Author Topic: shuttle support vehicles, where are they now?  (Read 2562 times)

Offline rtphokie

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shuttle support vehicles, where are they now?
« on: 05/24/2015 05:22 pm »
There was a fleet of vehicle, large and small, supporting the Space Shuttle program.  What happened to them all?

The few I know:

* small astrovan: Saturn V center, KSC
* large astrovan: KSCVC Atlantis exhibit
* crawlers: modified for future use
* shuttle carrier aircraft: N911NA on display at Dryden/parted out for SOFIA, N905NA on display at JSC
* locomotives of the NASA railroad - locomotive #1 was sent to Natchitoches Parish Port and #3 sent to the Madison Railroad last month. Locomotive #2 was sent to the Gold Coast Railroad Museum in 2014
* close out crew panel van - still at KSC AFAIK, frequently seen in the parking lot outside the VAB
* M113 armored personnel carriers - on display outside VAB
*  Crew Transport Vehicle - the odd "mobile lounge" type vehicle used to transfer astronauts from the orbiter directly to the 2nd floor of the Operations and Checkout building, transferred to the Wings of Dreams Aviation Museum
* MV Liberty Star - SRB recovery ship went to the merchant marine academy
* MV Freedom Star - SRB recovery ship is anchored in the James River Reserve Fleet (in Virginia)
* Shuttle training aircraft - Gulfstream II aircraft are in Alabama (to be put on display at the US Space and Rocket Center, Texas Air & Space Museum in Amarillo, and Dryden

where are these?
* Orbiter Transfer System - the 76 wheeled vehicle used to move the orbiter from the OPF to VAB
* Universal Coolant Transporter (UCT) - part of the landing convoy, kept the orbiter and payloads cool after landing. Replaced the Ground Cooling unit.
* convoy command vehicle - also part of the landing convoy, has been used to support NASA Social events in past years
* Self-Contained Atmospheric Protection Ensemble (SCAPE) vehicles, I assume these is useful in future missions, remains in KSC inventory


* the other specialized landing convoy vehicles I've missed

Offline Jim

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Re: shuttle support vehicles, where are they now?
« Reply #1 on: 05/24/2015 05:51 pm »

1. Orbiter Transfer System - the 76 wheeled vehicle used to move the orbiter from the OPF to VAB
2 Universal Coolant Transporter (UCT) - part of the landing convoy, kept the orbiter and payloads cool after landing. Replaced the Ground Cooling unit.
3 convoy command vehicle - also part of the landing convoy, has been used to support NASA Social events in past years
4Self-Contained Atmospheric Protection Ensemble (SCAPE) vehicles, I assume these is useful in future missions, remains in KSC inventory


1.  Spacex bought it at auction and it is sitting in front of Hangar AO (Hangar X).  Likel will be used for transporting first stages to SLC-40 hangar
2.  I believe still in KSC inventory
3.  Sits behind O&C building.  Use is TBD.
4.  These weren't unique convoy vehicles or even shuttle unique.  They had existing tasks before shuttle, were used for many other prop ops during shuttle and are in use today.

Flight crew equipment van (a former airliner galley service vehicle with scissor jack) is just part of the generic KSC panel van fleet.

NASA payloads van still in use delivering payloads to Spacex to launch

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