The youngest orbiter in the shuttle fleet, Endeavour, was powered down for the final time this month, as she heads into the final stages of being prepared for shipping to her final resting home in California. Endeavour was put to sleep just days prior to the one year anniversary of her final launch, STS-134, a [...]
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For 30 years, the Space Shuttle orbiters Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavour wowed millions with their thunderous climbs to orbit, their graceful orbital dances with satellites, Hubble, MIR, and the International Space Station, and their tell-tale twin sonic booms that announced their landings back on Earth – landings that would not have been as [...]
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Transition and Retirement (T&R) work continues at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) for Atlantis and Endeavour in the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF), even as the Shuttle team said their goodbyes to Discovery last week. The NASA and United Space Alliance (USA) team is finishing up end-state safing activities on Atlantis, which is in OPF Bay 1, [...]
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The end of a legend. For 29 years, the Space Shuttle orbiter Discovery has lived and breathed her life at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. She has been in every OPF, made over 50 trips to the VAB, been to the pad over 45 times, and launched with the hopes and dreams of her workforce [...]
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The NASA and United Space Alliance (USA) team at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) have begun the final preparations to transport Discovery to her retirement home outside of Washington, D.C. Rolling out of High Bay 4 of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), the fleet leader made a sober roll to the Mate Demate Device (MDD) ahead [...]
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Kicking off what will be a highly emotional period for the space program, NASA 905 – the remaining Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) – arrived at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on Tuesday, in preparation for the final rollout of Discovery at the weekend. Discovery will then depart from her home base for one final time [...]
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With Space Shuttle orbiter Discovery buttoned up in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) ahead of her flight to her retirement home, and with Enterprise ready to make way for Discovery and head to her new display site, the Shuttle team at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is focused on finishing Transition and Retirement (T&R) work for Atlantis [...]
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As engineers finalize the removal of Main Propulsion System (MPS) hardware from the retired Space Shuttle fleet – comprising of large elements of the orbiter’s “guts” that are being donated to the Space Launch System (SLS) program – Orbiter Flow manager Stephanie Stilson revealed that “her baby”, Discovery, has held on to most of her [...]
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Space Shuttle Orbiter Discovery’s almost 30 years of processing at Kennedy Space Center’s (KSC) Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) came to an end on Friday with the retired spaceship’s transfer out of OPF Bay 1. The orbiter traded places with sistership Atlantis, which returned to the OPF from High Bay 4 of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB).
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As the retired Shuttle fleet continue their Transition and Retirement (T&R) processing, efforts are being focused on Northern Virginia, as preparations are made on shuttle Enterprise for her final flight to the Intrepid Air and Space Museum. The move to New York will allow Discovery to take Enterprise’s place at the Smithsonian.
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With Kennedy Space Center workers towing Orbiter Atlantis on Thursday “around the corner” of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) the day after they moved Endeavour out of the same place, one might have thought it was Groundhog Day, and by coincidence it just so happened it was.
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It’s the final time Endeavour will enter an OPF (Orbiter Processing Facility). After a storied 19 year, 25 flight career, the Space Shuttle orbiter Endeavour was rolled into OPF-2 at the Kennedy Space Center this morning to undergo final outfitting, Main Propulsion System (MPS) tear down, and configuration activities ahead of her October ferry flight [...]
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Atlantis departed her Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF-2) on Friday, ahead of arriving inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). Looking rather sorry for herself – with all her propulsive hardware elements removed – Atlantis can at least look forward to staying on the Space Coast, as her impressive retirement home began ground-breaking this week.
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Space Shuttle orbiter Atlantis was powered down for the final time on Thursday, following a 26 year, 33 mission career. With her retirement, the world-famous space ship will at least remain at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), a spaceport which is continuing to transition its shuttle facilities – as seen with the upping of the [...]
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For the past several months, a plan to restart shuttle operations – funded by billions of dollars of secured non-government investment – was under evaluation with NASA and shuttle contractors prior to the secret effort ending last week. However, the group behind the effort have now switched their focus to a “Next Generation, Shuttle Capable” vehicle [...]
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The flagship of the shuttle orbiter fleet has received her three replica main engines, as Discovery prepares for next year’s ferry trip to her final resting place. The three Replica Shuttle Main Engines (RSMEs) are substitutes for the three Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSMEs) she last flew with, as they prepare to live on with [...]
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During Wednesday’s Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee Hearing – which focused on the Russian investigation into their recent Soyuz failure – the question on restarting shuttle was once again dismissed out of hand. However, the shrift response, noting the question would have been “interesting” if asked three or four years ago, failed to elaborate on a [...]
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As the Space Shuttle Program (SSP) officially ended this week – closing out 30 years of achievements and advancements in human space travel – United Space Alliance (USA) Vice President and SSP manager Howard DeCastro noted his pride in the strong finish to the program, whilst adding he fears there may be a price to [...]
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NASA’s three retired Space Shuttle orbiters are set to donate their entire Main Propulsion Systems (MPS) to the opening salvo of Space Launch System (SLS) Heavy Lift Launch Vehicles (HLV). The work to remove the MPS’ array of plumbing, tanks and valves from the aft of the orbiters would result in a delay of six [...]
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In a rare occurrence, Space Shuttle orbiters Discovery and Endeavour were purposefully visible together this morning at the Kennedy Space Center as a Shuttle shuffle took place to move Endeavour from OPF-1 to the VAB for storage and Discovery from the VAB to OPF-1 for full Transition and Retirement processing, set to culminate for the [...]
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