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Planetary News: Rosetta (2004)Rosetta Launch Delayed Again for "Technical" ReasonsBy A.J.S. Rayl27 February 2004 Launch of the European Space Agency's Rosetta was postponed again this morning in Kourou, French Guiana, because a last minute inspection revealed that a piece of the external thermal insulation on the rocket's core cryogenic stage was missing. The launch will now be delayed for a few days so that the 'hole' can be patched. The countdown will resume at the beginning of next week. The missing 10 X 15-centimeter [4 x 6 inch] piece from the cryogenic core stage was found during a final visual inspection of the launcher and payload, just before the crew began fuelling operations. At that point, the countdown was stopped. To replace the missing piece of insulation, the Ariane 5G will be moved on its mobile launch table back into the Spaceport's Final Assembly Building, where a new block of thermal protection will be installed. Once the new piece is in place, the adhesive requires approximately 36 hours to dry. Although considered a minor repair, the 'hole' in the insulation could have spelled disaster for the mission if it had not been caught prior to fueling. The thermal protection insulates the stage's cold cryogenic propellants against the warmer external environment. Had it launched with the 'hole' unrepaired, it could have leaked propellant and been unable to reach the desired orbit or the tank might have exploded. Both Rosetta and the launcher remain in a 'safe' mode. |
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