http://www.space.com/news/spaceshuttle/shuttle_y2k_991101.html

NASA Wary of Y2K

By Todd Halvorson Cape Canaveral Bureau Chief

Nov 01 1999 17:02:23 ET CAPE CANAVERAL - NASA would fly the upcoming Hubble Space Telescope mission over the Christmas holiday if need be, but under no circumstances will Space Shuttle Discovery be in orbit for the onset of the year 2000. That was the word Monday from NASA shuttle program director Ron Dittemore.

In an exclusive interview with space.com, Dittemore said NASA is not taking any chances when it comes to the Y2K computer bug and the potentially dangerous effect it might have on an orbiting spaceship and an astronaut crew. After all, NASA's $2 billion shuttles rely heavily on flight computers and software - not to mention computers in the agency's Mission Control Center in Houston - to safely carry out piloted space voyages.

"We've gone to great lengths to certify ourselves so we can say with certainty that we can operate in a Y2K environment," Dittemore said. "But good common sense and prudent judgment says if you don't have to do it, don't do it."

Discovery and seven astronauts are scheduled to blast off from Kennedy Space Center December 2 on a high-profile mission to fix Hubble's troubled pointing control system, which enables the telescope to lock on to stars, planets, galaxies and other celestial objects. Extensive inspections, repairs, and testing of Discovery's electrical wiring system, however, are making it increasingly difficult for NASA to meet the target launch date.

Dittemore said the agency still has a shot at making the December 2 target date. A slip of three or four days, however, is a real possibility. "I want to be satisfied that we've got all the work done," he said. "If we can make December 2 and do it comfortably, then we'll do that. But if we want to take a couple of extra days, then we'll do that."

Discovery is still in its hangar at KSC while senior shuttle managers review the results of electrical systems tests and other more routine launch processing work. A planned move to KSC's 52-story Vehicle Assembly Building had been slated for early this week, but is on hold until the review work can be finished.

NASA's self-imposed deadline for launching the Hubble repair mission in 1999 is December 14, Dittemore said. Launching December 14 would enable the crew to complete a full 10-day mission and have two extra days to fly in orbit should bad weather on Earth prevent a safe landing attempt. It also would enable ground teams to secure the ship in its KSC hangar and power down all computer systems by December 28 or 29, thus avoiding any potential trouble from the Y2K bug.

The latter scenario, if it came to pass, would call for the crew to be in space on Christmas Day -- something NASA historically has tried to avoid. The agency typically grants its Mission Control and KSC ground teams the holiday off.

The last all-American astronaut crew to spend Christmas Day in space was on-board NASA's Apollo 8 mission in December 1968. Astronauts Frank Borman, James Lovell, Jr. and William Anders circled the moon 10 times on what was the first piloted mission to another planetary body. During one of the most memorable Christmas television broadcasts in history, each crew member read Biblical verse from the opening book of Genesis.

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GPS=Y2K? The End of Time for Satellite Navigation System For Sale: Wreckage from Challenger? Services: search weather site map about message boards chat space.shop Sections: home news science business space imagined area 51 Copyright )1999 space.com, inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. You can read our terms of service

-- Helium (Heliumavid@yahoo.com), November 02, 1999

Answers

I wish the guys that ran our other govt agencies had the sense that the NASA guys do.

Not going up during the rollover is the prudent, and very wise thing to do.

-- Bryce (bryce@nospam.com), November 02, 1999.

1) It's nice to see a major, safety oriented organization taking precautions. Air Sri Lanka is one thing, but NASA is another!

2) NASA has about the best record of developing bug-free software around. Their "man-rated" software is as close to bug-free as any written. That they are doing this says a lot about their level of concern...and a lot more about how much we should be concerned about everyone else!

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), November 02, 1999.

PERHAPS THIS IS PART OF THE PROBLEM? - I posted this on Silicon Investor on May 17, 1999 ... but the link no longer exists. Or, at least I couldn't access it again thru my hot link.

http://gps.laafb.af.mil/y2000/index.html

I came upon a fascinating tidbit from a military PowerPoint presentation, while researching GPS receivers ...

===============================================================

STATUS: SPACE SEGMENT - SATELLITES & SUPPORT SYSTEMS

- All GPS satellites are Y2K/EOW rollover compliant (Analyses performed by Boeing & Lockheed-Martin.)

- BUT .. Satellite Support Systems are NOT Y2K compliant ... with initial delivery for testing replacement for MOSC sometime in September.

[Cutting it close, don't you think?]

---------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------

SLIDE #13:

Satellite support systems are not Y2K compliant but are scheduled for repair or replacement

- Mission Operations Support Center (MOSC)

- Operational Support System (OSS)

Integrated Mission Operations Support Center (IMOSC)

- New development (will be developed Y2K compliant)

- Will replace MOSC Dec 99

- Will replace OSS 2004

---------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------

SLIDE #14:

MOSC [MISSION OPERATIONS SUPPORT CENTER]

- No fixes in place due to age of system (decommission)

- Schedule to be replaced by IMOSC

- Work around in place if IMOSC slips

OSS [OPERATIONAL SUPPORT SYSTEM]

- Full OSS compliance scheduled for Apr 99

IMOSC [INTEGRATED MISSION OPERATIONS SUPPORT CENTER]

- Scheduled for Sep 99 initial delivery for testing

- IMOSC/MOSC parallel operations Sep 9 - Dec 99

[Cutting it close??]

<but under no circumstances will Space Shuttle Discovery be in orbit for the onset of the year 2000>

Maybe this is NASA's "work-around"?

-- Cheryl (Transplant@Oregon.com), November 02, 1999.

Isn't this the reason some folks fear that the Russians and Chinese have a window of opportunity that they know runs out this year?

-- matt (whome@somewhere.nz), November 02, 1999.

Any pollies have a response to NASA's decision? If Y2K=OK, then why not launch the shuttle? Maybe we could put a crew full of pollies on board!

-- astro (keepiton@the.ground), November 02, 1999.

astro--

I know its no laughing matter, but here goes LOL. That made me bust- a-gut.

-- MIS (KarlaCALIF@aol.com), November 02, 1999.

astro,

great post! i suggest you start a new thread here to set up a polly volunteer list for going up on the shuttle over the rollover. actually .. entitle it "Polly volunteers wanted for Y2K Shuttle Mission"

with their mentality you'll probably get some requests.

-- lou (lanny1@ix.netcom.com), November 03, 1999.

If you don't have to take a risk, however small, why take it?

Upside benefit for NASA in flying a mission across Y2K is minuscule: add in the extra staff overtime pay and it probably goes negative.

Downside risk is enormous: possible loss of a 2-billion-dollar vehicle. Also were an accident to happen, there is risk that it would be blamed on the date in the absence of hard evidence for anything else, and those who allowed a flight on that date would be blamed.

It's a no-brainer, even if you ARE a polly!

-- Nigel Arnot (nra@maxwell.ph.kcl.ac.uk), November 03, 1999.

U.S. Shuttle Mission To Hubble Hits New Snags - Wednesday November 3 1:23 PM ET

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) - NASA's space shuttle fleet, grounded for three months by wiring problems, ran into more trouble Wednesday, possibly further delaying the launch of a crucial Hubble Space Telescope repair mission.

NASA managers decided to keep shuttle Discovery in its hangar while it checked the $2 billion spaceship for suspect heat-resistant tiles. They also decided to replace a main engine after a broken drill bit was found inside, NASA's spokesman Joel Wells said.

``The launch date is now under review,'' he said.

The shuttle had been scheduled to move Wednesday morning from its hangar at the Kennedy Space Center to NASA's giant assembly building in preparation for its planned Dec. 2 mission to make repairs to the Hubble Space Telescope.

The shuttle's crew of seven is to make emergency repairs to the pointing system of the orbiting telescope. Three of the six gyroscope pointing devices have failed. Another breakdown would halt the telescope's work.

The space agency wants to get the shuttle off the launch pad by Dec. 14 to avoid flying in space over Dec. 31 because of concerns over possible Y2K computer bugs.

NASA officials decided to put the shuttle's move on hold after it discovered a batch of inadequate heat resistant tiles used to protect the shuttle during its fiery descent to earth.

``There is a question as to whether one or more of those tiles may be installed on Discovery. If so, that would be a tile that would need to be replaced,'' Wells said.

One of Discovery's three main engines will also require replacement after a piece of a broken drill bit was found inside a coolant chamber. The drill part, believed to be less than a half inch (1.3 cm) long, was found in X-ray examinations of the engine.

Space agency managers decided to replace the engine as a precaution. The work can probably take place at the launch pad, but might take two or three days to accomplish, Wells said.

NASA's shuttle launch schedule has been disrupted for months by wiring concerns. A potentially catastrophic short circuit during the launch of shuttle Columbia in July led NASA to ground the entire shuttle fleet while the reusable spaceships were checked for electrical problems.

Space agency officials determined at a six-hour meeting Tuesday that the wiring problems in Discovery were resolved.

NASA has accomplished just two shuttle missions this year because of the wiring problems and other delays.

-- Sysman (y2kboard@yahoo.com), November 03, 1999.