Author Topic: OV-103 in Dulles  (Read 117528 times)

Offline Overflow

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Re: OV-103 in Dulles
« Reply #40 on: 09/12/2013 06:11 pm »
Ugh. That disappoints me. I always thought they could at least go over her every 6 months or so with a duster.

Here's a picture I saw on Flickr awhile ago of dust on the windows.

Offline OV135

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Re: OV-103 in Dulles
« Reply #41 on: 09/18/2013 11:13 pm »
IMO perhaps for all the orbiters they be treated as how NASA treats them, even as they are museum pieces. They are kept clean and preferably behind a nitrogen filled glass case.

As an example the Apollo capsules are all behind glass cases to protect them from dust and children who would break them by mistake. The shuttle orbiters should also be given the same respect. I'm very serious about this.

Offline Overflow

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Re: OV-103 in Dulles
« Reply #42 on: 09/19/2013 08:28 pm »
I actually emailed Udvar-Hazy about this last week asking about how/if they clean Discovery. They got back to me and said they would be forwarding my email to a department that could answer it for me. So far no response.

Offline brettreds2k

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Re: OV-103 in Dulles
« Reply #43 on: 09/24/2013 02:13 pm »
W wonder if they will clean her up a bit. I hope KSC keeps Atlantis clean and daily checks for items people may have thrown over into the cargo bay or left wing.
Brett
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Orbiters I have visited in retirement:

[ ] Enterprise
[X] Discovery
[X] Atlantis
[ ] Endeavour

Offline collectSPACE

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Re: OV-103 in Dulles
« Reply #44 on: 09/24/2013 09:22 pm »
...did you notice any dust on Discovery? I heard complaints about that.

Before rumors start running rampant about a dusty Discovery,  I checked with the museum.

The museum has an artifact cleaning crew who carefully dust the aircraft and spacecraft on a rotating schedule to remove light dust and lint (mostly denim fiber) raised by the millions of visitors who walk through the display areas annually. It takes months to complete one round of dusting, so at any given time any given object may appear to be in need of attention. It's a matter of timing, not inattention.

Offline brettreds2k

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Re: OV-103 in Dulles
« Reply #45 on: 09/25/2013 12:11 pm »
That makes total sense, It is a huge place, When I went to see Discovery last year she looked great but of course those who love these Shuttles tend to get worried they are not taken care of lol
Brett
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Orbiters I have visited in retirement:

[ ] Enterprise
[X] Discovery
[X] Atlantis
[ ] Endeavour

Offline Overflow

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Re: OV-103 in Dulles
« Reply #46 on: 09/25/2013 01:43 pm »
Thank you for checking on this, CS.

Offline Overflow

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Re: OV-103 in Dulles
« Reply #47 on: 09/30/2013 02:54 pm »
A note regarding Space Shuttle Discovery and the Udvar-Hazy Center posted by the Smithsonian: Please note: If the federal government shuts down on Oct. 1, our museums will be closed and all events will be canceled.

Offline brettreds2k

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Re: OV-103 in Dulles
« Reply #48 on: 09/30/2013 04:55 pm »
I saw that on their facebook page last week, That will suck if they have to close down while the morons in Washington fight
Brett
www.facebook.com/brett.lowenthal1

Orbiters I have visited in retirement:

[ ] Enterprise
[X] Discovery
[X] Atlantis
[ ] Endeavour

Offline Overflow

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Re: OV-103 in Dulles
« Reply #49 on: 10/02/2013 10:59 pm »
All we can do now is hope that Discovery enjoys her break.

Offline Overflow

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Re: OV-103 in Dulles
« Reply #50 on: 10/17/2013 02:59 pm »
Now that the government shutdown is over.. Discovery is back! Hopefully she enjoyed her break.

Offline Wayne Hale

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Re: OV-103 in Dulles
« Reply #51 on: 12/08/2014 03:15 pm »
Just for fun, I will be at the Udvar-Hazy talking to the docents on Wednesday Dec 10 2014 at 9 AM.  Hopefully this will give the team some insight so they can give even better tours.  And this will beat the deadline of Dec 11 if the government shuts down once again . . . .

Offline RamjetFDO

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Re: OV-103 in Dulles
« Reply #52 on: 12/30/2014 01:37 pm »
Just for fun, I will be at the Udvar-Hazy talking to the docents on Wednesday Dec 10 2014 at 9 AM.  Hopefully this will give the team some insight so they can give even better tours.

How did this go, Wayne?

When Discovery first made it to Udvar-Hazy, I was on hand to see her into the hanger...  during that first "private viewing" morning some of us had, I talked for about 15 minutes to a handful of docents who were there.  They had some really good questions about the "battle scars" that an operational spacecraft had vs Enterprise.  We had some good discussions of the flow patterns over the wings and fuselage and how some of the scorch marks they were seeing on Discovery was a direct result of that.

It helped a bit to know that these guys are not only there, but are dedicated to "telling the story" of our girl. 
Roger Balettie
former Flight Dynamics Officer
Space Shuttle Mission Control Center
http://space.balettie.com/

Offline david1971

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Re: OV-103 in Dulles
« Reply #53 on: 07/28/2018 06:31 pm »
I'm going to be in DC mid-week, and am trying to figure out planning around a trip to Udvar-Hazy.  Any tips?  How reliable is the bus from the airport?  Would getting an Uber be a better choice?

I'm sure I'll be star-struck by Discovery, are there other displays/artifacts that I won't want to miss by mistake?
I flew on SOFIA four times.

Offline IanThePineapple

Re: OV-103 in Dulles
« Reply #54 on: 07/28/2018 06:52 pm »
I'm going to be in DC mid-week, and am trying to figure out planning around a trip to Udvar-Hazy.  Any tips?  How reliable is the bus from the airport?  Would getting an Uber be a better choice?

I'm sure I'll be star-struck by Discovery, are there other displays/artifacts that I won't want to miss by mistake?

Emphasis mine

You'll definitely want to look at the restoration hangar, it's off to the side in the back of the museum, and they have a lot of interesting items there. Also, look through all of the display cases in the space exhibit, there's small things like astronaut boots, some of Goddard's rocket engines, and many other things people can easily look over while going to see Discovery or the capsules on display. I believe there's a complete Apollo SM engine on display, one of Goddard's early rockets, a Redstone missile, Agena, Pegasus, and many more other rockets on display. You also won't want to miss all the larger rocket engines towards the right of the space area (behind the Pegasus), where they have a Saturn I H-1 engine, a Titan II LR-87, and more.

I was last there in December last year, so I might be forgetting some things and some things may have been moved.

Hope that helped.

Offline JAFO

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Re: OV-103 in Dulles
« Reply #55 on: 07/29/2018 03:44 am »
I'm going to be in DC mid-week, and am trying to figure out planning around a trip to Udvar-Hazy.  Any tips?  How reliable is the bus from the airport?  Would getting an Uber be a better choice?



No, the bus runs to/from Dulles every 15 min or so, I think it costs $2. Just ask at the airport info booth and they’ll take care of you, easy-peasy.


Leave a LOT of time, it’s a yuge place. The hardest part for me was not buying out the bookstore.
« Last Edit: 07/29/2018 03:46 am by JAFO »
Anyone can do the job when things are going right. In this business we play for keeps.
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Offline jjyach

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Re: OV-103 in Dulles
« Reply #56 on: 07/30/2018 01:43 pm »
Definitely take a look in the restoration hanger as noted above.  When I was last there about 3 months ago, they had   an original Iridium sat in there from the downtown site in for its periodic cleaning/work.  I know too that over the past year or so they've had the Apollo 11 Command Module.  Was out there last week, but sadly had no time before my flight out to visit.

Offline joseph.a.navin

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Re: OV-103 in Dulles
« Reply #57 on: 12/31/2018 11:06 pm »
I checked on our beloved Discovery (OV-103) last week at the Smithsonian. I really took more time to view her and look at the insulation on the nose gear wheel well. However, I noticed some odd discoloration on the tiles on the aft end of OV-103 (in the third photo). I can't remember if I have seen this before. Is this how Discovery always looked or is this some discoloration from the years of display? I have to say it did cause a bit of concern in me when I saw it.
Elon University class of 2024 | Past launches/events seen: Superbird-A2 on Atlas IIAS (Apr 2004), Discovery OV-103 ferry flight to Dulles (2012), NG-12, OFT-1, NG-13, Crew-2, NG-18

Offline penguin44

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Re: OV-103 in Dulles
« Reply #58 on: 01/01/2019 05:49 am »
Yeah that's been there since she rolled in. Hard to see depending on the angle due to the light setup. Don't know if it was there before she went on her tour.

Offline Hog

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Re: OV-103 in Dulles
« Reply #59 on: 01/03/2019 07:23 pm »
OV-103 was/is one of the most highly discoloured of the intact Orbiter Vehicles.


Pics
#1 Discovery during her rollout ceremony at Palmdale California-1983, the cradle of all Shuttle Orbiter Vehicles
2) Discovery during STS-133 just before docking, so Feb 26 2011
3) Discovery STS-133 touchdown
4) Discovery aboard a Shuttle Carrier Aircraft(SCA) 2012
5) Enterprise(OV-101) Discovery(OV-103) nose to nose at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center  A great contrast between an OV with Zero space flights but 13 atmospheric flights in addition to the International Tour that Enterprise was taken on from the USA-Canada to England, French Airshow and back again in 1983, and the Mated Vertical Ground Vibration Test and the fit test checkouts that were made by Enterprise at Vandenberg's SLC-6.  There was also the tests for the CAIB which robbed some parts from Enterprise.  There are marks/indents in certain RCC components from the CAIB testing. I didn't include the 3 taxi tests of the ALT program.  The comparison between Enterprise and Atlantis are marked. Enterprise looks brand new while Atlantis looks like a re-usable space vehicle.
Paul

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