Discovery in the Orbiter Processing Facility

To take full advantage of Flickr, you should use a JavaScript-enabled browser and
install the latest version of the Macromedia Flash Player.

View Eric Atkins' map

Taken in a place with no name (See more photos or videos here)

The Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) is the hangar where NASA's Space Shuttle Orbiter undergoes maintenance between flights.

When a mission is completed, the orbiter is parked in its OPF. Its previous mission payloads are removed and the vehicle is fully inspected, tested, and refurbished, including re-tiling of the Thermal Protection System. Then part of the payloads for its next mission are installed and checked out.

There are three such facilities, OPF-1, OPF-2, and OPF-3, at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. OPF-1 and OPF-2 are connected together with a low bay in between them, while OPF-3 is across the street. They are located west of the Vehicle Assembly Building, where the orbiter is mated with its External Tank and Solid Rocket Boosters before launch.

OPF-1 is assigned to Atlantis, OPF-2 to Endeavour and OPF-3 to Discovery.

Would you like to comment?

[?]

	Eric Atkins' photostream
		7,994 uploads

This photo also belongs to:

	Trips (Set)
		0

Additional Information

Taken with a Nikon Coolpix L4.
More properties
Taken on March 11, 2008

Viewed 17 times

You	Sign in \| Create Your Free Account
Explore	Places \| Last 7 Days \| This Month \| Popular Tags \| The Commons \| Creative Commons \| Search
Help	Community Guidelines \| The Help Forum \| FAQ \| Sitemap \| Help by Email

Discovery in the Orbiter Processing Facility

Would you like to comment?

Eric Atkins' photostream

Trips (Set)

Tags

Additional Information