![\"2014-07-07](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/2014-07-07-16_40_56-Category_NASA-barges-Wikimedia-Commons-350x234.jpg\")
At one point NASA had a fleet of barges, such as the Orion, Poseidon, Pearl River and Palaemon \u2013 as seen in this photo (left) with various tugs used to guide the barges, and another unidentified open-deck barge in the background.<\/p>\nNASA\u2019s famous Pegasus Barge \u2013 best known for transporting External Tanks from the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) to the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) \u2013 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 being \u201cstretched\u201d to cater for the large HLV cores.<\/p>\n
Pegasus Barge:<\/p>\n
Barges have played a major role throughout the history of the American space program, transporting major pieces of hardware from NASA centers to their eventual launch site destination in Florida.<\/p>\n
At one point NASA had a fleet of barges, such as the Orion, Poseidon, Pearl River and Palaemon \u2013 as seen in this photo (left) with various tugs used to guide the barges, and another unidentified open-deck barge in the background.<\/p>\n
These barges ferried Saturn IB and Saturn V stages between Marshall Space Center (MSFC); Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF); Mississippi Test Facility (MTF, renamed to Stennis Space Center); and Kennedy Space Center (KSC).<\/p>\n
Built to replace NASA\u2019s aging Poseidon and Orion barges \u2013 both built in the 1940s to serve in World War II and converted in the 1960s for NASA\u2019s Apollo program \u2013 Pegasus became the sole means of transport for the shuttle external tanks in 2002.<\/p>\n
![\"2014-07-07](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/2014-07-07-17_48_42-pegasus-barge-NASA-Google-Search-350x242.jpg\")
Pegasus was specially designed and built for Shuttle External Tanks, making the 900 mile trip 41 times between 1999 and 2011, delivering 31 space shuttle external tanks: ET-103, ET-105, ET-106, ET-108, ET-110, ET-111, ET-113 and ET-115 through ET-138.<\/p>\n
The 260 feet long, 50 foot wide and 15 feet high Pegasus has been docked at NASA\u2019s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, since 2011.<\/p>\n
This is because her final Shuttle-era role wasn\u2019t her final Shuttle-related journey. Instead she was tasked with delivering the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) ground support equipment to Stennis from NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, before being mothballed.<\/p>\n
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![\"2014-07-07](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/07\/2014-07-07-19_03_18-pegasus-barge-nasa-Google-Search-350x245.jpg\")
This month will see her depart the famous rocket engine test facility, ahead of a short trip to Amelia, Louisiana \u2013 where contractor Conrad Shipyard LLC will conduct modifications on the barge, per their $8.5m contract with NASA.<\/p>\n
The main modification requirements are based around stretching the barge to be able to carry the long core stages of the Space Launch System (SLS), along with life extensions that will ensure she has a role in NASA\u2019s return to exploration.<\/p>\n
\u201cPegasus made it possible for NASA to deliver numerous ground-breaking science missions to orbit and complete construction of the International Space Station,\u201d said Robert Rutherford, group lead for the Transportation and Logistics Engineering Office at Marshall.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s incredibly rewarding to know Pegasus will carry on its long tradition of service, supporting the nation\u2019s missions in space.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to L2 information, the barge is set to be delivered to the contractor on July 14, where Conrad Shipyard workers will be tasked with lengthening the barge from 260 feet to 310 feet.<\/p>\n
Conrad themselves will tow Pegasus from Stennis to the company\u2019s shipyard facilities in Amelia, where she will be drydocked during repair\/refit operations.<\/p>\n
The work is expected to be completed in early 2015, readying Pegasus to set sail once more, ready to pick up her first core.<\/p>\n
![\"Z15\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Z15.jpg\")
Pegasus will also see a change to the the loading and unloading of the large hardware elements, via the Self Propelled Module Transporter (SPMT) \u2013 that will allow for SLS Structural Test Articles (STAs) and the Integrated Core Stage (ICS) to depart MAF to NASA locations.<\/p>\n
The SPMT will be able to travel at up to three miles per hour and be capable \u2013 when SPMT modules are grouped together \u2013 of carrying up to 600,000lbs.<\/p>\n
A total of four transporters will be required for the SLS Program.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Z3.jpg\")
Both the SPMT and the upgraded Pegasus will join forces when the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) begin to ship out stages \u2013 opening with the STA.<\/p>\n
This will involve testing at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and Stennis \u2013 the latter of which will be deeply involved in engine testing with the RS-25s on the integrated core stage.<\/p>\n
The A-1 Test Stand is deep into preparations for returning the a test schedule for the RS-25s, last seen during the Shuttle Program.\n<\/p>\n
*Click here for more SLS News Articles*<\/p>\n
According to L2 information, Test stand A-1 modifications were completed June 30, with engine E0525 mounted on the stand July 1. Eo525 testing is still scheduled to start NET (No Earlier Than) August 20.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the historic restart of RS-25 production \u201cAuthority To Proceed\u201d is scheduled for October 1.<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Z34.jpg\")
Eventually, the amazing sight of a SLS core with four RS-25s will be seen at Stennis, providing a major milestone head of the monster rocket\u2019s first flight which is currently scheduled for December, 2017 \u2013 although it is rumored this Exploration Mission -1 (EM-1) flight will be pushed back one full year by NASA HQ.<\/p>\n
Such a delay would not be a major impact on SLS requirements, given the accelerated 2017 date was a throwback to the since-defunct support role for the International Space Station (ISS) in the event the Commercial Crew Program (CCP) suffered a massive set back.<\/p>\n
![\"VAC](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/Z46A.jpg\")
SLS teams continue to work towards the 2017 date, with recent milestones including the passing of the Core Stage Critical Design Review (CDR).<\/p>\n
Also, MAF\u2019s Vertical Assembly Center (VAC) \u2013 which will be home to one of the largest welding tools of its kind \u2013 is scheduled to receive its \u201cAuthority To Proceed\u201d on July 25.<\/p>\n
Other L2 information adds that the Booster CDR Pre-Board meeting is scheduled for July 31, and the Board meeting is scheduled for August 6-7.<\/p>\n
ATK is continuing to work towards a realigned test firing, following the discovery of voids in one segment of the next test motor known as Qualification Motor -1 (QM-1).<\/p>\n
(Images: Via NASA and L2 content from L2\u2032s ET and SLS specific L2 sections, which includes, presentations, videos, graphics and internal \u2013 interactive with actual SLS engineers \u2013 updates on the SLS and HLV, available on no other site.)<\/p>\n
(L2 is \u2013 as it has been for the past several years \u2013 providing full exclusive SLS and Exploration Planning coverage. To join L2, click here: http:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/l2\/)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NASA\u2019s famous Pegasus Barge \u2013 best known for transporting External Tanks from the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) to the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) \u2013 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 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":30293,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[9021,7866,1828,624,8116],"class_list":["post-39551","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-et","tag-maf","tag-pegasus","tag-sls","tag-ssme"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39551"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39551"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39551\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30293"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39551"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39551"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39551"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}