Nasa just said they are going to be rolling out the shuttle to the pad next week. my question is this. ?

Question

since they are saying that the actual launch wil not be till october 8th. why on earth do they let it sit on the pad for a month exposing it to the elements?/ what is the purpose of this?? i understand that they enclose it in a "shield of sorts" .. but why the VERY early rollout.

Answer 1

The Shuttle takes about eight hours to roll to the pad. The only part of the ship that's actually enclosed once it gets to the pad is the cargo bay. Often when it's rolled out so early, part of the reason is because sometimes it's actually easier to load the payload when the Shuttle is out of the VAB (where all the components are assembled for rollout). Obviously it depends on the payload. Plus, as mentioned, there are tests and checks that need to be done. If I'm not mistaken, this will be the first Shuttle flight with the newly redesigned fuel tank (the orange part). The older ones have all been used up by now, and this tank will incorporate the design changes required after the Columbia accident. If that's the case, obviously there is more testing to do than usual.

Answer 2

Well, it takes a long time to hook up the umbilicals, the fueling ports, etc, to the mobile launch pad.  They could probably do it in a few days, but with each process they test & check & recheck, and that takes a long time.  

Answer 3

it takes like a month just to roll it to the shuttle pad

then they need to prepare the launch pad, make sure the sprinklers r functioning- water is shot out when the shuttle starts ignition and the flames come out

Answer 4

Another possible reason for them to be rolling it out earlier is that it might have something to do with the fact that Shuttle Endeavour also needs to be on the pad and ready to launch when Atlantis launches. They are doing this because the orbit required for Hubble servicing makes it impossible for them to get to the Space Station in case of an emergency. If an emergency occurs Endeavour could be launched to rescue the crew.

Answer 5

there is an enormous amount of work to do, and much of it can only be done with the shuttle on the pad.

i couldn't find any documentation from nasa, but esa has some information on what an ariane 5 launch campaign involves. i've seen them launch one on tv. it was really cool.

Answer 6

when the shuttle is rolled out to the pad, it is not configured for launch they spend those extra days putting the payload into the payload bay and configuring cockpit switches and also fueling the orbiter's rocket propulsion system to propel themselves while in orbit. They need to hook up lines from the launch pad for fueling test, check and recheck that everything is in working condition for launch (as the NASA website says "there is probably no more redundant system in the world than the Space Shuttle because it has backups of backups). Also, the Astronauts participate in what is called a Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test or T.C.D.T. which is a simulation of the actual launch in the Space Shuttle, and for which the shuttle needs to be on the pad in order to do.

Answer 7

responding to the previous poster first, the crawler that transporsts the Shuttle does move very slowly (around 1 MPH), but the launch pad 39 is only 3-4 miles from the VAB. It make the trip in around 8 hours tops.

  

Answer 8

Exposing the shuttle to the elements does indeed present a risk.  However, the shuttle reasonably tolerates the Florida climate.  NASA has rolled the shuttle back when exceptionally severe weather threatens.

The pad facilities are quite extensive.  They allow a great deal of inspection and preparation to occur while the shuttle is on the pad.  This is important under the more stringent STS safety criteria because the rollout itself may cause vibrations and stresses that compromise various components such as the ET insulation.  Thus it is more common these days to inspect for such damage and concerns when the shuttle has already undergone the stress of rollout.

The alternative is to inspect it extensively in the VAB and then hope that the rollout doesn't shake anything loose.  NASA currently believes that the risk of undetected rollout damage outweighs the risk of longer exposure to the elements, in terms of overall safety.