STS-117: Atlantis in the VAB Updates

• #80 by psloss on 08 Feb, 2007 16:52
• Quote

  pad rat - 8/2/2007  10:27 AM
  
  It takes roughly 24 hrs. from the time the orbiter rolls into the VAB until the time "hard mate" is complete. Just getting the orbiter into position beside the ET and soft-mating the aft attachment posts takes about 12-14 hrs. Installing the bolts is a tedious process that really eats up time.
  
  I've created a photo album of photos I took during some lift/mate operations several years ago. Look at the S0004 album.

  Thanks for posting these here, Mr. Rat
  
  There was a recent question about the SRB hold downs that I think you have some good shots of...
  
• #81 by Launch Fan on 08 Feb, 2007 17:09
• Nice looking USA engineer! Great photos Mr Pad Rat!!

  ---

  
• #82 by punkboi on 08 Feb, 2007 18:28

• Quote

  Launch Fan - 8/2/2007 10:09 AM Nice looking USA engineer! Great photos Mr Pad Rat!!

  Off-topic, but here's a Blog by another nice-looking NASA employee (possibly the same lady in the pic above?).  I envy her (because she has close access to shuttles)

  http://damarisbsarria.blogspot.com/

• #83 by shuttlefan on 08 Feb, 2007 23:46
• Can anyone confirm whether hard-mate is complete and the lifting sling has been removed?
• #84 by Mark Max Q on 09 Feb, 2007 02:34
• Quote

  Chris Bergin - 8/2/2007  9:58 AM
  
  Oh wow, Pad Rat!
  
  http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/photos/photo-main.asp?viewmember=2585
  
  Awesome.

  
  Pad Rat rules. As close as anyone of us nobodies will ever get to a Shuttle!
• #85 by Joey on 09 Feb, 2007 05:28
• I'm hoping this isn't a really dumb question - but - monoball installation I take is the actual point where the shuttle mates with the ET, right? How exactly is this done? (I'm picturing a guy squeezing in between the shuttle and ET with a wrench . . .   )
• #86 by nathan.moeller on 09 Feb, 2007 05:57
• Quote

  Joey - 9/2/2007  12:28 AM
  
  I'm hoping this isn't a really dumb question - but - monoball installation I take is the actual point where the shuttle mates with the ET, right? How exactly is this done? (I'm picturing a guy squeezing in between the shuttle and ET with a wrench . . .   )

  
  Very carefully I think they just make very subtle movements with the crane to inch the orbiter closer and closer to the tank until it presses hard enough against the attach points to form a hard mate, then handy-work takes over from there.
• #87 by eeergo on 09 Feb, 2007 08:35

• There are some high resolution images about the mating operations at http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/search.cfm?cat=71... although not nearly as detailed as pad rat's, they're only the usual PAO stuff Anyhow:

  

  

• #88 by Jonesy STS on 09 Feb, 2007 09:20
• There must be a lot of different stress points on the orbiter with that lift. Are the attach points loaded through major beams of the substructure?
• #89 by Jim on 09 Feb, 2007 11:51
• Quote

  Jonesy STS - 9/2/2007  5:20 AM
  
  There must be a lot of different stress points on the orbiter with that lift. Are the attach points loaded through major beams of the substructure?

  
  No beams, the fuselage is the major structural component of the orbiter.  The attach points of the sling are near  the interface of the fuselage to forward and aft structures, which provide strength to the fuselage
• #90 by paulhbell07 on 09 Feb, 2007 12:27
• That must be a cool job driving the cranes. But how do they deal with the swaying. I have driven over head cranes, as I have maintained(fixed) them in the past. And when you get a big weight on them, even when moving slow, the 'weight' sways at lot. Even when inching. I am not surprised it takes a long time to mate the shuttle to the tank.
• #91 by SimonShuttle on 09 Feb, 2007 13:38
• I bet they were neavous the first time they lifted the orbiter in the VAB. You really don't want to go dropping that!
• #92 by Chris Bergin on 09 Feb, 2007 13:40
• Quote

  SimonShuttle - 9/2/2007  2:38 PM
  
  I bet they were neavous the first time they lifted the orbiter in the VAB. You really don't want to go dropping that!

  
  They did tests with Pathfinder (I think) at MSFC. There's an image somewhere of a tall building and a crane on the side lifting Pathfinder.
• #93 by Mark Dave on 09 Feb, 2007 18:12
• I have some cool photos of Pathfinder I will be adding to my gallery. Thanks for mentioning Pathfinder.
• #94 by missinglink on 09 Feb, 2007 18:34
• Now that Florida is getting tornados on top of its already crazy weather, I am getting a bit worried that one of them might hit a shuttle on its way to the launch pad. Though the odds are probably very low.
• #95 by Rocket Ronnie on 09 Feb, 2007 18:44
• Wow. That's a close one and no protection from the RSS.
• #96 by jacqmans on 09 Feb, 2007 19:55
• Mission: STS-117 - 21st International Space Station Flight (13A) -
  S3/S4 Truss Segment Solar Arrays
  Vehicle: Atlantis (OV-104)
  Location: Vehicle Assembly Building High Bay 1
  Launch Date: Targeted for March 15, 2007
  Launch Pad: 39A
  Crew: Sturckow, Archambault, Reilly, Swanson, Forrester and Olivas
  Inclination/Orbit Altitude: 51.6 degrees/122 nautical miles
  
  On Wednesday, Atlantis rolled from the Orbiter Processing Facility to
  the Vehicle Assembly Building, where it was lifted into high bay 1
  and mated to the external fuel tank. Orbiter power application is
  scheduled for Sunday. Close-out operations continue on the fuel tank
  and solid rocket boosters, with thermal protection system foam
  trimming under way.
  
  The STS-117 payload is scheduled to be transferred to Launch Pad 39A
  on Monday. The shuttle is set to roll out to the pad on Feb. 14.
  
• #97 by nathan.moeller on 09 Feb, 2007 20:36
• Quote

  pad rat - 9/2/2007  1:39 PM
  
  7/20/99. Don't remember how close it came, but I'm pretty sure it never breached the pad perimeter. I think the photo came from Florida Today. I was in the cockpit at the pad one day when the tornado warning sounded. we were told to sit tight, as it was likely the safest place to be.

  
  One word: YIKES!!  Thanks for sharing that Pad Rat.  Scary, yet great, photo.
  
  EDIT: Have they established a target time for rollout next Wednesday?  If so, how will the four-hour setback factor in?
• #98 by DaveS on 09 Feb, 2007 20:42
• Quote

  nathan.moeller - 9/2/2007  10:36 PM
  EDIT: Have they established a target time for rollout next Wednesday?  If so, how will the four-hour setback factor in?

  7 am EST.
• #99 by MySDCUserID on 09 Feb, 2007 21:16
• Grrr...!!!  I'll be stuck in meetings all day!!  Here's to hoping it gets delayed until lunchtime so I can drive to the VAB just as it's rolling out.