Tag: Discovery
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Endeavour and Atlantis move – Final KSC processing begins for OV-105
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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Discovery receives her replica main engines ahead of final journey
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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NASA managers discuss fragmentation risks as UARS heads back to Earth
As NASA’s defunct Upper Atmospheric Research Satellite (UARS) continues to head towards its death – which will result in re-entry around September 23 – NASA managers have discussed ways of improving their fragmentation models for future returning spacecraft, with the aim of reducing the the debris footprint for hardware which may threaten to survive entry.…
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Endeavour and Discovery swap places – New retirement dates planned
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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Discovery’s VAB stay part of a commercial transition for the OPFs
With Discovery now enjoying a month-long vacation inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), following her rollover on Wednesday, the long-term future for the Orbiter Processing Facilities (OPFs) will be heavily focused on attracting the new fleet of commercial vehicles, as the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) transitions into a multi-purpose spaceport. Discovery in the VAB: Following…
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Discovery’s VAB stay part of a commercial transition for the OPFs
With Discovery now enjoying a month-long vacation inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), following her rollover on Wednesday, the long-term future for the Orbiter Processing Facilities (OPFs) will be heavily focused on attracting the new fleet of commercial vehicles, as the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) transitions into a multi-purpose spaceport. Discovery in the VAB: Following…
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NASA teams recommend Early Release of Shuttle OPF-3
With Discovery safely back on the ground after becoming the first orbiter to successfully complete all of the missions assigned to her, NASA is beginning the process of shutting down processing operations in Florida. Specifically, NASA and the Space Shuttle Program are preparing to release Orbiter Processing Facility bay 3 from service earlier than anticipated,…
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Discovery’s elaborate deservicing plan put into work amid managerial praise
Although Discovery has finished her space flight career in style, she still has many months of processing ahead of her – as deserving work follows a pre-planned schedule towards her eventual ferry away from the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Her final mission was flawless, earning managerial praise for the teams tasked with “finishing strong” during…
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SSP Begins Review of End State Requirements for Orbiter Discovery
With orbiter Discovery’s final move from her Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) to the VAB for mating with an External Tank/Solid Rocket Booster stack scheduled for early Wednesday morning, preparations for the veteran orbiter and fleet leader’s post-last flight flow inside OPF-3 at the Kennedy Space Center have begun with an official review of the End…
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Birthday girl docks with ISS – TriDAR test for new AR&D Docking System
Discovery celebrated her 25th birthday in style by docking with the International Space Station (ISS) on Flight Day 3 of STS-128. During the Approach Rendezvous and Docking (AR&D) phase of the mission, Discovery helped verify the performance of Neptec’s TriDAR vision system for unmanned AR&D via a Detailed Test Objective (DTO). Discovery — 25 Years…