Shuttle returns to KSC next week by 747

[Two's in]

Current plans are for the Shuttle to be flown from Edwards back to KSC on Tuesday. Straight line distance just short of 2,000 Nm takes 2 days, due to the (not surprising) limits on range/speed and weather placed on the 747 when carying the shuttle. More details here (note - site does have a pop-up):

http://slate.msn.com/id/2124238/

[barit1]

BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4151332.stm) on the shuttle shuttle.

[Onan the Clumsy]

Any idea where it's going to land in the middle of the journey?

[TheOddOne]

I was out on the airfield at Heathrow when the 747/Shuttle combo did the fly-by in the early eighties (09L approach & go-around) and the weather then was really grotty, low cloud, some rain in the air, not very good viz. Perhaps they impose greater limits these days or they just thought that was typical Eurpoean weather!!

Flew into Stansted (Mrs Odd One in command) a couple of days later to look at it in closeup - awesome!

Presumably it did the Atlantic crossing all in one go, so why not cross from Edwards to KFC, sorry KSC, all in one hop?

Cheers,
The Odd One

[AAIGUY]

If one reads the article that is explained.

[TheOddOne]

AAIGUY,

So it does - was originally put off reading it by the threat of a pop-up!

I seriously question NASA's costs for a flight at $230,000. If it takes 2 x 747 (capital costs of purchase and modification, depreciated over 25 years) on standby and 170 people per mission, plus the depreciation on all the rest of the ground equipment at Edwards, plus all the HQ costs, it surely must be $millions per flight.

Creative accounting?

Cheers,
TOO

[brockenspectre]

Here is the latest (http://www.nasa.gov/returntoflight/main/index.html) :ok:

[Rollingthunder]

It's been years sonce the 747 was last used to transport a Shuttle. Does anyone know what happens to the aircraft when not moving a Shuttle?

[Inverted81]

Done and dusted...
Shuttle ferry (http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/home/index.html)
I

[mfaff]

I think you'll find the STAs work harder than you think...
They are used to carry the Shuttles back to Palmdale for refurbishment and upgrading....

So my guess is there is always one being 'used' as it were....the two are on a 'workshare' deal to minised the fatigue....