Author Topic: O&C Highbay Construction  (Read 20757 times)

Offline Jim

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O&C Highbay Construction
« on: 08/27/2007 09:57 pm »
The O&C  Highbay during its shuttle heydays


Sorry for the poor quality

Offline Jim

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Re: O&C Highbay Construction
« Reply #1 on: 08/27/2007 10:00 pm »
Same place today

Offline kraisee

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Re: O&C Highbay Construction
« Reply #2 on: 08/27/2007 10:04 pm »
And the SSPF is clearing out in a similar way too with only a small number of ISS elements waiting to be flown.

Ross.
"The meek shall inherit the Earth -- the rest of us will go to the stars"
-Robert A. Heinlein

Offline wannamoonbase

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Re: O&C Highbay Construction
« Reply #3 on: 08/29/2007 03:53 pm »
Despite my hesitation in embracing Ares 1 this news and these photos do give me a warm and fuzzy feeling that we are actually going back to the moon.

Thanks.
Wildly optimistic prediction, Superheavy recovery on IFT-4 or IFT-5

Offline edkyle99

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Re: O&C Highbay Construction
« Reply #4 on: 08/29/2007 04:41 pm »
Thanks for the update, Jim.  I spent quite a bit of time in the O&C High Bay during my tenure at KSC.  I remember the smell of popcorn wafting through the clean room during the afternoons.  People in some adjacent offices used to take an informal mid-afternoon "popcorn break".  For some reason, the ventilation system blew the smell right into the high bay, causing pangs of hunger among the suited clean room workers!

Anyone interested in details of how the O&C High Bay was used during much of the STS program should check out the following link, and download the facility handbook (circa mid-1990s) before it disappears!  

http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/payload/lssm/facility/oandc.html

This site also provides information on the VPF and many other soon-to-be modified or mothballed payload facilities.  Handbooks for eight facilities are available through the following page.

http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/payloads/lssm/facility/facbooks.html

 - Ed Kyle

Offline edkyle99

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RE: O&C Highbay Construction
« Reply #5 on: 08/30/2007 04:37 am »
Here's a clearer photo of the O&C High Bay, though taken some years after the "heyday" of STS operations there.

http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/detail.cfm?mediaid=7668

 - Ed Kyle

Offline simonbp

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Re: O&C Highbay Construction
« Reply #6 on: 08/30/2007 02:28 pm »
What's the future fate of the O&C building? Also is the Hubble SM-4 payload going to be processed in the SSPF?

Simon ;)

Offline MrTim

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Re: O&C Highbay Construction
« Reply #7 on: 08/30/2007 03:53 pm »
Jim,

Do you have regular access to the O&C Highbay, and did you take that pic of it nearly empty?

If so, it might be nice for you to start a thread for images and news of what's happening in there with periodic info/pics as interesting things happen/appear there. It would be great to watch it ramp-up for Ares/Orion and the return to the moon. If somebody could get periodic shots from the same place with same view, it would eventually become a good timelapse. Same goes for anybody else on this site with access to facilities involved in VSE  ;)

Offline Jim

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Re: O&C Highbay Construction
« Reply #8 on: 08/30/2007 04:48 pm »
Quote
MrTim - 30/8/2007  11:53 AM

Do you have regular access to the O&C Highbay, and did you take that pic of it nearly empty?


The observation deck is just down the hall

Offline tankmodeler

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Re: O&C Highbay Construction
« Reply #9 on: 08/30/2007 06:43 pm »
Quote
pad rat - 30/8/2007  2:08 PM
It sure seems odd to walk by the south wing of O&C and see high bay doors open to the outside air at both ends.

Wow, they must really be "done with it" for a while to let the "clean room" status fall off. What class space is that? 100K?

Paul
Sr. Mech. Engineer
MDA

Offline Jim

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Re: O&C Highbay Construction
« Reply #10 on: 08/30/2007 06:56 pm »
Quote
tankmodeler - 30/8/2007  2:43 PM

Quote
pad rat - 30/8/2007  2:08 PM
It sure seems odd to walk by the south wing of O&C and see high bay doors open to the outside air at both ends.

Wow, they must really be "done with it" for a while to let the "clean room" status fall off. What class space is that? 100K?

Paul

100M

Offline MrTim

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Re: O&C Highbay Construction
« Reply #11 on: 09/10/2007 08:41 am »
Pad Rat and Jim,

Thanks for the pics. Please update the thread with more as you see changes. It's gonna get mighty depressing as STS winds-down and there is no flying Orion; it will be a bit better if everyone can see SOME activity at KSC that points to future flights  :)

Threads for pics of changes in the VAB and Firing rooms would be nice.

Might be good if somebody at KSC could start a similar thread with pics of activity at the pads too.

It would be great if NASA would create web pages for changes at each facility and let the taxpayers see the work they are paying for but I suppose that would require NASA to employ somebody to handle public affairs... :bleh:

Offline kraisee

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Re: O&C Highbay Construction
« Reply #12 on: 09/11/2007 03:24 am »
I second the request to keep the thread updated with photo's and news please guys!

And doesn anyone know if both of the vacuum chambers are operational?   I heard only one got refurbished for ISS modules, and the other was not.   What is the current status of that hardware?

Ross.
"The meek shall inherit the Earth -- the rest of us will go to the stars"
-Robert A. Heinlein

Offline Jim

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Re: O&C Highbay Construction
« Reply #13 on: 09/11/2007 11:08 am »
Quote
MrTim - 10/9/2007  4:41 AM


Threads for pics of changes in the VAB and Firing rooms would be nice.

Might be good if somebody at KSC could start a similar thread with pics of activity at the pads too.


Don't have access

Offline Lurker Steve

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Re: O&C Highbay Construction
« Reply #14 on: 04/26/2012 01:33 pm »
Here's an update on the O&C as of March 29, 2012.  This article has a nice photo of the refurbished High Bay, where Orion EFT-1 will be prepared in coming months. 

http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20120329/SPACE/303290032/KSC-building-reborn-Spacecraft-Factory-Future?nclick_check=1

 - Ed Kyle

I don't see how they keep 350-400 people busy with the extremely low volume of Orion capsules they will be building. Even if you have 1 person performing assembly, and another person documenting the assembly, it still seems like at least twice as many employees than they need.

Offline Jim

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Re: O&C Highbay Construction
« Reply #15 on: 04/26/2012 01:55 pm »
Here's an update on the O&C as of March 29, 2012.  This article has a nice photo of the refurbished High Bay, where Orion EFT-1 will be prepared in coming months. 

http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20120329/SPACE/303290032/KSC-building-reborn-Spacecraft-Factory-Future?nclick_check=1

 - Ed Kyle

I don't see how they keep 350-400 people busy with the extremely low volume of Orion capsules they will be building. Even if you have 1 person performing assembly, and another person documenting the assembly, it still seems like at least twice as many employees than they need.


there are test people, prop people,

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