Credit: Ken Kremer Overhead view of Space Shuttle Endeavour in VAB for Lift and Mate from Level 16. Credit: Ken Kremer Overhead view of Space Shuttle Endeavour in VAB for Lift and Mate. Space Shuttle Endeavour in VAB for Lift and Mate. AMS will search for dark matter and seek to determine the origin of the universe.Ĭheck out the majestic views of “ Lift and Mate” for Space Shuttle Endeavour in my photo album hereinįinal “Lift and Mate” of Space Shuttle Endeavour. Endeavour will haul the $2 Billion Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) to orbit and attach it to the ISS. The STS-134 mission will be the 25th and final flight for shuttle Endeavour. NASA will rollout Endeavour to Launch Pad 39 A on March 9 following the landing of Space Shuttle Discovery. Large yellow sling set to be attached to Endeavour. “The shuttle could fly many more missions.” “The orbiter has a lot of life left in her,” said a top shuttle manager to me. Its hard to believe I was really an eyewitness to this majestic event and also sadly realize it will never happen again. The final step was to lower Endeavour into position for mating to the fuel tank and solid rocket boosters already awaiting her arrival. Media including myself watched this entire process in total awe from several different levels inside the VAB as Endeavour was lifted past us from just a few meters away. The orbiter was then lifted up to the VAB ceiling and carefully moved over walkways into High Bay 3. The tail came to rest just a few meters from the hard and unforgiving concrete floor. While hanging in the air by thin cables, the 100 ton orbiter is reminiscent to me of what astronauts on the International Space Station surely see as the shuttle approaches for docking.įollowing the shuttles rollover to the VAB on top on the transporter, technicians initially attached a large yellow, metal sling to Endeavour in the center area of the VAB – known as the transfer aisle.Įndeavour was then slowly and methodically hoisted on pulleys and chains into the vertical position. Lift and Mate is a jaw dropping and unforgettable experience because you see the orbiter suspended in mid air as though it was flying in space. Workers in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) secure yellow metal sling to Endeavour prior to lift from the VAB transfer aisle into High Bay 3 on 1 March 2011.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |