Author Topic: Pad 39A - Transition to SpaceX Falcon Heavy debut - Thread 3  (Read 444387 times)

Offline Navier–Stokes

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Space Florida seeks FDOT approval to help SpaceX (Orlando Sentinel)
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The agency will ask Florida Department of Transportation for $5 million to contribute to infrastructure improvements on Spaceport Launch Complex 39A, which SpaceX hopes will one day be the site of rocket launches that send humans to Mars.
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According to meeting documents, "project match funding" from FDOT would be used for "infrastructure improvements by SpaceX."
The $5 million has been approved and will be used for commercial crew access arm installation.
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James Dean ‏@flatoday_jdean 10:21 AM - 26 Oct 2016   
Space Florida's board has approved giving SpaceX $5M to help install Falcon/Dragon crew access arm at KSC's historic pad 39A.

Offline DecoLV

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Very interesting article. I'm a little puzzled by the figure, though. $5 million to install the crew access arm? Maybe not a piece of cake, but it sounds high. Unless they have to do a lot more steelwork on the FSS.

Offline whitelancer64

Very interesting article. I'm a little puzzled by the figure, though. $5 million to install the crew access arm? Maybe not a piece of cake, but it sounds high. Unless they have to do a lot more steelwork on the FSS.

"SpaceX, which must at least double the state's contribution, planned to invest $25 million in the project"

Apparently at least $30 million.

In addition to what has already been spent:

"Space Florida had already contributed $5 million to the first phase of renovations, which included construction of a large hangar at the pad's base and systems to roll Falcon rockets up the pad and lift them into upright.

Officials said SpaceX had spent more than $75 million and created 90 jobs to complete that work"
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Offline MarekCyzio

Apple Maps has now updated imagery.
I don't know the date when it was acquired.

Looking at other landmarks I concluded these were captured before march 2016. My guess is late 2015-early 2016.

Offline DecoLV

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I went looking for baseline figures, to no avail. A cursory search of Saturn hardware turned up tons of technical info about the old towers, but no broken-out costs. But they were dismantled by cranes in 1976 to make the Shuttle FSS. And lots of "proposed but not budgeted info" about the SLS mobile launcher. I still would guess the figures include the HIF, T/E, launch mount, or other work.

Offline ShawnGSE

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The canopy isn't over the top of the launch mount so it's from early 2016.  Focus at the time was Vandy. 

Offline Flying Beaver

Also it can be noted from Terrasever imagery from the 10th of October, that the larger yellow crane used to lift stages off OCISLY, is now at LC39A. I would guess to be in place to lift the crew access arm into position.

 https://www.terraserver.com/preview/1c63553623fce528f908938aa228df2e?
bbox=-80.60599744319916,28.606880375682646,-80.60213506221771,28.
609423506923687&latitude=28.608027
1471&longitude=-80.6043586135&image_area=106862.16322216834%20&
horizontal_distance=377.47133520830
46%20&vertical_distance=283.10007477308784&zoom_level=18

« Last Edit: 10/30/2016 04:03 pm by Chris Bergin »
Watched B1019 land in person 21/12/2015.

Offline biosehnsucht

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Wasn't there already a crane at LC-39A ? Are you sure they moved the crane from the port to the pad?

Offline Flying Beaver

Quote from: biosehnsucht link=topic=41015http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/Smileys/default/kiss.gif.msg1604398#msg1604398 date=1477770569
Wasn't there already a crane at LC-39A ? Are you sure they moved the crane from the port to the pad?

Nope, its not there in images from July.
Watched B1019 land in person 21/12/2015.

Offline John.bender

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Hmm. Pretty sure I saw a crane there in September.

Offline southshore26

Quote from: biosehnsucht link=topic=41015http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/Smileys/default/kiss.gif.msg1604398#msg1604398 date=1477770569
Wasn't there already a crane at LC-39A ? Are you sure they moved the crane from the port to the pad?

Nope, its not there in images from July.

There's been a large red crane onsite at 39A for over 6 months... and it's larger than the yellow crane that was being used at the port. That's not to say they didn't move the port crane to 39A but a larger crane has been onsite at the pad for quite some time.

Offline ShawnGSE

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The cranes are different.  Crane currently at 39A just off the pad is a monster that can go 300+ feet.  The port crane is maybe half that size.  It has been used for several operations, but the main purpose will be pretty obvious soon. 

Offline zack

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The yellow crane seems to be quiet experienced at lifting used cores around....

Offline shuttlefan

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The cranes are different.  Crane currently at 39A just off the pad is a monster that can go 300+ feet.  The port crane is maybe half that size.  It has been used for several operations, but the main purpose will be pretty obvious soon. 

Can you possibly elaborate on the next operation that will be 'obvious soon."? thanks!

Offline The_Ronin

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Can you possibly elaborate on the next operation that will be 'obvious soon."? thanks!

They are going to have to fit testing and what better to use than one of the cores in the 39A HIF?

Offline shuttlefan

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Can you possibly elaborate on the next operation that will be 'obvious soon."? thanks!

They are going to have to fit testing and what better to use than one of the cores in the 39A HIF?

Thanks!

Offline chrisking0997

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Can you possibly elaborate on the next operation that will be 'obvious soon."? thanks!

They are going to have to fit testing and what better to use than one of the cores in the 39A HIF?

and why would they use the crane vs the strongback for that?
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Offline DecoLV

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and why would they use the crane vs the strongback for that?

T/E requires both stages. If they only need the booster, they must use the crane.

Offline woods170

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and why would they use the crane vs the strongback for that?

T/E requires both stages. If they only need the booster, they must use the crane.
Exactly. Like when SpaceX hoisted a returned F9 first stage on SLC-40 and gave it a brief 10 second static firing. However, you don't need a 300+ feet crane for that. Not even at LC-39A.

Offline deruch

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The cranes are different.  Crane currently at 39A just off the pad is a monster that can go 300+ feet.  The port crane is maybe half that size.  It has been used for several operations, but the main purpose will be pretty obvious soon.
Can you possibly elaborate on the next operation that will be 'obvious soon."? thanks!
They are going to have to fit testing and what better to use than one of the cores in the 39A HIF?
I think he was actually hinting about attaching the crew access arm to the FSS.  For just fit testing the mount they don't need anything as large as that monster.
« Last Edit: 11/01/2016 08:44 pm by deruch »
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