Discovery's final flight. (Photos)

peter · **Posted:** Wed Apr 18, 2012 2:35 pm

There was mention of her windows being covered but in the pictures they clearly are not..

gflinch · **Posted:** Wed Apr 18, 2012 7:16 pm

I hope they don't "restore" it to new, the use this machine has on it shows. I like to see some dirt and wear on museum pieces, to me it all tells a story. Its the same sanding down a bat that Babe Ruth used, just to clean it up, you clean the story right out of it.

Greg

RMAllnutt · **Posted:** Wed Apr 18, 2012 8:17 pm

gflinch wrote:

I hope they don't "restore" it to new, the use this machine has on it shows. I like to see some dirt and wear on museum pieces, to me it all tells a story. Its the same sanding down a bat that Babe Ruth used, just to clean it up, you clean the story right out of it.

Greg

Don't worry... they are leaving her more or less exactly as she is. I imagine that they will inspect her to make sure there are no potential future corrosion spots and the like, but the intent is to leave her looking like an actual active spacecraft. I love that they are doing this too!

Cheers,
Richard

RMAllnutt · **Posted:** Wed Apr 18, 2012 8:22 pm

Pat Carry wrote:

Ok, here is a question for everyone. How do they get the shuttle off the 747 there at Udvar Hazy? I know in Florida they have a hoist built just for this heavy task but I assume a similar hoist is not in place there at the NASM.

They will use the same set up as planned if a Shuttle ever had to land off the two official landing sites. Basically, they will attach a massive steel truss to four attachment points on the fuselage, in much the same manner as at Kennedy and Edwards. However, instead of the dedicated lifting platform, they will use two cranes to do the heavy work of getting Discovery off, and Enterprise on the 747. I hope that answers your question adequately.

Cheers,
Richard

fritzthefox · **Posted:** Thu Apr 19, 2012 6:03 am

Awesome photos! Envy, envy, envy...

Here's a recent picture of Discovery on an older flight, a little more than three years ago:

Visit http://www.fritzthefox.com/spacebat_watch.html to see the whole cartoon :wink:

Does anyone know when the crew simulator goes on display at Wright-Patt?

TAdan · **Posted:** Thu Apr 19, 2012 7:16 am

Just found this article with a good picture of how the Shuttle is removed from the 747...

http://m.gizmodo.com/5903236/separating ... -it-sounds

wingman1 · **Posted:** Thu Apr 19, 2012 6:50 pm

does anyone have pic's of today with Discovery and Enterprise nose to nose from today?

Garth · **Posted:** Thu Apr 19, 2012 7:07 pm

wingman1 wrote:

does anyone have pic's of today with Discovery and Enterprise nose to nose from today?

Here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nasahqphot ... 597600089/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nasahqphoto/7093966947/

StudeDave · **Posted:** Thu Apr 19, 2012 7:09 pm

and a few here~

http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/showthread.php?61007-For-those-who-couldn-t-be-there-to-see-it.......&p=639490#post639490

:supz:

MichiganRick · **Joined:** Thu Jul 29, 2010 10:19 am **Posts:** 65

Super cool pictures, thanks for sharing & posting

wingman1 · **Posted:** Thu Apr 19, 2012 7:29 pm

thanks for sharing. i just wish i could get one to show up here. :drink3:

Anthony Svihlik · **Posted:** Thu Apr 19, 2012 7:53 pm

fritzthefox wrote:

Does anyone know when the crew simulator goes on display at Wright-Patt?

Scheduled to arrive this summer:

Retired NASA Space Shuttle Crew Compartment Trainer to arrive this summer at National Museum USAF

Anthony

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Discovery's final flight. (Photos)

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