CAPE CANAVERAL - About two
months since workers hailed Discovery's roll to the launch pad, they are about
to move the shuttle back to Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building.
Overnight, starting at 2
a.m. Thursday, a crawler-transporter will carry the shuttle back along the
crawlerway.
In the VAB, it will be
mated with a new fuel tank that has a heater designed to prevent ice from
forming.
Ice and insulating foam,
like the piece that caused a deadly breach in Columbia's wing, are the most
common sources of debris from the tank during launch.
Tests reveal that, without
the new heater, ice buildup could be a problem on part of the tank as it is
filled with cold propellants.
This morning, workers plan
to test Discovery's auxiliary power units, which run the hydraulic system that
helps steer the orbiter.
Meanwhile, they have
completed up inspections of the ship's landing-gear doors.
A small crack on sister
ship Atlantis prompted the checkup.
Unlike Atlantis,
"inspections at this point show there are no indications of any cracks in
that area," NASA spokeswoman Jessica Rye said Tuesday.
Discovery rolled out to Pad
39B on April 6 and is expected to roll out again in mid-June. NASA officials
hope it will fly during a launch window that opens July 13.
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Fixing NASA: Complete Coverage of
Space Shuttle Return to Flight
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