Discovery: Deservicing and Retirement Updates

[brettreds2k]

Yeah the painted engines look horrid IMO, I still cant believe they painted them and did it where they would not even look remotely close to flight hardware. The inside of them is horrid also.

I still cant believe the OMS pods are without the main nozzle to.

[gordo]

There are enough older non serviceable SSMEs around the country, I just don't understand why NASA and NASM did not pull three of these and put them into discovery.

If you look at the Saturn V at KSC you would be hard pressed to see what are real and fake.

[Mark Dave]

They could just remove Pathfinder's engine nozzles since they are the actual flight engines. The mainstream people wouldn't even care to notice the difference anyway.

So the OMS engines will be put back on after Discovery is delivered?

[psloss]

There were some tailcone questions several months back; Tracy Young with KSC PAO said that tailcone serial number 2 is the one at KSC now and will fly with Discovery to Washington.  It will then go back to KSC for Endeavour's ferry flight.

Tailcone S/N 1 will fly with Enterprise from Washington to New York.  The plan was to leave that on Enterprise for display.

Followed up with Tracy on S/N 2 and she says that tailcone will return to KSC after Endeavour's ferry flight for excess.

[robertross]

There were some tailcone questions several months back; Tracy Young with KSC PAO said that tailcone serial number 2 is the one at KSC now and will fly with Discovery to Washington.  It will then go back to KSC for Endeavour's ferry flight.

Tailcone S/N 1 will fly with Enterprise from Washington to New York.  The plan was to leave that on Enterprise for display.

Followed up with Tracy on S/N 2 and she says that tailcone will return to KSC after Endeavour's ferry flight for excess.

I wouldn't mind that as a lawn ornament! 

[Ronsmytheiii]

We started removing the Main Propulsion System in Discovery last week. Not taking it all out...just specific parts needed for SLS

https://twitter.com/#!/Astronut099

[Ronsmytheiii]

Updates for 1/18/2012

In Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Fla., Discovery’s tail cone has been installed in preparation for delivery to the Smithsonian for public display.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/rss_main_right_collex_archive_1.html

[gordo]

little bit in the current edition of Spaceport news about the RSMEs

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/pdf/616043main_jan13-2012.pdf

“Historically, the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum is known for displaying authentically flown flight hardware,” Hausman said. “The museum requested that the engines look as authentic as pos- sible after flight.”
Guard-Lee Inc., of Apopka, Fla., created the Explorer space shuttle replica that was on display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. According to Hausman,
the company specializes in creating authentic-looking space vehicles and hardware.
Guard-Lee replica specialists were hired by the Smithsonian to come
to Kennedy to sand and paint the RSMEs to simulate what a flown nozzle looked like after a shuttle mission.
“It required an artistic approach to achieve the look of post-flight engines,” said Guard-Lee president and owner Tom Wilkes.
Wilkes said four technicians took about a week to repaint some areas of the RSMEs and lightly abraded other areas so the nozzles looked as if they had flown in space.

[Ronsmytheiii]

update for 1/20

In Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Fla., technicians are performing final closeout work on Discovery’s tail cone in preparation for delivery to the Smithsonian for public display.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/main/rss_main_right_collex_archive_1.html

[Furner]

little bit in the current edition of Spaceport news about the RSMEs

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/pdf/616043main_jan13-2012.pdf

“Historically, the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum is known for displaying authentically flown flight hardware,” Hausman said. “The museum requested that the engines look as authentic as pos- sible after flight.”
Guard-Lee Inc., of Apopka, Fla., created the Explorer space shuttle replica that was on display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. According to Hausman,
the company specializes in creating authentic-looking space vehicles and hardware.
Guard-Lee replica specialists were hired by the Smithsonian to come
to Kennedy to sand and paint the RSMEs to simulate what a flown nozzle looked like after a shuttle mission.
“It required an artistic approach to achieve the look of post-flight engines,” said Guard-Lee president and owner Tom Wilkes.
Wilkes said four technicians took about a week to repaint some areas of the RSMEs and lightly abraded other areas so the nozzles looked as if they had flown in space.

Not that it makes much difference if they do not even put OMS nozzles on it.

[kch]

little bit in the current edition of Spaceport news about the RSMEs

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/pdf/616043main_jan13-2012.pdf

“Historically, the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum is known for displaying authentically flown flight hardware,” Hausman said. “The museum requested that the engines look as authentic as pos- sible after flight.”
Guard-Lee Inc., of Apopka, Fla., created the Explorer space shuttle replica that was on display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. According to Hausman,
the company specializes in creating authentic-looking space vehicles and hardware.
Guard-Lee replica specialists were hired by the Smithsonian to come
to Kennedy to sand and paint the RSMEs to simulate what a flown nozzle looked like after a shuttle mission.
“It required an artistic approach to achieve the look of post-flight engines,” said Guard-Lee president and owner Tom Wilkes.
Wilkes said four technicians took about a week to repaint some areas of the RSMEs and lightly abraded other areas so the nozzles looked as if they had flown in space.

Not that it makes much difference if they do not even put OMS nozzles on it.

It seems to matter to them -- if it didn't, they wouldn't do it.

[Furner]

little bit in the current edition of Spaceport news about the RSMEs

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/pdf/616043main_jan13-2012.pdf

“Historically, the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum is known for displaying authentically flown flight hardware,” Hausman said. “The museum requested that the engines look as authentic as pos- sible after flight.”
Guard-Lee Inc., of Apopka, Fla., created the Explorer space shuttle replica that was on display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. According to Hausman,
the company specializes in creating authentic-looking space vehicles and hardware.
Guard-Lee replica specialists were hired by the Smithsonian to come
to Kennedy to sand and paint the RSMEs to simulate what a flown nozzle looked like after a shuttle mission.
“It required an artistic approach to achieve the look of post-flight engines,” said Guard-Lee president and owner Tom Wilkes.
Wilkes said four technicians took about a week to repaint some areas of the RSMEs and lightly abraded other areas so the nozzles looked as if they had flown in space.

Not that it makes much difference if they do not even put OMS nozzles on it.

It seems to matter to them -- if it didn't, they wouldn't do it.

Well I home NASM notices the missing OMS nozzles and attempts to get them back.

[HIPAR]

This is not a matter of what the general public will or will not notice.  It's a matter of getting history correct.  That's what the Smithsonian is all about.

If discovery is being gutted and real parts are being replaced by phony-baloney unrealistic looking props, then Smithsonian is getting at best, an upgrade from the shuttle they already have.

I can't get too excited about making a special effort to go there and see that.

---  CHAS

[rdale]

Smithsonian is getting at best, an upgrade from the shuttle they already have.

I'm not sure the one they have has quite as many hours in space

[Namechange User]

Not that it makes much difference if they do not even put OMS nozzles on it.

Nozzles are going to be on the vehicle.  The engines were removed for potential future use.

And, just to comment on the vehicle being "gutted", that makes sense in this case.  While some components could possibly find a future use (would seem to make sense in many ways) that is the nature of things when vehicles go to "static display".

Look at any airplane or whatever in whatever museum or miltary base around the country.  Many of the systems and components are removed.  Do you know what is in and what is not in there?