75 DAY IN THE LIFE: THE MAKING OF A MISSION CHAPTER 4 from the manufacturer. Of great concern was that the damage seemed greater than one might expect from simply dropping the container. This led some to think a critical design flaw would prevent the lines from meeting their stringent requirements. At this point, a “tiger team” was formed. A tiger team is a panel of experts given the authority to focus on a particular issue until a resolution is found. At an already busy time, numerous reviews and meetings were occurring at all hours of the day and night, all over the country. When the great sleeping beast that is NASA awoke, all resources turned to this problem. Many members of the 20A flight control and engineering teams were busy supporting the tiger team. In addition to understanding the issues, the team had to identify impacts that any proposed solution would present to the mission, and then figure out how to modify procedures or training. All of this had to be done while continuing the other ongoing work and training. On any mission, the teams sprinted to the finish line to have everything in place. The extra work provided additional pressures and the lead flight director had to ensure that members of the operations team did not burn themselves out before the mission. Several parallel paths were chosen. First, more of the original hoses were being produced. With the revelation that the embrittlement was caused by welding, a new welding process was adopted to hopefully prevent this from happening. In addition, hoses using a new design were being built. Instead of the flexible line and sleeve, the middle would be a solid tube and a basic metal-to-metal, or butt-weld type would be used. Multiple versions of each type were manufactured to allow for further problems. The new design really was simply an application of previous techniques. The method was previously used on the ISS, yet the length had never before been used either in space or on the ground. In fact, since time was short, leftover hoses from previous evaluations were to be used, thereby reducing the amount of testing. These hoses were dubbed “frankenhoses” because they were put together from several pieces. The welding process was tried and true. In January, the new lines were tested to their bursting point of 26,900 mm Hg (520 psi). Although the updated braided hoses were also ready, ISS Program personnel decided to go with the frankenhoses. The frankenhoses were being completed literally as the crew went into quarantine. Spacewalkers Bob Behnken and Nick Patrick left quarantine and flew to Huntsville, Alabama, where the testing equipment and hoses were located, and where the two astronauts would be able to handle the items in advance. In fact, engineers at Marshall Space Flight Center quickly built a test stand that roughly represented the attachment points (Figure 11). Engineers were concerned that the equipment would be too stiff, but the astronauts felt they could work with the lines. After familiarizing themselves with the lines, the crew packed the hoses into a special EVA bag for shipping to Kennedy Space Center where the items would be loaded onto Space Shuttle Atlantis. Ammonia lines Image courtesy of Art Thomason Figure 11. Engineers at Marshall Space Flight Center built a test rig that allowed the astronauts to roughly lay out the final ammonia lines (wrapped in white insulation, as seen in the photograph) with realistic attachment points days before the mission was scheduled to launch.