Tag: KSC
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Preparing the Mobile Launcher to be armed and ready for SLS
The Ground Systems Development and Operations (GSDO) team at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida is continuing construction and testing to get ready to support upcoming Exploration Mission launches. Testing at the Launch Equipment Test Facility (LETF) is in full swing delivering launch vehicle umbilicals and swing arms to the Mobile Launcher (ML). LEFT…
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Air Force’s X-37B lands at KSC’s Shuttle Landing Facility
After several false dawns, the US Air Force’s X-37B mini-spaceplane has landed at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) for the first time. With local reports of a sonic boom breaking through the morning air in areas of Florida, the Air Force confirmed the landing took place on Sunday at the historic Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF)…
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Air Force reveals plan for up to 48 launches per year from Cape Canaveral
Following the successful launch of a Delta IV rocket with the WGS-9 satellite Saturday night, Brigadier General Wayne R. Monteith and Major General David D. Thompson of the U.S. Air Force discussed the 45th Space Wing’s plan to ramp up to 48 launches per year – a feat made possible in large part due to…
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Falcon 9 conducts static fire test on 39A ahead of CRS-10 launch
A moment nearly six years in the making. Fire and flame returned to the historic LC-39A launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center as SpaceX conducted the static fire of its Falcon 9 rocket tasked with lofting the SpX-10 Dragon resupply mission to the International Space Station. The ignition of the Falcon 9’s engines occurred…
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KSC/Cape braves HURCON I conditions as Matthew passes
Numerous launch facilities at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and Cape Canaveral avoided serious impact from Category 3 hurricane Matthew. The facilities were evacuated of personnel apart from a brave rideout crew team holding station at the famous launch center. Although the storm passed east of the Cape, some damage has been observed during the…
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Renewing the famous Flame Trench, one brick at a time
Kennedy Space Center’s famous launch pads are continuing their regeneration work in preparation for hosting their first orbital launches since the end of the Space Shuttle Program. Pad 39B will host the most powerful of the new fleet of rockets, requiring a complete modernization of its Flame Trench – a process that includes replacing its…
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Orbital ATK eye VAB and MLP for potential EELV-class rocket
Orbital ATK and NASA have entered into an agreement to begin negotiations over the potential use of High Bay 2 inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). The discussions, which also include the use of a former Shuttle Mobile Launch Platform (MLP), are being aligned towards Orbital ATK’s future possibilities involving the development of an EELV-class…
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Orbital ATK eye VAB and MLP for potential EELV-class rocket
Orbital ATK and NASA have entered into an agreement to begin negotiations over the potential use of High Bay 2 inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). The discussions, which also include the use of a former Shuttle Mobile Launch Platform (MLP), are being aligned towards Orbital ATK’s future possibilities involving the development of an EELV-class…
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VAB receiving fire suppression system upgrades
Kennedy Space Center’s iconic Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) is continuing its preparations to host the Space Launch System (SLS) and commercial rockets, with modifications from the ground up. The revamp includes a modernization of its inner workings, including the fire suppression system – a key safety element for the massive building. VAB Fire Suppression: Ensuring…
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Delving deeper into KSC’s transformation into a Multi-User Spaceport
The 2011 conclusion of NASA’s 30-year Space Shuttle Program posed a major challenge for the Kennedy Space Center, the historic spaceport dotted with facilities purpose-built for shuttles. Eleven months before the shuttle program ended, NASA developed post-shuttle plans for its facilities and operations. Five years later, KSC is into the final leg of its transformation.…