Launch, Space Chess Game Delayed Until at Least May 8

May 2, 2011 —A heater circuit that failed isn’t only delaying space shuttle Endeavour’s final trip to the International Space Station. It’s also delaying an out-of-this-world game of chess. After Friday's launch was scrubbed, Kennedy Space Center technicians searched for the cause of a failure in a heater circuit associated with Endeavour's hydraulic power system. The failure appears to be a power problem within the aft load control assembly-2, a box of switches controlling power feeds. NASA officials said the plan is to remove and replace the box, but that work and related testing will take several days to complete. Once the new box is installed, the team must verify it's working properly — at least a two-day process — and perform forensics on the failed box. Managers are expected to meet over the next day or two to determine the next launch attempt, but it is expected to be no earlier than May 8. But once the shuttle launches and reaches the orbiting space station, NASA astronauts Greg Chamitoff and Greg H. Johnson are challenging the people of Earth to a chess rematch. NASA and the U.S. Chess Federation hosted the first Earth vs. space match in 2008 when Chamitoff lived aboard the ISS. The public won that match. "Chess is a great game that challenges the mind and helps young people develop critical thinking skills that will serve them well in math, science, and all aspects of their future careers," Chamitoff said. He and Johnson will play the game during their 14-day space shuttle flight to the International Space Station. The USCF will facilitate the match on its website. At the site, the public can suggest or vote on a chess move, and the USCF will decide how to respond to the astronauts' moves. "We hope to do better in this Earth vs. space match," Chamitoff said. "But, I have to admit it will be a challenge because we have an extremely busy flight ahead of us." During the 14-day mission, Endeavour and its crew will deliver the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer and spare parts including two S-band communications antennas, a high-pressure gas tank and additional spare parts for Dextre. Updates on the chess match will be posted on the USCF Twitter site, Chamitoff's Twitter account and the International Space Station's official Facebook page.

At NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A, a technician makes his way across a platform in space shuttle Endeavour's aft section as work begins to remove and replace the aft load control assembly-2 (ALCA-2). Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett Astronaut Greg Chamitoff ponders a move in a 2008 chess game on the International Space Station. The public won that match, and Chamitoff is looking to redeem himself during another space-earth chess game this month.

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