Tests Find Signs of Fuel Line Leaks on Space Shuttle
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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — Weekend tests conducted in an effort to resolve a problem that has grounded NASA’s shuttle fleet found signs of leaks in fuel line fittings taken from the shuttle Columbia, officials said Sunday.
Engineers at a California test facility filled Columbia’s suspect 17-inch-wide fuel line “disconnect” fitting with super-cold liquid hydrogen to duplicate a leak that grounded the spaceplane May 30.
Using a variety of sensors, engineers hoped to be able to pinpoint the cause of the elusive leak in order to make repairs and resume shuttle flights.
“Tests did show some leakage, but the significance of what was observed cannot be determined until more testing is done and analysis of the data is completed,” National Aeronautics and Space Administration spokesman Mark Hess said.
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