Processing When taking a road trip, it is important to plan ahead by making sure your vehicle is prepared for the journey. A typical road trip on Earth can be the Shuttle for routine and simple. The roadways are already properly paved, service Flight stations are available if vehicle repairs are needed, and food, lodging, and stores for other supplies can also be found. The same, however, could not be said for a Space Shuttle trip into space. The difficulties associated with Steven Sullivan space travel are complex compared with those we face when traveling here. Preparing the Shuttle for Flight Food, lodging, supplies, and repair equipment must be provided for within Ground Processing the space vehicle. Jennifer Hall Peter Nickolenko Vehicle preparation required a large amount of effort to restore the shuttle Jorge Rivera to nearly new condition each time it flew. Since it was a reusable vehicle Edith Stull Steven Sullivan with high technical performance requirements, processing involved a Space Operations Weather tremendous amount of “hands-on” labor; no simple tune-up here. Not only Francis Merceret was the shuttle’s exterior checked and repaired for its next flight, all Robert Scully components and systems within the vehicle were individually inspected and Terri Herst verified to be functioning correctly. This much detail work was necessary Steven Sullivan because a successful flight was dependent on proper vehicle assembly. Robert Youngquist During a launch attempt, decisions were made within milliseconds by equipment and systems that had to perform accurately the first time—there was no room for hesitation or error. It has been said that a million things have to go right for the launch, mission, and landing to be a success, but it can take only one thing to go wrong for them to become a failure. In addition to technical problems that could plague missions, weather conditions also significantly affected launch or landing attempts. Unlike our car, which can continue its road trip in cloudy, windy, rainy, or cold weather conditions, shuttle launch and landing attempts were restricted to occur only during optimal weather conditions. As a result, weather conditions often caused launch delays or postponed landings. Space Shuttle launches were a national effort. During the lengthy processing procedures for each launch, a dedicated workforce of support staff, technicians, inspectors, engineers, and managers from across the nation at multiple government centers had to pull together to ensure a safe flight. The whole NASA team performed in unison during shuttle processing, with pride and dedication to its work, to make certain the success of each mission. 74 The Space Shuttle and Its Operations Preparing the the demands of the largest and most The initial six operational missions were complex reusable space vehicle. scheduled to land at DFRC/Edwards Shuttle for Flight Air Force Base because of the safety The end of a mission set in motion margins available on the lakebed a 4- to 5-month process that included Ground Processing runways. Wet lakebed conditions more than 750,000 work hours and diverted one of those landings—Space Imagine embarking on a one-of-a-kind, literally millions of processing steps to Transportation System (ST S)- 3 (1 982)— once-in-a-lifetime trip. Everything prepare the shuttle for the next flight. to White Sands Space Harbor. STS-7 must be exactly right. Every flight of (1 983) was the first mission scheduled to the Space Shuttle was just that way. Landing land at KSC, but it was diverted to A successful mission hinged on ground During each mission, NASA Edwards Air Force Base runways due operations planning and execution. designated several landing sites— to unfavorable Florida weather. The Ground operations was the term used to three in the Continental United States, 10th shuttle flight—STS-41B (1 984)— describe the work required to process three overseas contingency or was the first to land at KSC. the shuttle for each flight. It included transatlanic abort landing sites, and landing-to-launch processing—called a various emergency landing sites Landing Systems “flow”—of the Orbiter, payloads, Solid located in the shuttle’s orbital flight Similar to a conventional airport, the Rocket Boosters (SRBs), and External path. All of these sites had one thing in KSC shuttle landing facility used visual Tank (ET). It also involved many common: the commander got one and electronic landing aids both on important ground systems. Three chance to make the runway. The the ground and in the Orbiter to help missions could be processed at one time, Orbiter dropped like a rock and there direct the landing. Unlike conventional all at various stages in the flow. Each were no second chances. If the target aircraft, the Orbiter had to land perfectly stage had to meet critical milestones or was missed, the result was disaster. the first time since it lacked propulsion throw the entire flow into a tailspin. Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida and landed in a high-speed glide at Each shuttle mission was unique. and Dryden Flight Research Center 343 to 364 km/hr ( 21 3 to 226 mph). The planning process involved creating (DFRC)/Edwards Air Force Base in Following shuttle landing, a convoy a detailed set of mission guidelines, California were the primary landing of some 25 specially designed vehicles writing reference materials and manuals, sites for the entire Space Shuttle or units and a team of about 150 trained developing flight software, generating Program. White Sands Space Harbor in personnel converged on the runway. a flight plan, managing configuration New Mexico was the primary shuttle The team conducted safety checks for control, and conducting simulation pilot training site and a tertiary landing explosive or toxic gases, assisted the and testing. Engineers became masters site in case of unacceptable weather crew in leaving the Orbiter, and at using existing technology, systems, conditions at the other locations. prepared the Orbiter for towing to the and equipment in unique ways to meet Orbiter Processing Facility. The landing-to- launch ground operations “flow” at Kennedy Space Center prepared each shuttle for its next flight. This 4- to 5-month process required thousands of work hours and millions of individual processing steps. After landing, the Orbiter is moved to the Orbiter Space Shuttle Atlantis landing, STS-129 (2009). Processing Facility. Landing Orbiter Processing Facility: 120-130 days The Space Shuttle and Its Operations 75 Orbiter Processing coordination and prioritization among During missions, the breadboard some 35 engineering systems and replicated flow problems and worked The Orbiter Processing Facility was 32 support groups. Schedules ranged out solutions. a sophisticated aircraft hangar (about in detail from minutes to years. 2,700 m 2 [29,000 ft 2]) with three Engineers also tested spacecraft separate buildings or bays. Trained Personnel removed the Orbital communications systems at the personnel completed more than 60% Maneuvering System pods and Forward Electronic Systems Test Laboratory, of the processing work during the Reaction Control System modules and where multielement, crewed spacecraft approximately 125 days the vehicle modified or repaired and retested them communications systems were interfaced spent in the facility. in the Hypergolic Maintenance Facility. with relay satellites and ground elements When workers completed modifications for end-to-end testing in a controlled Technicians drained residual fuels and and repairs, they shipped the pods and radio-frequency environment. removed remaining payload elements modules back to the Orbiter Processing or support equipment. More than 11 5 The Avionics Engineering Laboratory Facility for reinstallation. multilevel, movable access platforms supported flight system hardware and could be positioned to surround the software development and evaluation as Johnson Space Center Orbiter Orbiter and provide interior and well as informal engineering evaluation Laboratories exterior access. Engineers performed and formal configuration- extensive checkouts involving some Several laboratories at Johnson controlled verification testing of 6 million parts. NASA removed and Space Center supported Orbiter testing non-flight and flight hardware and transferred some elements to other and modifications. software. Its real-time environment facilities for servicing. The Orbiter consisted of a vehicle dynamics The Electrical Power Systems Processing Facility also contained simulation for all phases of flight, Laboratory was a state-of-the-art shops to support Orbiter processing. including contingency aborts, and a full electrical compatibility facility that complement of Orbiter data processing Tasks were divided into forward, supported shuttle and International system line replacement units. midbody, and aft sections and required Space Station (ISS) testing. The shuttle mechanical, electrical, and Thermal breadboard, a high-fidelity replica The Shuttle Avionics Integration Protection System technicians, of the shuttle electrical power Laboratory was the only program test engineers, and inspectors as well as distribution and control subsystem, facility where avionics, other flight planners and schedulers. Daily was used early in the program for hardware (or simulations), software, activities included test and checkout equipment development testing procedures, and ground support schedule meetings that required and later for ongoing payload and equipment were