This happened this past Thursday during a California monsoon. But let me back up a bit to explain HOW I'm here.
WE (my work) has me down in Southern California again on a PTS (Payload Transportation System) Mission. We have our enormous container at a factory, and today we are transitioning from days to nights (meaning yesterday I worked a day shift, and TODAY and for the next several days I work night shifts). SO...I have the day off as I don't report to work until 6pm. Hence, I drove thru the monsoon to the Science Center to see THE Shuttle Endeavour.
My big brother Greg volunteers here as a docent at the shuttle, as he has been involved in the program since he graduated college and was hired into Rocketdyne, working on the SSMEs (Space Shuttle Main engine). Hes very knowledgeable about the shuttles and enjoys his volunteer time. Sadly hes at his real job today but there are other docents for me to chat with. Being a monsoon day its not as crowded as it would likely be on a nicer day....that's ok with me! But there are obviously a LOT of school kids here even so.
So here is the view as you walk into the room. BAM! The actual Space Shuttle!
The very first thing you think is DAMN ITS BIG!
Here is the cluster of three SSMEs.
They are pretty large too, but look small when installed on the orbiter.
One of the engines.
Greg can tell you pretty much everything youd ever want to know about this engine.
The view of the forward end of the port (left) side. I am a Navy guy after all...port and starboard are part of my lingo. (and we use port/starboard on our container too).
Looking aft on the port side.
Heres a shot of video cameras set up in the forward end of the cargo bay (with a science module installed), the aft end of the cargo bay, and 2 shots of the cockpit.
Outside lies the last flight-worthy ET (External Tank) that they have acquired. In the future they plan to install the orbiter on the tank in launch configuration. they also have acquired a pair of Solid Fuel boosters, so they will also be attached to the ET. They are gathering money now for this change in their future display. The tank is WAY too large for me to capture in a photo (see below that I tried)...but this sign posted at the tank tells its story. The ET was made by my company in Louisiana.
Here is a shot looking from the bottom (as it would be standing upright for launch) to the top.
It is HUGE!
So...if you go back up to the camera shots of inside the cargo bay, what I find truly interesting is that OUR container was created to transport the spacecraft from their respective factories to one of the 2 launch bases for the Space Shuttles. Yes, I said 2 launch bases. Vandenberg Air Force Base (where I work) was planned to launch shuttles. They built the launch pad and an extended runway for them to land (our runway was always one of the abort options for every returning shuttle throughout the life of the Shuttles).
So why didn't they ever launch any Shuttles from Vandenberg? One word. Challenger. When Space Shuttle Challenger exploded during launch so many years ago, it was carrying a VERY EXPENSIVE Government spacecraft. The loss of that cargo got the attention of the people in charge, who determined that the Shuttles were WAY to complex and risky to launch our most expensive satellites. So when they shut down shuttle launches for 3 years or so to evaluate the entire shuttle launch program, the Air Force had a rocket built that could launch the largest spacecraft (the ones the Shuttle Cargo bay was designed from the ground up to haul into space). And thus, no shuttle launches ever occurred from Vandenberg.
Anyway...the containers that we have and still use today were designed from the get-go to mimic the inside of the Space Shuttle cargo bay. Any LARGE payload that a shuttle would carry would first have likely been transported to Cape Canaveral (well, specifically Kennedy Space Center...the Cape is the Air Force side, and Kennedy is the NASA side) in our containers. Cape Canaveral is actually a city as well as a Space Launch base. Everything that we haul in our containers goes to the Cape since the Challenger disaster.
OK. Enough on that. Ive probably bored you to tears already. Its time I grab a bite to eat, as tonight we load the aircraft (flew in last night) with our container, and tomorrow night we fly it home (back to Vandenberg)...HOORAY! Ive been here in So-Cal for 3 weeks now...be good to get home...its been a LONG trip!
And so...hopefully your weather is improving as Punxatawney Phil (the Ground Hog) promised an early spring. I know we have had our share of rain already...I am officially proclaiming ENOUGH! We are going to ahve an amazing flower bloom this spring, and then later in the year an amazing fire season from the spectacular growth. We just cant win.
Hope you have a nice week. Later gaters!
Cheers!
