Posted 3/23/2004 08:54:00 PM by Douglas

More bad news for NASA. Turns out we've been flying OV-103 with the actuators on the rudder speed break installed backwards for the last 20 years.

Gears were installed backward on the speed brakes in Discovery's tail section and could have failed under the stress of an emergency landing, said William Parsons, the shuttle program manager.

"The bottom line was, it was not good," said Parsons, who told reporters the Discovery had flown safely 30 times since 1984 without the gears causing a problem.

The reversed gears were found in an actuator that works the speed brakes, which are essentially flaps that flare out from the tail section to create aerodynamic drag and slow the shuttle. Small cracks and some corrosion were also found, surprising NASA engineers.

After the original actuators were replaced, NASA also tested extra replacement parts built 17 years ago, and found that one of the spare actuators also had the gears reversed.

As the man said, "this isn't good," and what I don't know about the RSB could fill a dumptruck, but after 28 safe flights with it installed upside-down, it's hard to see how this is a Crit 1-1 failure:

"Loss of the rudder speed brake would be loss of vehicle [and] loss of crew," Parsons said during a March 22 teleconference with reporters.

Well, OK. I guess with the corrosion, we're just incredibly lucky. Aren't we all?

Gratuitous Orbiter picture. Pop quiz to anyone listening: Is this shuttle taking off, or landing?