#1
|
|||
|
|||
A Day at the Cape
On a spooky, hazy day caused by the effects of Hurricane
Dennis, I recently did the tour bus bit at Cape Canaveral. I've posted some photos at: "http://www.geocities.com/launchreport/weblog.html" Some observations: Four launch vehicles were on pads at the Cape and Kennedy Space Center. Three were being prepped for NASA missions and one for an Air Force mission. No more commercial satellite launches are planned to occur this year and maybe next. With the recent shutdown of Atlas II/III and Titan operations, the Cape suddenly has a lot of mothballed launch pads and support buildings. The metal-eating ocean-side atmosphere pretty much guarantees that these structures won't be around long. After years of status quo, Cape Canaveral's appearance is being substantially changed. Boeing's Delta IV CBC facilities test stage is still parked outside the SLC 37 integration building. It is already starting to show signs of corrosion. The guides said that Boeing plans to donate it to the Air Force museum. But the Air Force museum already has its hands full sweeping up the rust flakes that rain daily from its existing rocket collection - a collection that took a hammering during last year's hurricane. Cape Canaveral has to be the world's worst location for an outdoor museum. The Athena launch stand has been removed from SLC 46. No surprise there, I suppose. NASA's VAB looks seriously beat up, both from last year's hurricane and from years of neglect. It will need some serious work if NASA intends to use it beyond shuttle. Many buildings on KSC appear decrepit. The Space Center is looking a bit like Baikonur did in the years after the fall of the Soviet Union. - Ed Kyle |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
"Ed Kyle" wrote in
ups.com: Boeing's Delta IV CBC facilities test stage is still parked outside the SLC 37 integration building. It is already starting to show signs of corrosion. The That CBC is clearly visible when I did a Google Earth sweep of the Cape. Don't know when that image was taken, but it appears to show recent work on the Atlas V pad as well. The Titan IV facility is amazing, almost as extensive as the LC39 complex. I was wondering why the buildings couldn't be used for EELV assembly, but the sheer distance the launch vehicles would have to be transported might be inconvenient for various reasons. Vandenberg was a more difficult tour, but I did find the 'port' where the barge docks to offload Delta IV CBCs. The roads are winding and just a tad steep to get to the SLC6 facility. You can almost tour Vandenberg by Amtrak. http://earth.google.com --Damon |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Ed Kyle wrote:
Many buildings on KSC appear decrepit. The Space Center is looking a bit like Baikonur did in the years after the fall of the Soviet Union. sad but hardly unique for a government agency. The funds for construction are a lot easier to get than funds for upkeep year after year. -- Terrell Miller "Suddenly, after nearly 30 years of scorn, Prog is cool again". -Entertainment Weekly |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Damon Hill wrote:
The Titan IV facility is amazing, almost as extensive as the LC39 complex. I was wondering why the buildings couldn't be used for EELV assembly, but the sheer distance the launch vehicles would have to be transported might be inconvenient for various reasons. The VIB, the SMAB, and the SMARF (and Pad 40) were offered up in the CEV bid packages as available facilities, so bidders might find a use for one or more of them. The SMARF, especially, might be recycled for new service. It is the newest structure and is the one nearest to Pads 40 and 41. Lockheed Martin has already converted one of the old Titan IIIC solid motor prep buildings near the VIB into an Atlas V processing building. This is where the rocket stages are checked out horizontally before they go to the VIF at Complex 41. The Atlas V launch control center is also in an old Titan building. - Ed Kyle |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
End of the Titan era at the Cape | gb | History | 0 | May 1st 05 11:46 PM |
Account by Dr. Patricia Santy, flight surgeon at the Cape on Jan 28, 1986 | Jim Oberg | Space Shuttle | 3 | January 27th 05 04:57 PM |
New Year's day at the Cape | Jud McCranie | History | 19 | January 6th 05 05:26 PM |
Dividing line between KSC and Cape Canaveral | Jud McCranie | History | 7 | January 5th 05 09:43 PM |
Atlas 2AS Launch tonight from Cape Canaveral AFS | AllanStern | Space Shuttle | 2 | May 20th 04 03:46 AM |