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Hydraulic leak won't shorten shuttle mission
NASA says re-entry problems possible, but unlikely
March 22, 1996
Web posted at: 7:10 p.m. EST
JOHNSON SPACE CENTER, Texas (CNN) -- NASA will not bring the Space Shuttle Atlantis home early, despite a leaky hydraulic system detected soon after its launch Friday morning.
Engineers determined the fluid leaks from the steering system power unit only when the unit is turned on and that there would be no additional risk from remaining in orbit for the full mission, NASA Mission Operations Specialist Bob Castle said.
"If we landed in two days or if we landed in eight days, it's going to be the same," Castle said. "The risk to the system while it sits on orbit are essentially zero, so there is no reason to shorten the flight for this."
There are three redundant steering systems and only two are needed for the last seven minutes of a landing, Castle said.
About 20 percent of the fluid leaked in the 20 minutes the steering system was on during the trip into orbit. The remaining fluid would take about 45 minutes to leak out, but the system would not need to run more than a few minutes on landing, he said.
"We think we have a very manageable situation," Castle said. "We're going to work on how we're going to manage it for re-entry, but we don't think we have a real problem."
Castle said NASA safety rules were not waived in reaching the decision to remain in orbit.
Fuel began to leak for one of the three APU power steering units aboard the shuttle just after liftoff Friday morning. The three units are interchangeable, and allow the crew to steer the shuttle on the way into space ... and to make those twists and turns necessary to land at the end of a mission.
They are also important in getting the landing gear to lower at the end of the trip.
The units are located in the shuttle's cargo bay. The fluid reservoirs hold about eighth gallons, and the leaking one has lost just over a gallon of its supply.
Atlantis is scheduled to dock with Mir Saturday evening, where the crew will unload supplies and remain docked for five days. The two crews will conduct some joint experiments during that time.
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