The orbiter Endeavour is backing out of its Kennedy Space Center processing hangar, making its way toward a 52-story assembly building where it will be readied for a rollout next week to launch pad 39A.First motion at Orbiter Processing Facility Bay No. 2 came at about 7:25 a.m. The quarter-mile move is expected to take about an hour to complete.
Once in the Vehicle Assembly Building, the orbiter will be hoisted atop a mobile launcher platform and mated to an external tank with attached solid rocket boosters.
A weeklong series of tests will be carried out to verify mechanical and electrical connections between the orbiter, tank, boosters and launcher platform. The fully assembled shuttle is scheduled to rollout on July 11. Launch is scheduled for Aug. 7.
IMAGE NOTE: Click to enlarge the Florida Today photo of workers ewscorting the orbiter Endeavour during rollover this morning to the Kennedy Space Center Vehicle Assembly Building. Photo credit: Michael R. Brown/Florida Today.
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