continued to cruise along smoothly in orbit and the two men on board went about their normal duties, including repair work on a balky oxygen generator.

It appeared to be similar to what happened in April 2004, when a circuit breaker tripped and cut off power to the same gyroscope. Two months later, two spacewalking crewmen plugged in a new circuit breaker and got the gyroscope working again.

For now, flight controllers will try to command the circuit breaker to close, Mission Control said.

There is at least one spare circuit breaker on board. But there was no immediate discussion of whether the two crewmen would conduct a spacewalk to install it. They are already scheduled to go out on a spacewalk March 28 to perform routine maintenance work.

The station is equipped with four American-made gyroscopes, essentially 4-foot spinning wheels. But one of those gyroscopes broke three years ago; it will be replaced by Discovery's astronauts, who will be making NASA's first post-Columbia shuttle flight.

Russian thrusters could also be used to steer the station, but they use precious fuel.

___

On the Net:

NASA: http://spaceflight.nasa.gov

[Prince Charles]

Save the HST, and let the ISS come plunging down instead.

[Screaming_Gerbil]

...It appeared to be similar to what happened in April 2004, when a circuit breaker tripped and cut off power to the same gyroscope...

Try replacing the gyroscope instead ofthe circuit breaker...

[NormsRevenge]

http://www.asi.org/adb/04/03/09/iss-gyro-image.html

..a picture of a full-scale mockup the Control Moment Gyroscopes (CMG's) as they'll be mounted on the International Space Station..

[Laz711]

Who makes the circuit breaker???

[Old Professer]

First the rats, then the women and children, last the prideful men.

[Thinkin' Gal]

The station is equipped with four American-made gyroscopes, essentially 4-foot spinning wheels. But one of those gyroscopes broke three years ago; it will be replaced by Discovery's astronauts, who will be making NASA's first post-Columbia shuttle flight.

Main Entry: gy·ro·scope
Pronunciation: 'jI-r&-"skOp, British also 'gI-
Function: noun
Etymology: French
: a wheel or disk mounted to spin rapidly about an axis and also free to rotate about one or both of two axes perpendicular to each other and to the axis of spin so that a rotation of one of the two mutually perpendicular axes results from application of torque to the other when the wheel is spinning and so that the entire apparatus offers considerable opposition depending on the angular momentum to any torque that would change the direction of the axis of spin

Ezekiel 1 ping.

[NormsRevenge]

This Friday, March 11, 2005, photo released by NASA (news - web sites), shows workers in the space station processing facility in Cape Canaveral, Fla. helping guide the Control Moment Gyro(CMG) as a crane lowers it onto the small adaptor plate assembly. The CMG will be delivered to the International Space Station (news - web sites)(ISS) by the space shuttle Discovery to replace one that has failed. The CMG's are critical to the ISS operation, keeping the outpost properly oriented toward the Sun without the use of rocket fuel. Discovery is scheduled for launch May 15. (AP Photo/NASA)

[Moonman62]

Can't they stick a penny in it?

[staytrue]

The Hubble is already obsolete. Before the digital revolution, telescopes on earth could not exceed a certain size because the mirror got to be too heavy. Now, one can use a whole bunch of little mirrors and digitally combine the images. Earth based telescopes are now better than the Hubble.

[NormsRevenge]

Can't they stick a penny in it?

lol.. Nice try,, but Nope.

They are controlled electronically, and if they can commnad it to close and it works for awhile, Great. Otherwise, CB replacement will need to occur.

I was looking for what the heck one of these little pups looks like, but no luck so far.

[Jaysun]

I've said it before and I'll say it again: The ISS is a Tom Jode shitwagon.

[Steely Tom]

Just a moment... just a moment... I've just picked up a fault in the AE-35 unit. It's going to go a hundred percent failure within 72 hours.

[11Bush]

Thanks HAL.