Author Topic: ISS Solar Array Tear - What Next? (Read 49438 times)

Jim · « **Reply #40 on:** 10/31/2007 12:48 am »

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shuttle_buff - 30/10/2007 9:41 PM

I really think Boeing has some responsiblity here. They built the solar array and they know how it should work. If you asked me (with 25 years in the military business) who needs to address this it's Boeing. It's not NASA.

Lockheed built the array

Lee Jay · « **Reply #41 on:** 10/31/2007 12:48 am »

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Andrewwski - 30/10/2007 7:35 PM

You know, I didn't want to mention it when I first saw the tear, but I have to say duct tape was the first thing that popped into my mind...

Kapton, if anything.

The hinge itself appears to have broken.

Jim · « **Reply #42 on:** 10/31/2007 12:49 am »

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Lee Jay - 30/10/2007 9:48 PM

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Andrewwski - 30/10/2007 7:35 PM

You know, I didn't want to mention it when I first saw the tear, but I have to say duct tape was the first thing that popped into my mind...

Kapton, if anything.

which is space duct tape

Avron · « **Reply #43 on:** 10/31/2007 12:51 am »

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Lee Jay - 30/10/2007 9:48 PM

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Andrewwski - 30/10/2007 7:35 PM

You know, I didn't want to mention it when I first saw the tear, but I have to say duct tape was the first thing that popped into my mind...

Kapton, if anything.

The hinge itself appears to have broken.

or ripped???

shuttle_buff · « **Reply #44 on:** 10/31/2007 12:52 am »

No,

Boeing was the MAJOR contributor to the array.

How that works out to Prime Contractor, Sub Prime and so forth I don't know and don't care.

Boeing built the array part the IS the problem.

Regards,

Lee Jay · « **Reply #45 on:** 10/31/2007 12:56 am »

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Avron - 30/10/2007 7:51 PM

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Lee Jay - 30/10/2007 9:48 PM

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Andrewwski - 30/10/2007 7:35 PM

You know, I didn't want to mention it when I first saw the tear, but I have to say duct tape was the first thing that popped into my mind...

Kapton, if anything.

The hinge itself appears to have broken.

or ripped???

Yeah...that piece appears to have separated from the substrate.

shuttle_buff · « **Reply #46 on:** 10/31/2007 12:56 am »

What company built the hinge?

Avron · « **Reply #47 on:** 10/31/2007 01:01 am »

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shuttle_buff - 30/10/2007 9:56 PM

What company built the hinge?

The hunt is on...

Jim · « **Reply #48 on:** 10/31/2007 01:08 am »

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shuttle_buff - 30/10/2007 9:52 PM

No,

Boeing was the MAJOR contributor to the array.

How that works out to Prime Contractor, Sub Prime and so forth I don't know and don't care.

Boeing built the array part the IS the problem.

Regards,

No, Lockheed built the array and supplied it to Rocketdyne which is now part of P&W

http://www.lockheedmartin.com/news/press_releases/2006/MassiveLockheedMartinSolarArraysBeg.html

Lee Jay · « **Reply #49 on:** 10/31/2007 01:08 am »

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Jim - 30/10/2007 7:49 PM

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Lee Jay - 30/10/2007 9:48 PM

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Andrewwski - 30/10/2007 7:35 PM

You know, I didn't want to mention it when I first saw the tear, but I have to say duct tape was the first thing that popped into my mind...

Kapton, if anything.

which is space duct tape

It's super-duper high-temperature electrical tape down here. I guess the cost of the material is not relevant when your transportation costs exceed $10,000/kg, but down here it's so expensive that I don't use if if I don't need to. It is terrific stuff, but it's also not that easy to work with. I can't imagine trying to apply a lot of it, using EVA gloves, on a flexible array, with nothing to push against. It wouldn't be easy.

I'll definitely be interested to see what they come up with to eventually tension this array.

Jim · « **Reply #50 on:** 10/31/2007 01:12 am »

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shuttle_buff - 30/10/2007 9:56 PM

What company built the hinge?

There is no hinge, the material is folded. The "hinge" is the array which LM built.

Jim · « **Reply #51 on:** 10/31/2007 01:13 am »

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Lee Jay - 30/10/2007 10:08 PM

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Jim - 30/10/2007 7:49 PM

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Lee Jay - 30/10/2007 9:48 PM

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Andrewwski - 30/10/2007 7:35 PM

You know, I didn't want to mention it when I first saw the tear, but I have to say duct tape was the first thing that popped into my mind...

Kapton, if anything.

which is space duct tape

It's super-duper high-temperature electrical tape down here. I guess the cost of the material is not relevant when your transportation costs exceed $10,000/kg, but down here it's so expensive that I don't use if if I don't need to. It is terrific stuff, but it's also not that easy to work with. I can't imagine trying to apply a lot of it, using EVA gloves, on a flexible array, with nothing to push against. It wouldn't be easy.

I'll definitely be interested to see what they come up with to eventually tension this array.

It is the same tape used to capture the bearing filings

shuttle_buff · « **Reply #52 on:** 10/31/2007 01:16 am »

I've been in this business too long. I know too much! One day soon I could die due to old age.

Is 48 old?

Jim · « **Reply #53 on:** 10/31/2007 01:20 am »

just one year older than me and I am not old. Been the space business 24 years, USAF, NASA and commercial.

CessnaDriver · « **Reply #54 on:** 10/31/2007 01:24 am »

If a stable way to work on it is possible...

Sewn maybe??
Staples?

rdale · « **Reply #55 on:** 10/31/2007 01:27 am »

THe press conference already mentioned sewing, or folding them up and using one less array on each side, etc.

Lee Jay · « **Reply #56 on:** 10/31/2007 01:28 am »

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Jim - 30/10/2007 8:12 PM

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shuttle_buff - 30/10/2007 9:56 PM

What company built the hinge?

There is no hinge, the material is folded. The "hinge" is the array which LM built.

It sure looks like the hinge is of a different material, fastened (adhesively?) to the Kapton substrate.

http://spaceflight1.nasa.gov/gallery/images/station/crew-14/hires/iss014e10084.jpg

davcbow · « **Reply #57 on:** 10/31/2007 01:45 am »

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shuttle_buff - 30/10/2007 10:16 PM

I've been in this business too long. I know too much! One day soon I could die due to old age.

Is 48 old?

Better not be, I'm 48 too...

yoda · « **Reply #58 on:** 10/31/2007 01:45 am »

If the two sides of the hinge could be aligned, maybe a wire or thin rod could be inserted to reattach the ripped or separated segment, like a long door pin. Could an EVA accomplish this?

Is it possible the solar array panels were misaligned when stowed for movement, then as the panels were pulled out accordian style, the hinge was caught on part of its stowage box, causing the rip?

shuttlelegs · « **Reply #59 on:** 10/31/2007 01:55 am »

Is this the end of line of such a solar array ? More rigid ones such as the ones which replaced the Hubbles solar arrays more likely to be used in the future if the need appears