(Note for anyone who hasn’t seen Airplane; repeating the same line is the joke.)

I don’t know about the battery in question or the rules about it, but I am willing to bet that they are not violating expiration dates (or times?) or that they have a way of determining whether the battery is still go for launch. It may be a reason to scrub Saturday’s attempt. If NASA is violating these safety requirements, then they are suffering from a similar “go fever” that Dr.X suffered.

The only thing about the Forbes article that stood out for me is how the writer called the Saturn V rocket by the name Saturn V system.

Please delete “Analog had an article ends September 6” and substitute “Those batteries, he said, were previously certified for only 20 days. “They are in talks with the Eastern Range to extend that certification to a little bit longer than 20 days, hopefully to bring in a third attempt, but those negotiations are still in work.”

With the extension of the FTS certification to 25 days, NASA could proceed with a Sept. 5 launch opportunity if needed. ”

My apologies!

“The clock starts during processing in the VAB,” or Vehicle Assembly Building, said Judd Frieling, NASA Artemis 1 ascent/entry flight director, during a briefing Aug. 5 at the Johnson Space Center. Specifically, that period starts when the batteries for the FTS are installed and charged.

Those batteries, he said, were previously certified for only 20 Analog had an article , ends Sept. 6.:”
See, we’ve already had one waiver, I’m sorry, but I have to call on my Army experience as a Range Safety Officer. The RSO is the direct representative of the Commanding Officer and bears total responsibility for the safe operation of the range. That’s his one and only job. If he observes something unsafe, his duty is to shut the range down immediately. His decisions can not be questioned, but must be obeyed, There is no negotiation between, say, the Range Officer and the RSO. His decision is final. So, I am shocked that the Eastern Test Range is willing to compromise its safety requirements,

Back in the Eighties, Analog had an article called “Pushing the Button” by G harry Stine, one of the first generation of RSO’s at White Sands. He got there shortly after they had managed to have a V2 come down in Mexico. The Commanding General was immediately sacked and retired. The new CG was the ex-Commandant of the Field Artillery School at Fort Sill and had previously served as its Range Officer and he had orders to clean up the mess at White Sands by yesterday. He brought the policies and regulations for range operations with him and imposed them ruthlessly.
Anyway, Stine recounted that he was RSO for a planned shot of a sounding rocket that had been delayed several times by high winds. The scientist in charge was getting angry and started making hints that Stine was a coward for not letting him launch. Things finally came to head when they had high winds again and the scientist, red faced, announced he didn’t care, he was going to launch anyway. Stine told if he did, Stine was going to push the Destruct button as soon as the rocket cleared the tower. He did and Stine did.

The next morning , Stine was summoned to the Commanding Gerneral’s office. The CG said, “Dr X has told me thus and such, about what happened yesterday, what is your version?” Stine gave his account, ending with words to effect of, “I thought it was unsafe to launch and in the interests of safety terminated the rocket’s flight”. The CG thanked Stine, then turned to look at Dr X with loathing and announced, coldly, but without raising his voice, that Dr X had until sundown to get himself, all his personnel and all his equipment off the post. If he didn’t the Military Police would arrest him and throw him in guardhouse. And he’d better find some other place to launch his rockets from, he was never going to set foot on White Sands ever again.
No negotiation, no arguments, these are the Range Regulations and the RSO can’t be challenged

Simon, 1) They’ll waiver the 25 day deadline. After all, the SRB’s have been set up for almost TWO years, almost a year after their “Must use by date” 2) Six weeks? Old Space strikes again