mitchell@MDI.COM (Bill Mitchell) (05/16/91)
In article <32809@usc> sharp@mizar.usc.edu (Malcolm Sharp) writes: >If Edwards then is the best landing site, why not use Vandenberg >is the space port? Is it because of the obvious things: no >port there, infrastructure in place at KSC, no $$ savings, >launches would take place over land mass?? > >-- I recall some discussion a couple of years back about how the construction of the Vandenberg facility had been botched so as to make it unusable for shuttle launches. I don't know how much stock to put in the story, but what I remember of it is that supposedly something like $6 Billion of taxpayer money was spent making a military shuttle-capable facility there and then it was found that the runway or pad or something was structurally unsound and would likely suffer major damage if stressed with shuttle operations. Anybody remember more than that? Can anybody confirm, refute, or add detail to this? -- mitchell@mdi.com (Bill Mitchell)
jandres@sag4.ssl.berkeley.edu (Jeff Andres) (05/17/91)
The statement about Vandenburg being unable to support Shuttle lanuches because of structural problems is correct. At first the pad could not bear the weight of the shuttle, then after corrective measures the pad was found out to not give enough! :) Meanwhile, the construction of SOPC, Shuttle Operations Complex for DoD missions was being built in Colorado Springs, Co. This complex was being built to deal with all shuttle missions, but was going to be the primary launch control for DoD missions. Vandenburg also had environmental problems with what to do with the hazardous wastes from the fueling process. Sub-contractors were brought in to determine solutions as to what to do with the waste; my memory is failing me in exactly what they ever did about this. I used to work for Ford Aerospace and am quite familiar with the Shuttle and the Vande complex. As far as the enviro stuff, my father's firm was involved with that. ^ _____________ ^ ^ | | Jeff Andres ^ ^ | | jandres@ssl.berkeley.edu ^ ^ | | Center For EUV Astrophysics ^ ^ |_____________| 2150 Kittredge Blvd, Berkeley CA 94720 ^
kent@vf.jsc.nasa.gov (05/18/91)
In article <1991May16.141235.13747@MDI.COM>, mitchell@MDI.COM (Bill Mitchell) writes: > > I recall some discussion a couple of years back about how the > construction of the Vandenberg facility had been botched so as > to make it unusable for shuttle launches. I don't know how much > > Anybody remember more than that? Can anybody confirm, refute, or > add detail to this? > Vandenburg was orginally built for the Manned Orbiting Labratory (MOL) program the Air Force Had. The program was canceled. It was decided to modify the launch pad for the MOL to launch Shuttles. The safety issues were never resolved. -- Mike Kent - Lockheed Engineering and Sciences Company at NASA JSC 2400 NASA Rd One, Houston, TX 77058 (713) 483-3791 KENT@vf.jsc.nasa.gov