Underlying metal cracks found on Discovery's tank

NEWSALERT: Wednesday, November 10, 2010 @ 2134 GMT
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  The latest news from Spaceflight Now

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UNDERLYING METAL CRACKS FOUND ON DISCOVERY'S TANK
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Cracked foam insulation on the shuttle Discovery's external tank was cut
away overnight, revealing serpentine cracks in an underlying structural
rib, or stringer. Based on experience repairing similar cracks on other
tanks, sources said, engineers believe the damage can be fixed at the pad
before the next launch window opens at the end of the month.

http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts133/101110crack/

OUR PREVIOUS STS-133 COVERAGE:
http://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts133/


ATK SETS ROCKET PRIORITIES UNDER CONTINUING RESOLUTION
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Responding to guidance directing NASA to lean on space shuttle and Ares
rocket technologies for a new heavy-lift launch vehicle, rocket-builder
ATK is fast-tracking work on parts of an extended five-segment
solid-fueled booster likely to be incorporated on future exploration
missions.

http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n1011/10heavylift/


NEXT FALCON 9 LAUNCH PUSHED BACK TO DECEMBER
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SpaceX is aiming to launch the first test flight of the Dragon cargo
spacecraft as soon as Dec. 7, a delay of two-and-a-half weeks to give
teams more time to complete testing on the ground.

http://spaceflightnow.com/falcon9/002/status.html


INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION EXPERIMENT DETECTS NOVA
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An X-ray detector on the International Space Station that alerted
astronomers to a giant blast of X-rays, led to the discovery of a
previously unseen nova.

http://astronomynow.com/news/n1010/26nova/


EUTELSAT ABANDONS LOST SATELLITE AFTER FUEL LEAK
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Deciding the W3B communications satellite leaked too much propellant to
drive itself back into Earth's atmosphere, Eutelsat has abandoned the
crippled spacecraft in the same transfer orbit it was left in by an Ariane
5 rocket.

http://spaceflightnow.com/ariane/v197/101108w3bupdate/


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Good Clear Skies
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Astrocomet
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Colin James Watling
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Profile: http://www.google.com/profiles/astrocomera
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Real Astronomer and head of the Comet section for LYRA (Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth Regional Astronomers) also head of K.A.G (Kessingland Astronomy Group) and Navigator (Astrogator) of the Stars (Fieldwork)
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Web: http://lyra.freewebsites.com/
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Information: http://www.clubbz.com/club/2895/LOWESTOFT---3054/Lowestoft%20And%20Great%20Yarmouth%20Regional%20Astronomers%20(Lyra