Delta IV Heavy - FRF?

Has a flight readiness firing been scheduled for the Heavy before it
is launched?

--
Reed

On Fri, 12 Dec 2003 18:15:25 GMT, Reed Snellenberger
wrote:

Has a flight readiness firing been scheduled for the Heavy before it
is launched?

Nope.

Why that thing has to sit on the pad for seven months when the Shuttle
only needed 4 before its maiden flight, I'll never know. So much for
progress.

Brian

"Brian Thorn" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 12 Dec 2003 18:15:25 GMT, Reed Snellenberger
wrote:

Has a flight readiness firing been scheduled for the Heavy before it
is launched?

Nope.

And none is scheduled.

Why that thing has to sit on the pad for seven months when the Shuttle
only needed 4 before its maiden flight, I'll never know. So much for
progress.

There is a complex set of tanking tests on the schedule for the vehicle,
along with other tests designed to establish baseline data. It's a first
flight of a *major* configuration change. This is not just the first flight
of the heavy config; it's also the first flight of the 5-meter second stage.
How long did Columbia sit on Cx 39 before her first flight?

-Kim-

"Kim Keller" wrote in message
...

"Brian Thorn" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 12 Dec 2003 18:15:25 GMT, Reed Snellenberger
wrote:

Has a flight readiness firing been scheduled for the Heavy before it
is launched?

Nope.

And none is scheduled.

Why that thing has to sit on the pad for seven months when the Shuttle
only needed 4 before its maiden flight, I'll never know. So much for
progress.

There is a complex set of tanking tests on the schedule for the vehicle,
along with other tests designed to establish baseline data. It's a first
flight of a *major* configuration change. This is not just the first
flight
of the heavy config; it's also the first flight of the 5-meter second
stage.
How long did Columbia sit on Cx 39 before her first flight?

As Brian said, I think 4 months sounds about right. However, I suspect he's
not counting Enterprise which was used for a lot of testing also.



-Kim-

Brian Thorn wrote in message . ..
On Fri, 12 Dec 2003 18:15:25 GMT, Reed Snellenberger
wrote:

Has a flight readiness firing been scheduled for the Heavy before it
is launched?

Nope.

Why that thing has to sit on the pad for seven months when the Shuttle
only needed 4 before its maiden flight, I'll never know. So much for
progress.

Brian

Before STS-1 went to Pad 39A, a pathfinder stack with
shuttle Enterprise sat there for some time. This
served to check out the new pad propellant loading
systems, electrical power and telemetry equipment,
payload transfer equipment, etc., reducing the time
that STS-1 would have to sit on the pad.

This first Delta IV-Heavy will have to serve in the
pathfinder role for previously untested pad equipment
used to support the two outer boosters, the new 5 meter
second stage, and the new 5 meter payload fairing.
Boeing is going to run the rocket through a long series
of propellant loading tests before starting the launch
campaign.

- Ed Kyle

"Greg D. Moore (Strider)" wrote in message
...
As Brian said, I think 4 months sounds about right. However, I suspect
he's
not counting Enterprise which was used for a lot of testing also.

There's also the fact of Boeing's single-shift operations, versus 3-shift
operations at 39. And head count is a lot lower for the bodies doing the
work.

-Kim-

On Sat, 13 Dec 2003 17:26:07 GMT, "Greg D. Moore \(Strider\)"
wrote:

How long did Columbia sit on Cx 39 before her first flight?

As Brian said, I think 4 months sounds about right. However, I suspect he's
not counting Enterprise which was used for a lot of testing also.

Enterprise was on the pad from May 1, 1979 to Jul 4, 1979. STS-1 was
on the pad from Dec 30, 1980 to Apr 12, 1981.

That's about the same total duration as Delta IV-Heavy will spend on
its pad.

Brian