shafer@elxsi.dfrf.nasa.gov (Mary Shafer) (10/28/89)
I just went out to the Mate-Demate Device (MDD) and looked at Atlantis.
(It's 1230 PDT, Friday, 27 Oct)
They've got got it in the MDD and up on jacks. The gear is retracted
now. Mating with the 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft is scheduled for
about 0200 Saturday morning and they are planning to leave Edwards AFB
at first light, about 0650. The plan is to stop in San Antonio to
refuel and to arrive at KSC before dark.
When Atlantis was towed down the ramp to the MDD a few hours after the
landing, I thought it looked really clean. I just confirmed that.
There's almost _no_ scorching. I wonder if they changed the paint? I
also heard that only about 50 tiles were damaged. I didn't see much
damage on Monday. (I couldn't see much of the tiles today, with the
MDD all around it.)
A bit of trivia: The wind limit on raising the Shuttle in the MDD is 7
knots. Above that they're restricted to ground level work only.
Also, they hope for zero wind when mounting the tailcone, although
they can tolerate a couple of knots.
--
Mary Shafer shafer@elxsi.dfrf.nasa.gov ames!elxsi.dfrf.nasa.gov!shafer
NASA Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility, Edwards, CA
Of course I don't speak for NASA