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Space Shuttle Countdown: Landing to Launch
Rescheduled Part 6: The Long Trip to the Launch Pad
 
Although the distance between the VAB and the Launch pad is only about
three and a half miles, moving the fully assembled Space Shuttle mounted
on the Launcher Platform takes several hours. The process for onlookers
is amazingly regal. Picture an eight-lane freeway spanned by one huge
Crawler, supporting the Orbiter, Solid Rocket Boosters and External Engine
atop the Launcher Platform, creeping slowly towards Pad. To get an idea
of the size, click on the picture at right and compare the size of the
Crawler with the size of the three people pictured!
This month our series will visit the process and people involved in
getting the shuttle to the launch pad for the final preparations for launch.
Join Brandt and Mike as they "walk" you down one of the tracks covered
with inches of river rock. Feel the excitement of this larger-than-life
experience.
| WebCast uses RealMedia |
See: The Long Trip to the Launch Pad
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March Programming
Event
type |
Date |
Grade level |
Time |
Technology
Required |
Subject |
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Monday,
March 13 |
K-12 |
10-11noon PST
1-2pm EST
6-7pm GMT |
Special Chat Room
Chat with a
Panel of Experts
Read the Archive
|
 As Chief of the Applied Meteorology Unit, Frank Merceret is involved
in the safety of spaceflight operations - launches, landings and ground
operations - from the weather standpoint
 Ken
Schrock works at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and has
had so many jobs as an engineer with NASA that he titles himself
a kitchen sink engineer. He is primarily working with Global Positioning
System (GPS).
 Leslie Ringo
is one of the engineers responsible for ensuring the Vertical Motion
Simulator responds exactly as a real aircraft would for training
purposes. (Also see upcoming March
21, 2000 chat.)
 Andrew Petro will
join us if scheduling permits. Andrew is a spacecraft designer and
plans future projects and designs spacecraft.
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Tuesday,
March 14 |
K-12 |
10-11noon PST
1-2pm EST
6-7pm GMT |
Special Chat Room
Chat with a
Panel of Experts
Read the Archive
|
 Tracy Gill
works in the Space Station Utilization Division of the Space Station
and Shuttle Payloads Directorate, which means he works to install
the experiment hardware into the Shuttle and then tests all the power,
video, cooling, and data interfaces, so the experiment will work successfully
once it reaches orbit.
 Diane
McMahon's job is to get payloads stowed on the shuttle and
then transferred and integrated onto the ISS (International Space
Station) to do science experiment / research work.
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Wednesday,
March 15 |
First hour: All ages
|
10-11am PST
1-2pm EST
6-7pm GMT |
Watch
Part 6 |
The long trip to the Launch Pad
Originally planned for February, Mike and Brandt show you up close
the Mobile Launch Platform, the Crawler and the Crawlerway - describing
that 3 1/2 mile pilgrimage. Details of the webcast
including lesson plans are available. |
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Wednesday,
March 15 |
all |
11-12noon PST
2-3pm EST
7-8pm GMT |
Read the Archive
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Follow-on Chat: In coordination with Classroom Connect,
we will have experts chatting about Shuttle preparation. Currently
scheduled are:
As Vehicle Manager for Discovery, Jenny Lyons follow the orbiter through ground testing and
checkout at KSC. Also she is a Convoy Commander for Landing.
Chuck Davis
is a storable propellants engineer, which means he is in charge
of having the required fuel delivered to Shuttle launch pad.
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Thursday,
March 16 |
K-12 |
10-11noon PST
1-2pm EST
6-7pm GMT |
Special Chat Room
Chat with a
Panel of Experts
Read the Archive
|
 As Space Shuttle Flight Controller, Mike Moses monitors data from
the Space Shuttle during missions to make sure all systems are operating
as planned.
 Lisa Shore is the
first woman to be certified as an Ascent Flight Dynamics Officer
(FDO, pronounced fido). During a misson, she is responsible for
knowing where the Shuttle is at all times. (Also see upcoming March 21, 2000 chat.)
 William Foster
works in Mission Control Center at the Johnson Space Center where
he is responsible maintaining voice and data communications between
the MCC and the space shuttle.
 Prior to his present position as sim sup, Tim Terry was responsible for training specific
crews for specific missions. Now as sim sup, he prepares the flight
control teams.
 Larry Parker
is an Air Traffic Controller at the Kennedy Space Center Shuttle
Landing Facility.
Robert Dempsey is
a flight controller for the International Space Station and works
with the computer system that will operate the station.
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Friday,
March 17 |
K-12 |
10-11noon PST
1-2pm EST
6-7pm GMT |
Special Chat Room
Read the Archive
|
 Ron Woods
works with a team that finalizes all space suits and maintains the
launch/entry suits (the orange space suits) that the astronauts use.
They also prepare any equipment that the astronauts will use for the
duration of their mission. |
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Thursday,
March 23 |
K-12 |
11-12noon PST
2-3pm EST
7-8pm GMT |
Special Chat Room
Archive
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James Peters is responsible
for ensuring all the hardware and equipment works and fits together
properly, before being launched into space on the shuttle and assembled
on the International Space Station (ISS) |
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Wednesday,
March 29 |
K-12 |
10-11am PST
1-2pm EST
6-7pm GMT |
Special Chat Room
Archive
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Perry Becker is responsible
for maintaining and ensuring the majority of the shuttle flight hardware
transporters (such as the huge crawlers) and major systems at the
launch pads function properly. |
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