Discovery: Deservicing and Retirement Updates

• #200 by kcrick on 11 Aug, 2011 19:18
• 
  Another question - In the article it mentions that each of the shuttles, once they are finished with the transition preps, will be stored in VAB HB4 until they go to their respective museum locations. Why ? Why not just leave them in the OPFs until they are ready? Just curious...
  
• #201 by psloss on 11 Aug, 2011 19:28
• Quote from: kcrick on 11 Aug, 2011 19:18

  Another question - In the article it mentions that each of the shuttles, once they are finished with the transition preps, will be stored in VAB HB4 until they go to their respective museum locations. Why ? Why not just leave them in the OPFs until they are ready? Just curious...
  

  I believe some of it is noted in ChrisG's article -- first, Discovery clears OPF-1 for Atlantis to resume/complete her T&R work.  Then OPF bays 1 and 2 are likely to need some open bay work to be put in either an "end state" or to support future "customers" -- just as with OPF-3.
  
• #202 by kcrick on 11 Aug, 2011 19:34
• Quote from: psloss on 11 Aug, 2011 19:28

  Quote from: kcrick on 11 Aug, 2011 19:18

  Another question - In the article it mentions that each of the shuttles, once they are finished with the transition preps, will be stored in VAB HB4 until they go to their respective museum locations. Why ? Why not just leave them in the OPFs until they are ready? Just curious...
  

  I believe some of it is noted in ChrisG's article.
  
  

  
  Ok, I can understand Discovery (to make room for Atlantis), but how about the others ? Do they want to start work on the OPFs , so once the shuttles are ready, they'll move them out for storage ?
  
• #203 by Walter S on 13 Aug, 2011 03:24
• Discovery and Endeavour made a small appearance on NBC Nighly News. 
  
  Starts at 1:15
  
  [url]http://www.nbc.com/news-sports/msnbc-video/2011/08/what-weve-missed-this-week//url]
  
• #204 by Ronsmytheiii on 17 Aug, 2011 04:35
• GOing to place this in Discovery version, as it is related though specific to Enterprise:
  
  

  Quote

  Following the arrival of Discovery on the SCA on April 12, Enterprise will be towed out of her temporary storage hanger to the SCA at Dulles, mated to the aircraft, and flown out of Washington, D.C. and into JFK International on April 17.

  
  I actually think Enterprise will be placed in the restoration hangar, which has just opened beside the space gallery.  In fact, one can see into the restoration hangar from the space gallery:
  
  http://www.nasm.si.edu/museum/udvarhazy/restoration.cfm
  
  http://www.flickr.com/photos/cdevers/5779797342/

  ---

  

  
• #205 by DMeader on 18 Aug, 2011 14:56
• Ooh... is that a SB2C I see???
• #206 by JayP on 18 Aug, 2011 16:06
• Quote from: Ronsmytheiii on 17 Aug, 2011 04:35

  GOing to place this in Discovery version, as it is related though specific to Enterprise:
  
  

  Quote

  Following the arrival of Discovery on the SCA on April 12, Enterprise will be towed out of her temporary storage hanger to the SCA at Dulles, mated to the aircraft, and flown out of Washington, D.C. and into JFK International on April 17.

  
  I actually think Enterprise will be placed in the restoration hangar, which has just opened beside the space gallery.  In fact, one can see into the restoration hangar from the space gallery:
  
  http://www.nasm.si.edu/museum/udvarhazy/restoration.cfm
  
  http://www.flickr.com/photos/cdevers/5779797342/
  

  What leads you to think that?
• #207 by Ronsmytheiii on 29 Aug, 2011 14:22
• Quote

  Technicians work on auxiliary power unit tank removal procedures for Shuttle Discovery today inside Orbiter Processing Facility-1

  
  http://twitter.com/#!/NASAKennedy
• #208 by chrisking0997 on 29 Aug, 2011 19:56
• would be nice to see a pic of Discovery and Enterprise together on the ramp at Dulles...would be the last time 2 orbiters would be together "complete", right?
• #209 by Ronsmytheiii on 30 Aug, 2011 12:07
• Quote

  Techs continue post-Freon Loop-1 deservicing & auxiliary power unit tank removal procedure work in Discovery today

  
  http://twitter.com/#!/NASAKennedy
• #210 by Ronsmytheiii on 31 Aug, 2011 13:19
• Quote

  Technicians are scheduled today to begin several days of auxiliary power unit component removals from Discovery

  
  http://twitter.com/#!/NASAKennedy
• #211 by Ronsmytheiii on 09 Sep, 2011 14:21
• Quote

  Techs will remove Discovery's main engine #1 and #3 yaw actuators and work to deservice its liquid cooling garment loop 2 today.

  
  http://twitter.com/#!/NASAKennedy
• #212 by AnalogMan on 19 Sep, 2011 14:05
• Posting a summary of work on Discovery over the last week - I've aggregated what now seem to be daily reports posted by NASA on their main website.  If folks find this useful I can post more in the future.
  
  Summary of processing 12 - 19 September
  Shuttle Discovery (OPF-1):
  
  Mon, 12 Sep
  
  Will begin the week by picking up work to remove Discovery' space shuttle main engine #1 and #3 yaw actuators. Teams also will continue work on deservicing the shuttle's liquid cooling garment loop 2.
  
  Tue, 13 Sep
  
  Will remove Discovery' space shuttle main engine #2 yaw and pitch actuators today. Teams will continue work on deservicing the shuttle's liquid cooling garment loop 2 through the end of the week..
  
  Wed, 14 Sep
  
  Have removed all of Discovery's space shuttle main engine yaw and pitch actuators. Today, teams will begin removing the shuttle's fuel and drain line flexhoses. Teams will continue work on deservicing the shuttle's liquid cooling garment loop 2 through the end of the week.
  
  Thu, 15 Sep
  
  Working on Discovery's auxiliary power unit (APU) systems. Today, teams will remove APU components and will continue work on deservicing the shuttle's liquid cooling garment loop 2.
  
  Fri, 16 Sep
  
  Will continue work on Discovery's auxiliary power unit (APU) systems. Teams are removing APU components and deservicing the shuttle's liquid cooling garment loop 2.
  
  Mon, 19 Sep
  
  Will continue work on Discovery's auxiliary power unit (APU) systems. Component removals are expected to be completed Wednesday. Teams will continue deservicing the shuttle's liquid cooling garment loop 2 through Tuesday.
• #213 by Ford Mustang on 23 Sep, 2011 13:14
• Friday, September 23rd:
  
  Technicians in Orbiter Processing Facility-1 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., are removing Shuttle Discovery's auxiliary power units.
• #214 by Ronsmytheiii on 28 Sep, 2011 03:09
• Good bye Payload canister.......
  
  

  Quote

  Cranes lower payload canister #1 to the ground outside the Reutilization, Recycling and Marketing Facility on Ransom Road at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The two payload canisters used to transport space shuttle payloads to the launch pad for installation in the shuttles' cargo bays are being decommissioned following the end of the Space Shuttle Program. Each canister weighs 110,000 pounds and is 65 feet long, 22 feet wide, and 18 feet, 7 inches high. The canisters were prescreened through NASA Headquarters as possible artifacts, but their size makes them difficult to transport to locations off the center.

  
  http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/search.cfm?cat=4

  ---

  
• #215 by Ronsmytheiii on 28 Sep, 2011 13:16
• Quote

  Technicians have removed all of Discovery's auxiliary power units and will spend today working on the shuttle's waste system.

  
  http://twitter.com/#!/NASAKennedy
• #216 by Ronsmytheiii on 03 Oct, 2011 15:20
• Seems that the gutting of the OMS pods are complete:
  
  

  Quote

  Technicians in Orbiter Processing Facility-1 will install Discovery's left-hand orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pod this week.

  
  
  http://twitter.com/#!/NASAKennedy
• #217 by brettreds2k on 03 Oct, 2011 15:34
• Wow they got those back pretty quick
• #218 by Ronsmytheiii on 05 Oct, 2011 00:19
• image of the return of the OMS pod, notice no OMS engine bell
  
  http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/search.cfm?cat=4

  ---

  

  
• #219 by ChrisGebhardt on 06 Oct, 2011 18:58
• Quote from: chrisking0997 on 29 Aug, 2011 19:56

  would be nice to see a pic of Discovery and Enterprise together on the ramp at Dulles...would be the last time 2 orbiters would be together "complete", right?
  

  
  With Endeavour and Atlantis both requiring extra down processing time to gut their MPS, it's now possible that both Endeavour and Atlantis will be completed for museum display before Endeavour ships out to Los Angeles.