Jan 30 1985
From The Space Library
Tile work on the orbiter Challenger had remained the "pacing item" in meeting NASA's next scheduled Space Shuttle mission, 51-E, set for no earlier than February 20, Aerospace Daily reported. Randy Stone, 51-E lead flight director, said at a press briefing that NASA would make an assessment at KSC and that he didn't know "what the slip will be or if there is one." Stone had indicated work on the orbiter originating from adhesion problems with thermal protection tiles was progressing well; however, workers still needed to attach over 300 tiles before NASA could move the orbiter to the Vehicle Assembly Building for mating with the external tank and solid-fuel rocket boosters. If all went well, NASA would launch Challenger February 20 from KSC and land it there at about 9:21 am EST February 24. (A/D, Jan 30/85, 1)
NASA announced its graphics and visual communications system had won the Presidential Design Award, presented January 30 by President Reagan. The National Endowment for the Arts sponsored the award to recognize excellence in federal design and had selected the NASA project, along with 12 others, from among 91 Federal Design Achievement Award winners.
The Presidential Design Awards jury chairman, architect I.M. Pei, said in his jury report, ". . . Especially noteworthy is the visual-communications system developed by NASA whose posters, publications, and logotype generally maintain a high standard of design, which truly captures the spirit and vitality of the space program." (NASA Release 85-16)
Solid-fuel Rocket Boosters NASA and United Technologies's United Space Boosters Inc.'s Booster Production Co. officials would break ground January 30 for Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) solid-fuel rocket booster (SRB) assembly and refurbishment facility at KSC, the Marshall Star reported. The company had designed and would build the 238,000-sq.-ft. facility, scheduled for completion in 1986, that would employ about 700 people to perform most of the Space Shuttle's SRB refurbishment previously done by the company at various locations at the center and adjacent Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
Refurbishment, performed under an MSFC contract, would include replacement of insulation on booster components, addition of electronic and guidance systems, and reinstallation of parachutes and ordnance. The refurbished booster components, including forward and aft skirts and frustum, would then undergo computerized checkout in the facility before delivery to NASA for booster stacking.
The new facility would process up to 24 flight sets of solid-fuel rocket boosters yearly and would offer maximum efficiency with extensive use of robotics and computer-controlled production techniques developed in MSFC's Productivity Enhancement Center. (Marshall Star, Jan 30/85, 1)
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