KFLLCFII From United States of America, joined Sep 2004, 3263 posts, RR: 33 Reply 1, posted (1 year 5 months 6 days 20 hours ago) and read 4790 times:
Suresh,
That's a great article with excellent pictures! A level of detail we might never have gotten otherwise.
I'm glad I was able to see her go in person on the final mission. Orion might be the successor for American spaceflight, but it certainly is no replacement for the Space Shuttle.
"About the only way to look at it, just a pity you are not POTUS KFLLCFII, seems as if we would all be better off."
eksath From United States of America, joined Aug 2004, 1154 posts, RR: 27 Reply 2, posted (1 year 4 months 2 weeks 6 days 9 hours ago) and read 4227 times:
That's a great article with excellent pictures! A level of detail we might never have gotten otherwise.
I'm glad I was able to see her go in person on the final mission. Orion might be the successor for American spaceflight, but it certainly is no replacement for the Space Shuttle.
Thank you. Besides the USAF little mini shuttle like spybird, i doubt that lifting bodies will be worked on seriously in our lifetime again.
Stay tuned there is going to be more systems I am working on for e.g. propulsion etc and pictures that will show the action in new light.
nomadd22 From United States of America, joined Feb 2008, 1577 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (1 year 4 months 2 weeks 6 days 6 hours ago) and read 4183 times:
Quoting eksath (Reply 2): Thank you. Besides the USAF little mini shuttle like spybird, i doubt that lifting bodies will be worked on seriously in our lifetime again.
Dreamchaser looks pretty serious.
I'm keping that cockpit photo for my wallpaper.
True. But i will await till she flies. There is so much flux that i am not sure what will happen month to month let alone administration to administration.
Quoting nomadd22 (Reply 3): I'm keping that cockpit photo for my wallpaper.
eksath From United States of America, joined Aug 2004, 1154 posts, RR: 27 Reply 6, posted (1 year 4 months 4 days 1 hour ago) and read 3530 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW ARTICLE EDITOR
Quoting ZANL188 (Reply 5): Nice shot. How much time did they give you to set it up?
Well.. the vehicle was already powered up so that reduced time but the guys on console at the LCC were busy putting 103 to sleep. This was the day that 103 was terminated from the point of view of power. I did this after the doors closed on 103 for the final time but before her final powerdown. That happened couple of hours later. I had previously shot her so Atlantis was my target today. So by the time they switched over to load the right data (we also spent time working on the light sources to get the optimal colors etc and stop reflections of the MDUs), it was a good 45 minutes or more on the flight deck alone. The mid deck and payload bay was probably another 30 mins so it took 1hr+.
KFLLCFII From United States of America, joined Sep 2004, 3263 posts, RR: 33 Reply 7, posted (1 year 4 months 3 days 4 hours ago) and read 3415 times:
Quoting eksath (Reply 6): The mid deck and payload bay was probably another 30 mins so it took 1hr+.
Will you be posting or uploading any pictures of the payload bay?
BTW, I've been searching the net without much luck...Is there a status update of the decommissioning and a timeline of when the final SCA moves may take place, and when the recipients may be ready to accept them? I saw in one of your photos that Explorer was moved from the Visitor's Center to the VAB in preparation for the barge trip to Johnson, and during my visit to the center last June one of the tour guides stated an idea for Atlantis was to enclose it in a building where Explorer sat and perhaps suspend it above the crowd.
Thanks.
"About the only way to look at it, just a pity you are not POTUS KFLLCFII, seems as if we would all be better off."
eksath From United States of America, joined Aug 2004, 1154 posts, RR: 27 Reply 10, posted (1 year 4 months 2 days 9 hours ago) and read 3338 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW ARTICLE EDITOR
Quoting KFLLCFII (Reply 7): I've been searching the net without much luck...Is there a status update of the decommissioning and a timeline of when the final SCA moves may take place, and when the recipients may be ready to accept them?
Ferry flight for from KSC to Dulles for 103 is slated for on/about April 16th the last time i checked. I believe arrival in Dulles is the 17th. I might be off by a day or two. However, as far as things go, operational constraints and weather trumps any PR schedule, so I would not be surprised off a date change. The original plan was to fly her out on April 12,2012 as that would be the 31st anniversary of STS-1.
Regards, KSC VC, In my opinion that display of Atlantis will be the best display of an orbiter. The construction project kicked off last month. My recollection of the plans is that it will take about 1 yr and a half. Atlantis will be housed in either the transfer aisle or high bay 4 of the VAB and they are running tours to see her. I believe it is $25 add to the standard ticket (or something like that). For the general public, that would be unique setting to see her in and even though it is about a 20 minute visit,i recommend it. Currently, she is high bay 4. Once Endeavour is done in OPF 2, they will again swap them out- if OPF 1 is not used.
Discovery is slated to be moved from OPF 1 to the transfer aisle some time next month. So Atlantis may just go into OPF 1 but there is also possibility that an outside entity may rent OPF 1 in which case only OPF 2 will be in play. Discovery will be towed over to the SLF for the lift and mate with N905NA a few days before the ferry flight.
eksath From United States of America, joined Aug 2004, 1154 posts, RR: 27 Reply 12, posted (1 year 4 months 23 hours ago) and read 3196 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW ARTICLE EDITOR
Quoting KFLLCFII (Reply 11): Wait...right now? (Or when the project is finished?)
Yes. Right now. They have been running VAB tours for about 3 months now and the guests get to see which ever orbiter or orbiters are there.First it was Discovery in High Bay 4 (but i dont think the tours had started at this time). It was Endeavour first (alone) in High bay 4 with the tour. Then Atlantis got wheeled into the transfer aisle. The next day Endeavour was taken to OPF2. Then after a two days, Atlantis was taken into high bay 4 - where she remains.
The tours are currently running. I recommend it as the best to see Discovery and Endeavour there before they each leave! Discovery will be moved there sometime in March.
eksath From United States of America, joined Aug 2004, 1154 posts, RR: 27 Reply 13, posted (1 year 3 months 3 weeks 6 days 11 hours ago) and read 2963 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW ARTICLE EDITOR
Quoting nomadd22 (Reply 3): I'm keping that cockpit photo for my wallpaper.
flyboyseven From Canada, joined Feb 2007, 903 posts, RR: 1 Reply 14, posted (1 year 3 months 3 weeks 5 days 9 hours ago) and read 2841 times:
Quoting eksath (Reply 10): Regards, KSC VC, In my opinion that display of Atlantis will be the best display of an orbiter. The construction project kicked off last month. My recollection of the plans is that it will take about 1 yr and a half. Atlantis will be housed in either the transfer aisle or high bay 4 of the VAB and they are running tours to see her. I believe it is $25 add to the standard ticket (or something like that). For the general public, that would be unique setting to see her in and even though it is about a 20 minute visit,i recommend it. Currently, she is high bay 4. Once Endeavour is done in OPF 2, they will again swap them out- if OPF 1 is not used.
I was there last week. That tour was so cool. It was an amazing opportunity to see an orbiter in its "natural habitat". I saw Atlantis in High Bay 4. That VAB is sure an impressive building! If anyone is going to the KSC anytime soon, it is definitely worth the 25 bucks. The tour also goes out to pads 39A and B as well as halfway along the causeway to Cape Canaveral. When I was there the Atlas 5 that is due to launch today was out there for its previous 2 launch attempts.
As long as the number of take-offs equals the number of landings...you're doing fine.
eksath From United States of America, joined Aug 2004, 1154 posts, RR: 27 Reply 15, posted (1 year 3 months 3 weeks 2 days 23 hours ago) and read 2737 times:
There is one and final chance coming up to see Discovery in her home environment. Once the processing in the OPF is finished she will be pulled into the transfer aisle of the VAB. Currently scheduled for no earlier than March 20th. Then she will leave around April 10/11 for ever.
Sponsor Message: 
From United States of America, joined Aug 2004, 1154 posts, 
Wait...right now? (Or when the project is finished?)
From Canada, joined Feb 2007, 903 posts, 
Sponsor Message: 
Printer friendly format
