Discovery has begun what may be its final move from its processing hangar to the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center. Delayed a day by a broken water main on Wednesday, the 100-ton orbiter began backing out of the hangar at just before 7 a.m. as the sun rose behind a heavy bank of clouds to the east.
Bolted atop a yellow transporter equipped with 76 wheels, Discovery will travel less than a quarter-mile during its "rollover," crossing a street to enter the assembly building.
If weather permits, NASA plans to park the spacecraft on the towway for several hours so employees can take pictures close to the vehicle.
Technicians have been working on Discovery inside Orbiter Processing Facility-3 since April 20, when its last mission was completed.
Once inside the VAB, Discovery will be lifted into a high bay for mating to an external tank and solid rocket boosters in preparation for a targeted Nov. 1 launch to the International Space Station.
The mission is the 39th and last scheduled for NASA's fleet leader before the shuttle program is expected to be retired.
2 comments:
Still hoping a rabbit can be pulled out of the hat and this indeed not Discovery's last rollover. The space station needs the shuttle to support it. Bush was a fool for suggesting the end of the program. Obama was a bigger fool to listen to him.
The GRAVY TRAIN is just about to come into the station one last time if the Tax Payers are lucky.
Milk it for all it's worth!
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