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Shuttle robot arm analysis under way

By IRENE BROWN, UPI Science News

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., Nov. 13 (UPI) -- The oxygen leak that delayed the space shuttle Endeavour's launch earlier this week has been found, NASA officials said Wednesday, but ongoing analysis of possible damage to the shuttle's robot arm could keep the ship grounded beyond its Nov. 18 retargeted launch date.

The shuttle's 50-foot long robot arm, which is attached to the payload bay, was inadvertently hit with a work platform that was being installed on Tuesday to give technicians access to hunt for the leak.

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In addition to scraping off insulation, the arm's honeycomb shell was scratched, prompting managers to order an ultrasonic test to help determine the extent of damage, Kennedy Space Center spokesman Bruce Buckingham said.

Shuttle launch managers decided to postpone additional decisions about Endeavour's launch date, pending the results of the arm analysis.

The shuttle's robot arm is crucial to the success of Endeavour's upcoming mission at the International Space Station. The crane is needed to lift a 14-ton truss segment out of the cargo bay and hand it off to the station's robotic arm for installation outside the station. The station's arm is blocked from reaching directly into the shuttle's cargo bay and lifting the truss segment on its own.

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Work to repair Endeavour's oxygen leak is under way, said Buckingham. The leak was found in a flexible hose in the orbiter's midbody.

Endeavour's crew has returned to Houston to await word on the flight.

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