Special Atlantis Rollout Images

[FatherRob]

Okay... can someone let me in on who I need to kiss up to to get this close to an orbiter?  Seriously!

I was at KSC on the day before Discovery's most recent launch attempt and took the Up Close tour that gets to about 5,000 feet from the pad.  Still not close enough for my liking.  I realize that the presence of loaded SRB's generally means that non-NASA folk are prohibited from entering the VAB or going to the pad... but I would SO love to get a chance to get up close with a shuttle before they are retired and sent off to rot in some space center's back yard.

Rob+

[punkboi]

FatherRob - 7/8/2006 12:54 PM Okay... can someone let me in on who I need to kiss up to to get this close to an orbiter? Seriously! I was at KSC on the day before Discovery's most recent launch attempt and took the Up Close tour that gets to about 5,000 feet from the pad. Still not close enough for my liking. I realize that the presence of loaded SRB's generally means that non-NASA folk are prohibited from entering the VAB or going to the pad... but I would SO love to get a chance to get up close with a shuttle before they are retired and sent off to rot in some space center's back yard. Rob+

 Ditto.

Chris, any special images of the P3/P4 payload being installed inside Atlantis on Saturday?

[Wisi]

Rollout 0019 is my favourite. I've had it as a desktop wallpaper for some time now... But the other are amazing too. I'd say if you're not in the Space Programm, there is no chance of shooting such photos...

[James (Lockheed)]

Great images.

[astrobrian]

FatherRob - 7/8/2006  2:54 PM  Okay... can someone let me in on who I need to kiss up to to get this close to an orbiter?  Seriously!

 

I would love to know that myself  

[rhwinger]

Further info for the eagle eye types:  

In case you are wondering, the red tape and wires you see on the boosters is part of a special vibration instrumentation test for the "Integrated STS-115 Roll-out Vibration Fatigue Loads Spectra".  The test was requested just after Columbia went down and had been planned for STS-114 last summer but was postponed for one reason or another until now.  The Loads Panel at JSC is concerned that there may be structural effects specifically on the orbiter due to vibration frequencies from roll-out that occur around 0.9 mph which is why they requested the test. ...  A partial version of this test occurred a few years ago when they rolled the SRBs by them selves with a cross beam in place of the ET out of the VAB and up the crawlerway about a mile and then back again into the VAB.  That data was used to generate a computer model of the vibration effect on a full stack and it was that computer model that scared people at JSC enough to propose and get the program to approve the full test.  There was a total of 116 tri-axial accelerometers, strain gauges, and sensors installed on the crawler, MLP, orbiter, and SRBs.  There was no instrumentation put on the ET due to the potential for foam damage.  Anyway, the Loads Panel at JSC should now have all the data they could ever want and its up to them to analyze it and report back to Wayne Hale.  

[Carl G]

I love these pictures and wish I had such close access to the shuttles.

[Paul Adams]

Hi farther Rob, all

Back in 2003 I filmed Columbia's last re-entry as she passed north of Las Vegas and gladly gave the original tape and my video camera to NASA. I took time off work and ran around to get both to Houston just as soon as I could. I was the only one to film one of the shedding events

I did ask at the time if it would be possible to get a close-up tour of the shuttle once the program was up and running again. I received an assurance from two or three people that "it would be a pleasure" and "not a problem at all". Guess what; after they had my tape and camera, and after I fielded quite a few more phone calls from them - I never received a word about the promised tour. Phone calls, emails and even a letter went completely unanswered.

It has left more than a little of a bad impression with me, at the very least someone could have responded with a "sorry, but we can't do it now". Even that would have made me feel better about it.

[psloss]

These are great; some of the closer ones are from vantage points I don't recall seeing for years...kind of a way-back machine.

[NASA_Twix_JSC]

Paul Adams - 7/8/2006  6:34 PM

Hi farther Rob, all

Back in 2003 I filmed Columbia's last re-entry as she passed north of Las Vegas and gladly gave the original tape and my video camera to NASA. I took time off work and ran around to get both to Houston just as soon as I could. I was the only one to film one of the shedding events

I did ask at the time if it would be possible to get a close-up tour of the shuttle once the program was up and running again. I received an assurance from two or three people that "it would be a pleasure" and "not a problem at all". Guess what; after they had my tape and camera, and after I fielded quite a few more phone calls from them - I never received a word about the promised tour. Phone calls, emails and even a letter went completely unanswered.

It has left more than a little of a bad impression with me, at the very least someone could have responded with a "sorry, but we can't do it now". Even that would have made me feel better about it.

That is disgraceful. I am furious to read this. I will make a point of sending a few e-mails in the morning to see if someone can turn this around for you.

[Paul Adams]

Tried to send a private message but not sure it went through. Thanks for your post, it would be wonderful if something did happen!

Paul

[psloss]

Paul Adams - 7/8/2006  7:34 PM

Hi farther Rob, all

Back in 2003 I filmed Columbia's last re-entry as she passed north of Las Vegas and gladly gave the original tape and my video camera to NASA. I took time off work and ran around to get both to Houston just as soon as I could. I was the only one to film one of the shedding events

I did ask at the time if it would be possible to get a close-up tour of the shuttle once the program was up and running again. I received an assurance from two or three people that "it would be a pleasure" and "not a problem at all". Guess what; after they had my tape and camera, and after I fielded quite a few more phone calls from them - I never received a word about the promised tour. Phone calls, emails and even a letter went completely unanswered.

It has left more than a little of a bad impression with me, at the very least someone could have responded with a "sorry, but we can't do it now". Even that would have made me feel better about it.

Wow, Paul, I missed your reply about this last night...that plain old sucks.  I distinctly remember your question about your footage in the minutes after the disaster -- and of course it was a part of Paul Hill's public presentation to the CAIB a few months later.

Hopefully they will correct their mistake...

[Mark Dave]

I'm guessing we won't see the video huh?

On Atlantis, I looked atthe photos and compared to her sisters, the flag next to the UNITED STATES painted on the fuselage seems alot closer to the letters than the other orbiters. How come?

[FatherRob]

Paul,

Did you ever get your camera back?

Rob+

[Paul Adams]

Hi MarkD,

If you mean my Columbia video it is on the INSIDEKSC web site; go to multimedia and then 107.

The markings on the orbiters all seem to be unique, something to be aware of for modelers!

Paul

[Mark Dave]

Yep, the orbiters all differ in some way. Columbia most of all stands out from her sisters.

[Paul Adams]

Columbia was always my favorite, when I lived in the UK we watched her pass overhead (I think on orbit two) shortly after sunset on STS2. I will never forget that, it was the first time I got really 'excited' about spaceflight!

I now watch the ISS pass overhead from my home in Las Vegas whenever it's visible.

Paul

[shuttlefan]

Columbia was also MY favourite, being it was the first Shuttle built for spaceflight. Too bad it isn't in a museum instead of having been destroyed.

[Paul Adams]

No, the camera remains with NASA. I understand that each individual video camera runs at a slightly different speed compared to the next and I guess just in case there is ever a need to revisit the evidence, they want the camera so they can time the events exactly.

Glad to have helped with the investigation, even in this minor way!

Paul