Kennedy Space Center teams beat rain showers this morning to offload a shuttle external tank from a barge for the last time. But the stormy weather kept a last solid rocket booster segment from also moving into the Vehicle Assembly Building as planned.
The tank slated to fly with Endeavour in February was refurbished after sustaining damage during Hurricane Katrina. It arrived Monday in KSC's turn basin from NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans.
Starting more than an hour early because of the forecast, a tug pulled a transporter holding the tank from the covered Pegasus barge just before 9:30 a.m. and the move was completed within 30 minutes.
At the same time, down the road at the Booster Assembly and Refurbishment Facility, hundreds of center employees gathered for a ceremony before a final transfer of a booster segment to the VAB in support of a shuttle mission.The right forward assembly will be stacked atop a booster serving as the rescue shuttle for Endeavour, and could fly with Atlantis if Congress approves another mission next June.
Astronauts Greg "Ray J." Johnson and Chris Hadfield of the Canadian Space Agency and KSC Director Bob Cabana were among dignitaries who thanked the workers for their service on shuttle boosters.
"You all are responsible for the success of this program," said David Beaman, booster project manager at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.
Because of weather, it could be a couple of days before the segment rolls to the VAB atop a flatbed truck.
IMAGE: ET-122 was offloaded from the Pegasus barge this morning at Kennedy Space Center. Credit: Craig Rubadoux, Florida Today. Below, teams gathered for a group photo in the Booster Assembly and Refurbishment Facility. Credit: James Dean, Florida Today.
8 comments:
Thank you all for your EXTRAORDINARY service these last 30 years!
That thing will put out your eye!
Almost done ripping us off is what the headline should be.
A sad day for the Space program nothing to take its place now or in future but a lot of Muslim BS
I can see your knowledge is limited about the space program
From 1962 to 2010 and Bolden and the President pull the plug on manned Space change the Union voted for the Muslim
If you are ignorant you should not post your stupid comments on this thread! If you dont like the space program you should go live in a third world country, because with out this program, you wouldnt have your little Iphone or the many objects that save lives today! I hate ignorant people, that post these comments. Please move to a different country! Or grow up and learn about the MANY things NASA and this space program has done for US!
Sad thing is....most of those people, who I know, will be laid off come tomorrow. Truly the end of an era! GO USBI TEAM!
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