Elected and space officials gathered at Kennedy Space Center today to celebrate the completion of renovations to a facility where final assembly and checkout of the Orion spacecraft will be performed. NASA, Lockheed Martin and Florida invested more than $55 million to renovate the Operations and Checkout Building's High Bay Facility for use by the Orion program.
The high bay measures 70,000 square feet, not including a basement that adds another 20,000 square feet.
Built in 1964 for use by the Apollo program, the high bay most recently served as a warehouse.
Final assembly and integration of the Apollo-like crew capsule is expected to preserve up to 400 jobs at KSC, which faces projected losses of 3,000 to 4,000 positions after the shuttle's retirement in late 2010.Richard Harris, a deputy Orion project manager for Lockheed Martin, said the high bay renovation was completed on time and under budget.
He said the facility was essentially gutted, and now features a new floor, walls, ceiling, wiring, air conditioning systems and cranes.
Dignitaries in attendance included U.S. representatives Suzanne Kosmas and Bill Posey; Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp and several members of Brevard County's state delegation; several Brevard County commissioners and local economic development officials; KSC Director Bob Cabana and Space Florida President Steve Kohler.
Orion's first operational flight, aboard an Ares 1 launch vehicle, is scheduled for 2015. Assembly work at KSC is expected to begin in 2012.
The spacecraft is designed to hold four to six astronauts, carrying them initially to the International Space Station, and later to the moon and Mars.
IMAGE NOTE: Click to enlarge the images. Officials today showed off the renovated high bay in Kennedy Space Center's Operations and Checkout Building, where final assembly and integration of the Orion spacecraft will be conducted.
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