Headlines
Nitrogen Tanks To The Stars - 11/16/2009
Space shuttle Atlantis’ external tank has been loaded with about 535,000 gallons of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, the propellants that will power the shuttle's three main engines during launch. The fueling operation went smoothly and a fill-and-drain valve inside Atlantis functioned properly throughout the process. Pumps at the launch pad will continue to trickle in a small amount of super-cold chemicals to replace the amount that boils off during the countdown. The equipment being delivered includes two pump modules, two gyroscopes, two nitrogen tank assemblies, an ammonia tank assembly and a high-pressure gas tank. Parts going up for the robotic systems onboard the station include a latching end effector for the station's robotic arm and a trailing umbilical system reel assembly for the railroad cart that allows the arm to move along the station's truss system.
Read the full story at nasa.gov.
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