shuttle launch guide in 3-2008
TRANSCRIPT
vapor trails, the 4.5-million-pound launch vehicle
reached an earth orbit of 140 miles in less than eightminutes.
"I've been to nine launches and witnessed four
of them, and I'll tell you they never lose their
excitement," says Paul Foerman, news chief at NASl%
Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, "Each launch is
unique and has its challenges, but to see a launch, no
matter how hardened a space veteran you are, its justbreath taking."
Even from a vantage point six miles from the
launch pad, the roar of the powerful rocket engines is
thunderous The ground and even the air itself shake
in reaction to the 7.1 million pounds of thrust created
by the shuttles three main engines and two rocket
boosters. It is a thrilling Sight to see, even more so
knowing that Louisiana and Mississippi both play
important roles in each and every shuttle launch.
The shuttle is the most complex machine ever
created. Each launch-ready shuttle assembly, called
a "stack," contains over two billion parts. The
largest Single component of the space shuttle
launch vehicle assembly is the 154-foot external
fuel tank, which is made at NASl% Michoud
Assembly facility in eastern New Orleans. The large
orange tank, the backbone of the shuttle stack,
:;i holds over 530,000 gallons of liquefied hydrogen«iand liquefied oxygen in two separate tanks that feed
~ the shuttle's three main engines. Each of the
r1I!'ahg ,i shuttle's main engines is tested and flight rated at
Countdown to Retirementby Jamey Landry
What you need to know to see one of the12 remaining space shuttle launches in person.
Discoverylifts off
from Launch Pad
39 A. The orange
external fuel tank is
built in New Orleans "WE HAVE GO for main engine start. T minus 5, 4,
at the Michoud 3, 2, l...booster ignition and liftoff of Discovery,
Assembly Facility hoisting Harmony to the heavens and opening new
while the shuttle gateways for international science!" As though on cue
main engines are from the NASA announcer, the space shuttle
tested at the Stennis Discovery leapt from Launch Pad 39A at Kennedy
Space Center Space Center in October 2007. Powering through the
in Mississippi. partly cloudy Florida sky on a plume of flame and
84 INSIDE NORTHSIDE
the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.
As the Discovery sped away from the KSC on its
way to the International Space Station, a mother
visiting with her family from Australia said, "This is
far and away the most spectacular thing we've ever
witnessed. Having visited the launch pad area the day
before and seeing its massive size relatively up close
makes the launch truly remarkable."
The clock is ticking on the shuttle
program. After the loss of the shuttle
Columbia in 2003, President George
Bush declared that the shuttle fleet
would be retired by the end of 2010.
of January 2008, no more than 12
shuttle missions are scheduled. The
Aries launch vehicle will launch the
Orion manned spacecraft to the moon
and Mars beginning in 2014.
VIEWING A SHUTTLE LAUNCH
The Kennedy Space Center is
NASl% primary launch facility Many
unmanned and all manned missions
are launched from the 219-square-
mile facility located near Cape
Canaveral, about an hour's drive from
Orlando. Although it is relatively easy
to see a launch from practically
anywhere along the nearby coast and
neighboring towns, the launch site is
at least 10 miles away. For the
ultimate awe-inspiring launch
experience, seasoned launch
spectators agree that nothing beats a
Launch Viewing package offered by
the KSC Visitor Center.
The Visitor Center offers two
packages: the Launch Viewing package
and the Launch Transportation Viewing
package. Both offer a "Meal with an
Astronaut" upgrade, where an active-
duty NASA astronaut joins your group
for a designated meal. Admission to the
museums and attractions is also
included with the package of your
choice. Complete package details,
launch schedules and launch update
bulletins via e-mail are available by
visiting the centers website. Launch
Viewing tickets for the most immediate
launch scheduled can also be
purchased on-line or by calling the
center. A call can also provide a list of
hotels in the area.A Launch Transportation Viewing
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package lets you get up close and personal for a
launch, as close as three miles from the launch pad!
That's close enough for an unobstructed view of the
launch from main-engine start to liftoff. It is the most
popular package offered by the KSC Visitor Center
and sells out quickly Coach busses ferry ticket
holders from the center to the NASA Causeway, a
land bridge on the Banana River that connects
outlying parts of the space center. It is the closest
publicly accessible vantage point to the launch site,
but the thrill of that accessibility does come with
some trade offs.
Above: The Saturn V rockets launched men to the
moon and eventually lead to the space shuttle.
Saturn V technology will also contribute to the
planned return to the moon around 2020.
Left: The author and the Saturn V booster rocket,
seen here in the Apollo Saturn V center. The rocket
was built at the Michoud Assembly Facilityin New
Orleans and launched all Apollo moon missions.
The NASA Causeway is a road like our own
Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, so amenities are
sparse. There is no seating other than what you
bring with you. Transportation ends two hours prior
to the scheduled launch, which means waits of up
to five hours exposed to the Florida weather are
routine. If the launch is delayed until later in the
day, that adds more time to the wait. There are
portable comfort stations and some concessions
stands offering limited items for purchase. Despite
the Spartan accommodations, Launch
Transportation tickets sell out quickly
MARCH-ApRIL 2008 87
The Louisiana-MississippiConnection
LIKE THE SHUTTLE'S EXTERNAL FUEL TANK, all 12 of
the Saturn V booster stages built for the Apollo manned
space flight program were built at the Michoud Assembly
Facility in the late 1960s. The Saturn Vs massive F-l
booster stage engines were each tested and flight rated at the
Stennis Space Center in Hancock County, Miss. Today, the
Stennis Space Center tests the main rocket engines for the
shuttle, proving their reliability and making the engines safe.
"Everyone at the NASA Stennis Space Center is
extremely proud of the continuing role we have played in
Americas space program for more than 45 years-testing
the rocket engines that propel our astronauts to space," said
SSC Center director Bob Cabana. As the shuttle mission
draws to its close, Stennis is already preparing for the nextchapter of manned flight: Ares.
"We will continue testing the main engines for the
The John C. StennisSpace Center's
visitorcenter, StenniSphere, isone of
Mississippi'sleading tourist attractions
and features a 14,000-square-foot
interactive review of StennisSpace
Center's role in America's space program.
space shuttle until it retires in 2010," Cabana says, "and our
engineers have already begun testing engine components
for NASl%next generation engine, the J-2X. This is the
engine that will power the nations new Ares launch
vehicles on voyages that will send humans to the moon."
Teachers and parents may already be familiar with one of
Stennis Space Centers most public faces, the StenniSphere,
part of the NASAcommitment to education. Designed to
educate all ages about space technology and i.tsapplications on
earth, the exhibits at the StenniSphere also serve to encourage
young minds to pursue studies inmath and science. Inside the
StenniSphere, interactive displays bring NASA technology right
down to earth. A full-scale replica of the space shuttle cockpit
gives visitors an opportunity to try their hand at "piloting" the
shuttle on a science mission. Nearby, a module of the
International Space Station is waiting to be explored. Outside,
visitorswill find a collection of exhibits that
include actual rocket engines and a scale replica
of the Saturn V rocket.
Admission to the StenniSphere is free
and open to the public. It offers a chance to
experience NASA technology close to home.
A free bus tour of the Stenni.s Space Center
takes visitors by the rocket engine test
stands, where visitors lucky enough to be
present can observe the engine test.
For information about the Stennis Space
Center:, StenniSphere, call 1-800-237-1821 or
click on MVW l.sse.nasa.gov!publiclvisitors.
88 INSIDE NORTHSIDE
ARMCHAIR ASTRONAUTS
WILL LIKE THIS
The Launch Viewing from the KSC
Visitor Center provides many of the
same thrills as a Launch Transportation
ticket, but offers the amenities,
attractions and comfort of the center.
On launch day, the Visitor Center takes
on an atmosphere of Mardi Gras in the
suburbs. Kid-friendly and family-
oriented, numerous concession stands
offer food, drinks and mission-specific
souvenirs. There is even a sit-down
restaurant-and a large gift shop offers
every imaginable item that can hold a
NASA logo.A generous amount of seating on
the center's parade grounds is available,
but visitors are encouraged to bring
folding chairs or blankets. A portable
stadium-sized video screen on the
parade ground and dozens of monitors
throughout the facility let visitors keep
tabs on the launch preparations via live
NASA TV broadcasts. There is also a
stage where other NASA astronauts
interact with the audience, answer
questions and pose for photographs.
Regardless of the package chosen,
the launch ticket includes admission to
the Visitor Center and its many
attractions, such as the IMAX theater,
museums and interactive displays. The
recently opened Shuttle Launch
Experience is an amusement park-style
attraction that very realistically simulates
a shuttle launch in real time, from the
countdown to the external tank
separation, about a three to five minute
mission. Former shuttle astronauts
narrate every second of the launch
experience with the help of amazing
NASA footage of actual shuttle
operations to help you better
understand the launch process. The
exhibit simulates every bump, shake,
roll and sound of a shuttle launch as
MARCH-ApRIL 2008 89
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The external fuel tank falls away from the
shuttle after being jettisoned in space and
disintegrateswhen it reenters the atmosphere.
The external fuel tank isbuilt at NASA'sMichoud
Assembly Facilityin New Orleans.
though you were an astronaut on an
actual mission.
MUCH MORE TO SEE AT KSC
The Launch Viewing tickets are
good for the launch day and one
additional visit to the Space Center
within a seven-day period of the first
use of the launch ticket. Admission to
the Visitor Center also includes
admission to the Astronaut Hall of Fame
and a bus tour of the Kennedy Space
Center. The tour takes you to three
stops: the LC 39 Observation Gantry,
the Apollo Saturn V Center and the
International Space Station Center.
Veteran launch watchers suggest
planning your visit to KSC the day
before a scheduled shuttle launch,
because the shuttle will be on the
launch pad, clearly visible from the LC
39 Observation Gantry.
The International Space Station
Center is the actual preparation facility
used to prep components of the ISS for
space flight. Visitors can observe
workers as they ready components for
delivery to the shuttle assembly areas.
The Apollo Saturn V Center is
dedicated to the men, women and
technology that helped us reach the
moon in 1969. Fully contained within
the massive indoor facility is a
complete unused 363-foot long Saturn
V rocket, laid end to end on its side.
Visitors enter through a reconstruction
of the actual command center used to
gUide the first manned orbital flight of
the moon on Apollo 8. After a dramatic
presentation, visitors are ushered into
the main display area, where you are
first greeted by the booster stage of the
Saturn V rocket. In addition, an actual
space-rated lunar landing module from
a cancelled Apollo mission is among
the thousands of items related to the
Apollo program on display.
The bus tour is suspended on
launch day because of the sheer number
of visitors and security issues. That is
just as well, because you will want to
spend time at each stop of the tour,
especially the Apollo Saturn V Center.
PERSONAL SPACE
NASA technology is undoubtedly a
marvel of the modern world and well
worth experiencing. Be a part of space
history and witness the thrill of a
shuttle launch in person. It truly has
the right stuff. •
The Kennedy Space Center VisitorCenter is funded solely through visitors'paid admissions. No NASA funding is usedto run the Visitor Center or its attractions.Information about launch tickets and anupdated launch schedule can be obtainedby calling 321-449-4400 or visitingwww.kennedyspacecenter.com.
SHUTTLE FACTS
• Each airplane-like shuttle orbiter measures 122feet long with a 78-foot wingspan, which isabout the size of a 737 airliner.
• The shuttle orbiter is attached to the externaltank, as are the two solid rocket boosters.Theassembled stack of orbiter, external fuel tankand two solid rocket boosters stands over 184
feet tall, taller than a 15-story building, andweighs more than 4.5 million pounds.
• 7.1 million pounds of thrust are created by theshuttles three main engines and two SRBs.
• The shuttle returns from space unpowered. Itorbits the earth at speeds of more than 17,000miles per hour, and then slows as it flies
through the atmosphere to a little more than211 miles per hour at touchdown.
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