The final rollover for Discovery - SpacePod 2010.09.13

CAPE CANAVERAL -- If one did not know better they would think that the day's events would be rather boring. After all, the name of this event hardly does it justice -rollover. However, when one has the opportunity to view a rollover -- it is unlikely they'll forget it. The space shuttle Discovery emerged from its technological cocoon located in Orbiter Processing Facility-3 (OPF-3) at 7 a.m. EDT and was moved into the expansive Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) a few hours later. ;Discovery's trip to the VAB was delayed a day from Wednesday to Thursday Sept. 9, due to a broken water main. Workers found the break in an iron pipe near the VAB and repaired it enough to allow second-shift workers to go to work later in the day."It was a dramatic, albeit a short-lived event," said Allard Beutel, a NASA Public Affairs Officer. "The Kennedy team managed to have a work-around in place in under a day."Rollover is a very special milestone on the road to flight. One can actually watch one of these legendary craft slowly roll by in a stately procession. The orbiter is flanked by workers that have worked to see that the shuttle is prepared for flight. They act as guides ensuring that there is no debris along the short drive that the transport vehicle takes from OPF-3 to the VAB. There were several stops on the way to allow photographs to be taken; marking the last time that Discovery is scheduled to move to the VAB in preparation for flight.Once inside the VAB Discovery was connected to a crane that will hoist the 171,000 lb. space glider into the air. From there it is mated to a set of Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB) and External Tank waiting for the orbiter's arrival. Seeing this massive spacecraft hanging in mid-air alters one's perceptions about space flight. It clearly puts into perspective the amount of effort that goes into the U.S. space program.Within approximately two weeks the "full stack" is then ready to head to Launch Complex 39A in what will be the next milestone to flight -- Rollout.Discovery will deliver and install the Leonardo Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM), the Express Logistics Carrier 4 and provide much-needed spare parts to the International Space Station (ISS). This will be the 35th shuttle mission to the space station. The crew of STS-133 consists of Commander Steven Lindsey, Pilot Eric Boe and Mission Specialists Alvin Drew, Michael Barratt, Tim Kopra and Nicole Stott.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• spacevidcast
• discovery
• ov-103
• sts
• rollover
• space shuttle

[Zhqrxt]

I watched the nightsky above europe yesterday to get a glimpse of shuttle/iss. What we saw was to small stars, like two airplanes, flying in perfect tandem with maybe a inch or two between them. I guess the discovery was dedocked from iss at that point? (around 18-19 gmt)

[spacevidcast]

@Zhqrxt Correct. They had undocked by that point.

[ion5061]

What will replace Discovery??

[spacevidcast]

@ion5061 Nothing for at least 5 years.

[LucianoSilvaBoy]

Unlike rockets covencionais, the U.S. space shuttle is a reusable vehicle. Launched in 1981, opened a new era in space exploration. It is used for various purposes, from carrying satellites into space and put them in orbit until such astronomical laboratories. The current fleet consists of three shuttles: Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour. Two others were destroyed: the Challenger exploded in 1986 and Columbia in 2003.

[Bigmaninsky]

It would be soooooo cool if Spacevidcast would make a short series or small updates about the last flight, so that one can follow discovery all the way. From hangar to space, to runway.

[cubicfeet3]

:'(

[akumat1]

Why their stop the space shuttle descovery

[ion5061]

@ti994apc Thanks for the response.

[ti994apc]

@ion5061 If you are asking what will replace the space shuttle its Falcon9 / Dragon. Falson9 was created by SpaceX. Falcon9 carries the same amount of people to orbit and will be the safest manned rocket ever made and cost around 50 million. Shuttle, the most dangerous rocket ever created for manned space flight cost around 1.6 Billion.

[ti994apc]

@Shrewmy Shuttle is by fare the MOST dangerous man rated ever created. 1) NO escape system. 2) It uses dangerous solid rocket fuel which cannot be turned off. 3) A winged shaped craft is the worst possible design for entering the a Mesosphere 4) passenger compartment parallel with fuel tank. 5) Requires heavy lift system because of the extra weight for landing system. 6) One shot landing with no parachute. ........

[habahabahabahabahaba]

@spacevidcast scaled composite, seems to be the most likely to make it to orbit in spacehipthree or the US x-37b perhaps.

[spacevidcast]

@Shrewmy "people are too obsessed with keeping people too safe, that's what has stifled spaceflight in my opinion."

You're not the only one with that opinion. Many of us feel the same way.

[Shrewmy]

@ti994apc

Anything that launches into space is pretty dangerous.

Space itself will always be dangerous. I think people are too obsessed with keeping people too safe, that's what has stifled spaceflight in my opinion.