Tag: ET
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ET-94 arrives into Los Angeles for road trip to California Science Center
External Tank 94 is in the final stretch of its voyage from New Orleans, Louisiana, to its new home at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Towed on a barge by a tugboat up the California coast, the tank arrived in Los Angeles county at Marina del Rey on Wednesday and will be moved…
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ET-94 arrives into Los Angeles for road trip to California Science Center
External Tank 94 is in the final stretch of its voyage from New Orleans, Louisiana, to its new home at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Towed on a barge by a tugboat up the California coast, the tank arrived in Los Angeles county at Marina del Rey on Wednesday and will be moved…
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Safety first: Ten years since STS-114’s return to flight misssion
Ten years ago today, the Space Shuttle Discovery left the Kennedy Space Center on STS-114. The flight, filled with hopes, aspirations, and emotions, marked the first step in returning the Shuttle to flight following the loss of Columbia and marked the beginning of a new journey and vision for NASA. But getting to launch day for STS-114 was a difficult…
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Returning the Shuttle to flight: STS-114’s evolution from Columbia
STS-114 was the Shuttle mission that returned NASA to active flight status following the tragic loss of Columbia. But STS-114, more than any other flight of its time, endured significant changes in the wake of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board’s recommendations and helped pave the way for a safe and successful conclusion to the Shuttle Program. STS-114’s initial conception:…
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Pegasus Barge to begin renovations for SLS core shipping
NASA’s famous Pegasus Barge – best known for transporting External Tanks from the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) to the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) – is about to be handed over to a contractor for the modifications that will allow it to transport Space Launch System (SLS) Cores to Florida. The modifications will include the barge…
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Praise for the MAF transition ahead of SLS production
NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden gained a close up and personal look at the ever-changing face of the famous Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) on Monday. The former birthplace of Saturn stages and Shuttle External Tanks is ramping up towards its new role, producing the giant core stages for the Space Launch System (SLS). MAF Transition: The…
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SLS: MAF receiving extraordinary machinery for the exploration rocket
An array of huge machinery is being installed at the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF), as the famous New Orleans plant prepares to begin construction of the Space Launch System (SLS). The tooling – one of which is 170 feet tall – will piece together the Heavy Lift Launch Vehicles (HLV) ahead of their launches from…
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MAF undergoing major modification work ahead of SLS production
The Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) has begun its transformation back into the birth place of giant rockets that will enable the United States to return to deep space exploration. Modification work for the Space Launch System (SLS) is taking place across huge areas of the New Orleans facility, which will soon host the world’s largest…
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SLS takes on new buckling standards, drops Super Light alloy
With a recent decision to switch the Space Launch System (SLS) core from aluminum-lithium to non-lithium alloys, NASA has come full circle on a journey that started nearly twenty years ago with the development of Shuttle’s Super Light Weight External Tank (SLWT). The switch is not just about reducing costs, but it will also prove…
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Shuttle Scrubber: SLS working to avoid GUCP leaks
With a deep heritage between the Shuttle’s External Tank and the Space Launch System (SLS) Core Stage, a NASA team recently evaluated recommendations to mitigate against leaks of the Ground Umbilical Carrier Plate (GUCP) – the cause of launch day delays for three Space Shuttle missions – on the monster rocket. The GUCP: The GUCP…