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Catalog #: 10_0009141
Date: 1960
Title: Convair/General Dynamics Atlas
Corporation Name: Convair/General Dynamics
Additional Information: Payload Fit Checks for Atlas Able
Tags: Convair/General Dynamics Atlas, Payload Fit Checks for Atlas Able , 1960, Convair/General Dynamics
Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive
On Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the payload canister for mission STS-124 is lifted to the payload changeout room. Inside the canister are the Japanese Experiment Module - Pressurized Module and the Japanese Remote Manipulator System.
The changeout room is the enclosed, environmentally controlled portion of the service structure that supports cargo delivery to the pad and subsequent installation into the space shuttle's payload bay.
Apr. 29, 2008
Workers oversee the transfer of STS-103's Hubble servicing cargo from the payload changeout room at Launch Pad 39B to the payload bay in Space Shuttle Discovery. STS-103 is a "call-up" mission due to the need to replace and repair portions of the Hubble Space Telescope, including the gyroscopes that allow the telescope to point at stars, galaxies and planets. The STS-103 crew will be replacing a Fine Guidance Sensor, an older computer with a new enhanced model, an older data tape recorder with a solid-state digital recorder, a failed spare transmitter with a new one, and degraded insulation on the telescope with new thermal insulation. The crew will also install a Battery Voltage/Temperature Improvement Kit to protect the spacecraft batteries from overcharging and overheating when the telescope goes into a safe mode. Four EVA's are planned to make the necessary repairs and replacements on the telescope. The mission is targeted for launch Dec. 6 at 2:37 a.m. EST. Image from NASA, originally appeared on this site: science.ksc.nasa.gov/gallery/photos/ Reposted by San Diego Air and Space Museum
With just a few hours' warning, we got word that the movement of a payload for the Byron nuclear power generating facility was going to occur on 3/27/2014, instead of 3/29/2014. Little advanced notice, showers and thunderstorms moving through, clouds, 30 MPH wind gusts, a little haze, and of course...this was at night. Throw in a police officer concerned with what we were doing there, and let's just say it made for a challenging shoot. But with some ingenuity, we got 'er done: all 6 vehicles here for the spectacle turned on our halogen high-beams...and we blasted the north side of the old Chicago Great Western bridge in Byron, IL on the Rock River with every lumen we could! We couldn't get a great picture with a quick exposure time; we had to go 2 or 3 seconds. But that made for a dramatic effect: the train, moving barely at 5 MPH, moves across the bridge at 9:20 PM with the lights creating an eerie, neat scene as we shoot from the marina. The steam and lights in the background are from the nuclear plant itself. This is part of a set called: The Byron Move #3: It was a dark and stormy night...
www.flickr.com/photos/sebenste/sets/72157643043024445/
A HUGE thanks to Fred Hoirt for the heads up on this!
www.vwcommercialvans.co.uk/crafter/new-vw-crafter.html
With a roomy payload* of up to 2693kg the Crafter panel van can certainly pull its weight.
*Payload = gross vehicle weight - unladen weight. Unladen weight and payload includes approximately 90% fuel load and 75kg for driver. Weights are for vehicles with standard specification. The addition of factory options or Volkswagen Van Centre fitted accessories may affect unladen weight and payload.
PictionID:53809606 - Catalog:14_031024 - Title:GD/Astronautics Details: Ft Worth Capability; Reinforced Plastic Nose Cone Date: 09/08/1961 - Filename:14_031024.tif - - Images from the Convair/General Dynamics Astronautics Atlas Negative Collection. The processing, cataloging and digitization of these images has been made possible by a generous National Historical Publications and Records grant from the National Archives and Records Administration---Please Tag these images so that the information can be permanently stored with the digital file.---Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum
At Launch Pad 39B, the payload canister for Space Shuttle Discovery, for mission STS-103, is lifted up the Rotating Service Structure. The umbilicals attached to the canister provide an environmental control system until transfer to the orbiter. Installation of the payload into Discovery is slated for Friday, Nov. 12. The mission is a "call-up" due to the need to replace portions of the pointing system, the gyros, which have begun to fail on the Hubble Space Telescope. Although Hubble is operating normally and conducting its scientific observations, only three of its six gyroscopes are working properly. The gyroscopes allow the telescope to point at stars, galaxies and planets. The STS-103 crew will also be replacing a Fine Guidance Sensor and an older computer with a new enhanced model, an older data tape recorder with a solid-state digital recorder, a failed spare transmitter with a new one, and degraded insulation on the telescope with new thermal insulation. The crew will also install a Battery Voltage/Temperature Improvement Kit to protect the spacecraft batteries from overcharging and overheating when the telescope goes into a safe mode. Image from NASA, originally appeared on this site: science.ksc.nasa.gov/gallery/photos/ Reposted by San Diego Air and Space Museum
Catalog #: 10_0009147
Date: 1960
Title: Convair/General Dynamics Atlas
Corporation Name: Convair/General Dynamics
Additional Information: Payload Fit Checks for Atlas Able
Tags: Convair/General Dynamics Atlas, Payload Fit Checks for Atlas Able , 1960, Convair/General Dynamics
Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive
Charles D. Walker was the first commercial payload specialist, flying three times in two years - at a time many astronauts were getting their first flights.
Walker could have made a fourth flight, when Robert Wood, also from McDonnell Douglas looked like he was having trouble with the training (Walker was Wood's alternate.) However, the Challenger accident in January 1986 along with advances in drug manufacturing, curtailed MDD's space manufacturing efforts.
While never an employee of NASA, he has been extensively involved in payload preparation and on-pad processing support activities at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, and in flight support at the Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas. He was responsible for training the NASA astronaut crews in the operation of the CFES payload on STS-4, STS-6, STS-7, and STS-8 shuttle flights during 1982 and 1983. Confirmed by NASA in 1983 as the first industrial payload specialist, Mr. Walker accompanied the McDonnell Douglas continuous flow electrophoresis (CFES) equipment as a crew member on Space Shuttle missions 41-D, 51-D, and 61-B, accumulating 20 days of experience in space and traveling 8.2 million miles. Aboard these Space Shuttle missions Mr. Walker also performed early protein crystal growth experiments and participated as a test subject in numerous medical studies. Since 1986 Mr. Walker has served in various NASA study and review team capacities including as a member of the NASA Microgravity Material Science Assessment Task Force, the NASA Space Station Office Quick-is-Beautiful/Rapid Response Research Study Group, and the NASA Space Station Operations Task Force. He has served on the national panels of the NASA/Industry Manned Flight Awareness Program and the NASA/Industry Education Initiative.
I have forgotten who got this photo for me, but I thank you!
THREE QUARTER TON MODELS -
By late 1941, the Dodge WC range was significantly revised, all four-wheeled models were reinforced and uprated for a nominal three-quarter ton off-road payload; and for 1943, a stretched six-wheel drive, 11⁄2-ton (5.5-ton) rated variant was developed. All models were widened to front and rear tracks of 5 ft 4+3⁄4 in, widening the front track by as much as 5+3⁄8 in, and the rear track by 3+3⁄8 in on most models. The tyres were widened from 7.50x16 to 9 in wide. moreover, the bulk production variants were significantly shortened, giving the vehicles much more square proportions, like on their younger 1⁄4‑ton brothers.
On the troops & weapons carriers, and command / reconnaissance & radio trucks, the wheelbase were all cut by almost 1ft 6 in, from 9 ft 8 in to 8 ft 2 in wheelbase. Only ambulances, carry-alls, and technical service trucks kept a long wheelbase. Panel vans were dropped from the range and no longer made.
The big volume models (the WC-51/-52, and the WC-56/-57/-58) also got literally more square bodies, and overall length to width ratios. The integrated grille / brush-guard became straight, and the hoods became lower and wider, and were flattened, both as in losing their previous curvature, and now being simply horizontal, so they became more useful as an improvised table-top, and the front windshields on these models could now also be folded forward, to lay flat on their hoods, just like on the 1⁄4-tons. Under the hood, the 3⁄4-tons kept the 6-cylinder inline, L-head engine of 92 hp gross, from the later model half‑ton WC series.
The biggest volume production variants, the pick-up / troops and weapons-carrier models, received a completely redesigned rear bed, that mostly consisted of two longitudinal, rectangular boxes, that integrated the rear wheel wells with under-seat stowage compartments fore and aft of the rear wheels, while now seating troops on top of the rear wheels, facing each other, instead of in between the wheels, further widening these models to 6 ft 11 in, but offering much more space for the troops' backpacks and gear, between their feet.
A single such truck, at less than 14 ft 8 in long, offered practical all-terrain transportation to a full eight man rifle squad, their weapons and personal kit. With the nickname 'jeep' now moving on to the smaller 1⁄4‑ton trucks, some soldiers called the Dodges 'Beeps' (for ''Big Jeep'') Eventually, as much as half of the more than fifty different WC series models manufactured, were WC‑51 & WC‑52 cargo / troop and weapons carriers, and one third of those with an engine-powered front winch.
WC-53 ¾-ton CARRYALL - Length: 15 ft 6 in / Width: 6 ft 7 in / Height: 6 ft 8 in / Weight: 5,700 lb / Payload: 1,750 lb.
A carryall, mechanically the WC-53 was virtually identical to the WC-54 but was fitted with a body which was the 1939 civilian carryall modified to military specifications. All four rear side windows were wind-up opening and the seating consisted of front folding passenger seat to allow rear access, two person second row leaving space to access to the rear full width three person seat. The spare wheel was carried on a mount on the driver's side and although the door was fully operational it could not be opened and the driver had to enter from the passenger side. The rear end had split tailgates. WC-53's were also fitted as radio trucks with a bench on the left side with the operator seated sideways. 8,400 WC-53 Truck, 3/4 ton, 4x4 Dodge Carryall (G-502) were built. No carryalls came from the factory with a winch, though there was a field modification available.
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS -
▪︎Type: 1⁄2-ton / 3⁄4-ton 4x4 truck / 11⁄2-ton 6x6 truck
▪︎Place of Origin: Warren Truck Assembly, Michigan, United States
Conflicts: World War Two / Korean War / Various post 1945 conflicts
▪︎Manufacturer: Dodge / Fargo
▪︎Produced: 1940 to 1945
▪︎Number Built: Total = 382,350 excluding variants consisting of: 1⁄2-ton 4x2 models = 1,542 units / All 4x4 Models = ~337,600 units – across: ≈82,390 1⁄2-ton units (1940 to 1942) and 255,195 3⁄4-ton units (1942 to 1945) 11⁄2-ton 6x6 Models 43,224 units
▪︎Variants: D8A 1⁄2-ton, 4x4 (1941, Canada) = 3,000 units / D3/4 APT 3⁄4-ton, 4x4 (1945, Canada) = 11,750 units / VF-401 – VF-407 11⁄2-ton, 4x4 (1940) = 6,472 units / T-203B 11⁄2-ton, 4x4 (1941) = 1,500 units / WF-32 - G-618 11⁄2-ton, 4x2 (1942 to 1944, Iran) = 9,600 units
SPECIFICATIONS (WC-51 / WC-52) -
▪︎Mass: 5,250 lb empty / 5,550 lb with winch
▪︎Length: 13 ft 10 7⁄8 in / 14 ft 8 1⁄2 in with winch
▪︎Width: 16 ft 10 3⁄4 in
▪︎Height: 6 ft 9 7⁄8 in
▪︎Engine: Dodge T-214, 92 hp
▪︎Payload Capacity: 1,500 lb
▪︎Transmission: 4 speed × 1 range
▪︎Suspension: Live beam axles on leaf springs
▪︎Ground Clearance: 10 in
▪︎Fuel Capacity: 30 U.S gallons
▪︎Operational Range: 240 miles
▪︎Maximum Speed: 55 mph.
Information sourced from - en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_WC_series
Sony A330, Tokina 11-16mm.
Single HLV-42AM though 24'' softbox.
Blended natural shot with HDR. Note the background signage.
www.flickr.com/photos/blackriverimages/sets/7215762591988...
Catalog #: 10_0009154
Date: 1960
Title: Convair/General Dynamics Atlas
Corporation Name: Convair/General Dynamics
Additional Information: Payload Fit Checks for Atlas Able
Tags: Convair/General Dynamics Atlas, Payload Fit Checks for Atlas Able , 1960, Convair/General Dynamics
Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive
Technicians install the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA) K-Rad Cube within the Orion stage adapter inside the Multi-Payload Processing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025. The K-Rad Cube, about the size of a shoebox, is one of the CubeSats slated to fly on NASA’s Artemis II test flight in 2026. Deploying in high Earth orbit from a spacecraft adapter on NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket after Orion is safely flying on its own with its crew of four astronauts, K-Rad Cube will use a dosimeter made of material designed to mimic human tissue to measure space radiation and assess biological effects at various altitudes across the Van Allen radiation belts, a critical area of research for human presence at the Moon and Mars. Photo credit: NASA/Frank Michaux
NASA image use policy.
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt was one of the largest and heaviest fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single piston engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to eight tons, and in the fighter-bomber ground-attack roles could carry five-inch rockets or a significant bomb load of 2,500 pounds; it could carry over half the payload of the B-17 bomber on long-range missions (although the B-17 had a far greater range).
The P-47, originally based on the powerful Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp engine, was to be very effective as a short-to-medium range escort fighter in high-altitude air-to-air combat and, when unleashed as a fighter-bomber, proved especially adept at ground attack in both the World War II European and Pacific Theaters.
The P-47 was one of the main United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) fighters of World War II, and served with other Allied air forces, notably those of France, Britain, and Russia. Mexican and Brazilian squadrons fighting alongside the U.S. were equipped with the P-47.
In 1943, two P-47D-15-RE airframes (serials 42-23297/23298) were selected for testing with the new experimental 2300 hp Chrysler XIV-2220-1 sixteen-cylinder inverted Vee liquid-cooled engine. These aircraft were re-designated XP-47H. The liquid-cooled Chrysler engine with its large under-fuselage radiator radically changed the appearance of the Thunderbolt, and increased overall length to 39 feet 2 inches. With the increased power and improved streamlining, a maximum speed of 490 mph was anticipated.
The two P-47D-15-RE airframes were converted until early 1944 and test flights began on July 26, 1945. During flight trails, one of the XP-47Hs actually attained a speed of 490 mph in level flight, and the new aircraft was primarily intended as a fast interceptor for the European theater, where especially Great Britain was endangered by the fast V1 missiles, and initial reports about German jet fighters and reconnaissance aircraft that were hard to counter with current piston-engine types, stirred the need for this fast aircraft.
Production P-47Hs received several amendments that had already been introduced with the late D types, e. g. the lowered back and a bubble canopy that offered excellent view. The P-47H also received the new wing from the P-47N, recognizable by its characteristic square wing tips which allowed better roll manoeuvers. Not visible at first glance were the integral wing tanks, which enhanced the internal fuel load to 4.792,3 liters, resulting in a range of 3.500 km (2.175 ml), so that the P-47H was also suited for long range bomber escorts. Air brakes were added to the wing's lower surfaces, too, to allow braking after a dive onto its prey.
Furthermore, serial production machines received an uprated, more reliable Chrysler XIV-2220-2 engine, which had an output of 2.450 hp.
The P-47H was put into limited production with 130 built, sufficient for one group. However, the type suffered serious teething problems in the field due to the highly tuned engine. Engines were unable to reach operating temperatures and power settings and frequently failed in early flights from a variety of causes: ignition harnesses cracked at high altitudes, severing electrical connections between the magneto and distributor, and carburetor valve diaphragms also failed. Poor corrosion protection during shipments across the Atlantic also took their toll on the engines and airframes.
By the time the bugs were worked out, the war in Europe was nearly over. However, P-47Hs still destroyed 15 enemy jet aircraft in aerial combat in March-May 1945 when aerial encounters with the Luftwaffe were rare. The type also proved itself to be a valuable V1 missile interceptor over the Channel.
The entire production total of 130 P-47Hs were delivered to the 358th Fighter Group, which was part of the 9th Air Force and operated from Great Britain, France and finally on German ground. From the crews the P-47H received several nicknames like 'torpedo', 'Thunderbullet' or 'Anteater', due to its elongated nose section.
Twelve P-47H were lost in operational crashes with the 358th Group resulting in 11 deaths, two after VE Day, and two (44-21134 on 13 April 1945 and 44-21230 on 16 April 1945) were shot down in combat, both by ground fire.
General characteristics:
Crew: 1
Length: 39 ft 2 in (11.96 m)
Wingspan: 40 ft 9 in (12.42 m)
Height: 14 ft 8 in (4.47 m)
Wing area: 300 ft² (27.87 m²)
Empty weight: 10,000 lb (4,535 kg)
Loaded weight: 13,300 lb (6,032 kg)
Max. takeoff weight: 17,500 lb (7,938 kg)
Powerplant:
1× Chrysler XIV-2220-2 sixteen-cylinder inverted Vee liquid-cooled engine, rated at 2.450 hp.
Performance:
Maximum speed: 503 mph at 30,000 ft (810 km/h at 9,145 m)
Range: 920 mi combat, 2.175 ml ferry (1.480 km / 3.500 km)
Service ceiling: 43,000 ft (13,100 m)
Rate of climb: 3,120 ft/min (15.9 m/s)
Wing loading: 44.33 lb/ft² ()
Power/mass: 0.19 hp/lb (238 W/kg)
Armament:
8× .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns (3.400 rounds)
Up to 2,500 lb (1,134 kg) of bombs, drop tanks and/or 10× 5 in (127 mm) unguided rockets
The kit and its assembly:
I had the (X)P-47H on the agenda for some time, and even the respective MPM kit stashed away. But it took some time to start this project - one reason actually being the, well, crudeness of the MPM offering. Anyway, I wanted to build a service aircraft, and I wondered how this would have looked like, way beyond 1944? That brought me towards the late bubble canopy versions of the P-47D - and suddenly the idea was born to convert the XP-47H into a respective service aircraft which would not only carry the Chrysler XIV-2220-1 V16 engine, but also other improvements of the type. This eventually led to the decision to make this build a kitbash, as a spine implantation would be the easiest way to incorporate the lowered back - or so I thought...
I chose the ancient Heller P-47(N) as donation kit. Not because it was “good”, it just had the right ingredients and was cheap and easy to procure. What sounded like a simple plan turned into a twisted route to vague success. I took the front fuselage and the lower belly from the MPM kit, as well as the horizontal stabilizers and mated it with the upper and rear fuselage of the Heller Thunderbolt. This could have been easy, if both kits would not have had different fuselage diameters - the Heller kit is about 1mm too narrow, even though the length is fine. In order to compensate, I built two new fuselage halves from the salvaged pieces, and once these were stable and more or less sanded even, put together. Inside, the cockpit was taken from the Heller kit, but the seat comes from the MPM kit, and a pilot figure was added. Another problem is the fact that the MPM kit features engraved panel lines, while the Heller kit has old school, raised details and lots of rivets.
The propeller from the MPM kit is a joke, so I built a replacement from scratch - from a drop tank front half from an ancient Revell F4U, and the individual propeller blades were taken from an Italeri F4U. Inside the fuselage, a styrene tube was implanted which holds the new propeller on a metal axis, so it can spin freely.
Other personal mods include lowered flaps and the large cooler intake was opened, with foamed styrene placed inside which mimics some mesh. The same method was also used inside of the intercooler outlets (primarily in order to block any light from shining through). Inside of the landing gear wells I added some structure made from styrene profiles.
Another bigger challenge was the wing attachment - Heller and MPM kit differ considerably in this aspect, so that swapping parts is not easy. The MPM kit has the wing roots molded onto the fuselage halves, while the Heller wings are, more or less, directly attached to the fuselage. As a consequence the Heller wings hold the complete landing gear wells, while the MPM solution has divided sections. I decided to get rid of the MPM wing roots, about 3mm of material, and onto these stubs the Heller wings were attached. The landing gear came from the Heller kit, but the main wheels come from a (new) Revell Me 262 - both MPM and Heller parts are not recommended for serious use... Finally, the many exhausts and cooler flaps were either sanded away and replaced by scratched parts, or added - e. g. the vents behind the cockpit. While the Heller kit features bomb and missile hardpoints under the wings I decided to leave them away - this is supposed to be a fast interceptor, not a train-hunting plough.
Painting and markings:
As this was to be a very late WWII aircraft, NMF was certain, and I wanted to place the service P-47H into the European conflict theatre, where its speed would IMHO be best used against German jet threats. I wanted a colorful aircraft, though, and settled for a machine of the 358th FG. This group actually flew Thunderbolts in the 365-367th Squadrons, and I found several profiles of these gaudy things.
Common to all of them was an orange tail and a dark blue back, while the engine cowling would be decorated with a red front and the air outlets would carry bands in red, white and blue, with lots of tiny stars sprinkled upon. Furthermore, I found specimen with white cowlings behind the red front end, or even yellow cowlings. Pretty cool.
I tried to mimic this look. The model was basically painted with Aluminum Metallizer (Humbrol 27002) overall. The effect is really good, even without rubbing treatment. Some panels were contrasted with Aluminium Plate and Polished Steel Metallizer (Modelmaster), as well as with Aluminum (Humbrol 56, which is rather a metallic grey). The latter was also used on the landing gear. The anti-glare panel in front of the cockpit was painted with Olive Drab (ANA 613 from Modelmaster).
Since there is no air intake opening on the inline engine I decided to paint the spinner in bright red (Humbrol 19), and tried to incorporate the white and blue theme with stars decoration to the rest of the nose. As a convenient coincidence, I found decals from an Italeri B-66 in the stash: it features a version with dark blue jet air intake decorations in the right size, colors and style for what I had been looking for. So, instead of painting everything by hand I decided to incorporate this decal option.
The area behind the spinner was painted white and then the B-66 decals applied to the front flanks. The radiator air intake scoop had to be cut out, but the overall size and shape were a very good match. Even the transition into the blue spine and cockpit area worked well!
The tail was painted with Humbrol 18, later some shading with Humbrol 82 was added. The blue spine was done with a mix of Humbrol 104 and 15 (Oxford Blue and Midnight Blue) - not a perfect match for the B-66 decal colors, but after some dirt and weathering these differences would blur.
Cockpit interior was painted in Humbrol 159 (Khaki Drab) and Zinc Chromate Green from Model Master. The landing gear wells received a chrome yellow primer (Humbrol 225 - actually RAF Mid Stone but a perfect match for the task) finish.
For weathering the kit received a rubbing treatment with grinded graphite, which adds a dark, metallic shine and emphasizes the kit’s raised panel lines. Some dry painting with Aluminum was added, too, simulating chipped paint on the leading edges. I also added some oil stains around the engine, and serious soot stains at the exhaust.
Decals were, beyond the B-66 decoration, puzzled together. The aircraft' code 'CH-F[bar]' is another exotic twist, in two ways. The bar under the letter marks a second use of that code within the squadron, and as a difference from normal code placement (normally exclusively on the fuselage) I placed the aircraft's individual code letter on the fin, a practice on some P-51s and a consequence of the relatively large letter decals.
The nose art is a fictional puzzle, consisting of a Czech MiG-21 pin-up from the Pardubice '89 meeting. The “Ohio Express” tag comes from a Tamiya 1:100 F-105 Thunderchief. A neat combination that even matches the overall colors well!
As a final step, a coat of semi matt acrylic varnish was applied, with the exception of the anti glare panel, which became purely matt.
A better XP-47H? Hard to tell, since this kitbashing was a messy and rather crude work, so the overall finish does not look as good as I hoped for. But the lowered spine and the fin root extension adds to a fast look of this thing, more elegant (if that's possible in this case?) than the Razorback prototypes. I can't help, but the finished article looks like an Evel Knievel stunt vehicle? The red spinner looks a bit odd, but I'll leave it this way.
At Launch Pad 39B, the open doors of the payload canister, inside the Payload Changeout Room, reveal the Hubble Servicing Mission cargo. At the top is the Orbital Replacement Unit Carrier and at the bottom is the Flight Support System. Installation of the payload into Discovery is slated for Friday, Nov. 12. The mission is a "call-up" due to the need to replace portions of the pointing system, the gyros, which have begun to fail on the Hubble Space Telescope. Although Hubble is operating normally and conducting its scientific observations, only three of its six gyroscopes are working properly. The gyroscopes allow the telescope to point at stars, galaxies and planets. The STS-103 crew will also be replacing a Fine Guidance Sensor and an older computer with a new enhanced model, an older data tape recorder with a solid-state digital recorder, a failed spare transmitter with a new one, and degraded insulation on the telescope with new thermal insulation. The crew will also install a Battery Voltage/Temperature Improvement Kit to protect the spacecraft batteries from overcharging and overheating when the telescope goes into a safe mode. Image from NASA, originally appeared on this site: science.ksc.nasa.gov/gallery/photos/ Reposted by San Diego Air and Space Museum
STS-64 Mission Insignia:
The STS-64 patch depicts the Space Shuttle Discovery in a payload-bay-to-Earth attitude with its primary payload, Lidar In-Space Technology Experiment (LITE-1) operating in support of Mission to Planet Earth. LITE-1 is a lidar system that uses a three-wavelength laser, symbolized by the three gold rays emanating from the star in the payload bay that form part of the astronaut symbol. The major objective of the LITE-1 is to gather data about the Earth's troposphere and stratosphere, represented by the clouds and dual-colored Earth limb. A secondary payload on STS-64 is the free-flier SPARTAN 201 satellite shown on the Remote Manipulator System (RMS) arm post-retrieval. The RMS also operated another payload, Shuttle Plume Impingement Flight Experiment (SPIFEX). A newly tested extravehicular activity (EVA) maneuvering device, Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue (SAFER), represented symbolically by the two small nozzles on the backpacks of the two untethered EVA crew men. The names of the crew members encircle the patch: Astronauts Richard N. Richards, L. Blaine Hammond, Jr., Jerry M. Linenger, Susan J. Helms, Carl J. Meade and Mark C. Lee. The gold or silver stars by each name represent that person's parent service
STS-64 was a Space Shuttle Discovery mission that was set to perform multiple experiment packages. STS-64 was launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on 9 September 1994, and landed back on 20 September 1994 at Edwards Air Force Base.
Crew size - 6
Richard N. Richards
L. Blaine Hammond, Jr.
Jerry M. Linenger
Susan J. Helms
Carl J. Meade
Mark Charles Lee
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Emirates
Scale 1-500 model diecast
Airbus A330-200
Registration: A6-EKX (MSN 326)
Original printed box
Aircraft Type: Airbus A330-243
Config: F12C42Y183
Engines: 2x RR Trent 772B-60
Airframe status: Stored
Original Dimensions: Wingspan 60,3m - Lenght 59m - Height 17,9m
Seating Capacity: 253 (Is manufacturers typical 3 class configuration)
Range: 12350km (With maximum passengers and no cargo)
MTOW: 233 tonnes
MLW: 182 tonnes
MZFW: 170 tonnes
Typical OWE: 120,5 tonnes
Typical Volumetric Payload: 36,4 tonnes
Max. Structural Payload: 49,5 tonnes
Fuel Capacity: 139090 litres
IATA: EK
ICAO: UAE
Callsign: EMIRATES
Airline Full Name: Emirates Airline
Country: United Arab Emirates
Airline Founded: 25 Oct 1985
Headquarters: Dubai International (DXB / OMDB)
Fleet Size: 271 Aircraft (+ 9 On Order/Planned)
Brand: Herpa Wings
Colors: Black - Gold - Green - Grey - Red - White
Material: Metal
Condition: New
Dimensions (cm): Box: 4 x 14,2 x 14,7 / Model: 12,06 x 11,8 x 3,58
Weight (g): 128
STS-103's Hubble servicing cargo is transferred from the payload changeout room at Launch Pad 39B to the payload bay in Space Shuttle Discovery. STS-103 is a "call-up" mission due to the need to replace and repair portions of the Hubble Space Telescope, including the gyroscopes that allow the telescope to point at stars, galaxies and planets. The STS-103 crew will be replacing a Fine Guidance Sensor, an older computer with a new enhanced model, an older data tape recorder with a solid-state digital recorder, a failed spare transmitter with a new one, and degraded insulation on the telescope with new thermal insulation. The crew will also install a Battery Voltage/Temperature Improvement Kit to protect the spacecraft batteries from overcharging and overheating when the telescope goes into a safe mode. Four EVA's are planned to make the necessary repairs and replacements on the telescope. The mission is targeted for launch Dec. 6 at 2:37 a.m. EST. Image from NASA, originally appeared on this site: science.ksc.nasa.gov/gallery/photos/ Reposted by San Diego Air and Space Museum
In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF), workers check the placement of equipment, part of mission STS-103, onto a workstand. The equipment is the first part of payload flight hardware for the third Hubble Space Telescope Servicing Mission (SM-3A). The hardware will undergo final testing and integration of payload elements in the PHSF. Mission STS-103 is a "call-up" mission which is being planned due to the need to replace portions of the Hubble's pointing system, the gyros, which have begun to fail. Although Hubble is operating normally and conducting its scientific observations, only three of its six gyroscopes are working properly. The gyroscopes allow the telescope to point at stars, galaxies and planets. The STS-103 crew will not only replace gyroscopes, it will also replace a Fine Guidance Sensor and an older computer with a new enhanced model, an older data tape recorder with a solid state digital recorder, a failed spare transmitter with a new one, and degraded insulation on the telescope with new thermal insulation. The crew will also install a Battery Voltage/Temperature Improvement Kit to protect the spacecraft batteries from overcharging and overheating when the telescope goes into a safe mode. Launch of STS-103 is currently targeted for Oct. 14 but the date is under review. Image from NASA, originally appeared on this site: science.ksc.nasa.gov/gallery/photos/ Reposted by San Diego Air and Space Museum
Catalog #: 10_0009160
Date: 1960
Title: Convair/General Dynamics Atlas
Corporation Name: Convair/General Dynamics
Additional Information: Payload Fit Checks for Atlas Able
Tags: Convair/General Dynamics Atlas, Payload Fit Checks for Atlas Able , 1960, Convair/General Dynamics
Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. Workers in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility prepare an overhead crane (background) that will lift the cruise stage, in the foreground, for Mars Exploration Rover 1 (MER-1). The cruise stage will be moved and integrated with the aeroshell, the entry vehicle. NASAs twin Mars Exploration Rovers are designed to study the history of water on Mars. These robotic geologists are equipped with a robotic arm, a drilling tool, three spectrometers, and four pairs of cameras that allow them to have a human-like, 3D view of the terrain. Each rover could travel as far as 100 meters in one day to act as Mars scientists' eyes and hands, exploring an environment where humans cant yet go. The MER-1 is scheduled to launch June 25 from Launch Pad 17-A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Image from NASA, originally appeared on this site: science.ksc.nasa.gov/gallery/photos/ Reposted by San Diego Air and Space Museum
Workers prepare to move the shipping container with the Cassini orbiter inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) for prelaunch processing, testing and integration. The orbiter arrived at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility in a U.S. Air Force C-17 air cargo plane from Edwards Air Force Base, California. The orbiter and the Huygens probe already being processed at KSC are the two primary components of the Cassini spacecraft, which will be launched on a Titan IVB/Centaur expendable launch vehicle from Cape Canaveral Air Station. Cassini will explore Saturn, its rings and moons for four years. The Huygens probe, designed and developed for the European Space Agency (ESA), will be deployed from the orbiter to study the clouds, atmosphere and surface of Saturn's largest moon, Titan. The orbiter was designed and assembled at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. Following postflight inspections, integration of the 12 science instruments not already installed on the orbiter will be completed. Then, the parabolic high-gain antenna and the propulsion module will be mated to the orbiter, followed by the Huygens probe, which will complete spacecraft integration. The Cassini mission is targeted for an Oct. 6 launch to begin its 6.7-year journey to the Saturnian system. Arrival at the planet is expected to occur around July 1, 2004. Image from NASA, originally appeared on this site: science.ksc.nasa.gov/gallery/photos/ Reposted by San Diego Air and Space Museum
The Intelligent Payload Experiment (IPEX) developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, is a mission to validate various Intelligent Payload Module (IPM) technologies including autonomous onboard instrument processing, downlink operations, and automated ground operations. IPM capability is currently baselined for the proposed HyspIRI Decadal Survey mission that will study the world’s ecosystems. Launched by NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative on the ELaNa II mission as an auxiliary payload aboard the NROL-39 Mission on Dec. 6, 2013. Photo credit: Jet Propulsion Laboratory
In KSC's Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF), Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) workers are conducting a solar illumination test of the solar panels on the Mars Global Surveyor. The Surveyor is outfitted with two solar arrays, each featuring two panels, that provide electrical power for operating the spacecraft's electronic equipment and scientific instruments, as well as charging two nickel hydrogen batteries that provide power when the spacecraft is in the dark. For launch, the solar arrays will be folded against the side of the spacecraft. The Mars Global Surveyor is being prepared for launch aboard a Delta II expendable launch vehicle during a launch window opening Nov. 6.
Image from NASA, originally appeared on this site: science.ksc.nasa.gov/gallery/photos/
Reposted by San Diego Air and Space Museum
PictionID:46980111 - Catalog:14_023846 - Title:GD/Astronautics Details: Atlas Program Payload - Filename:14_023846.TIF - Images from the Convair/General Dynamics Astronautics Atlas Negative Collection. The processing, cataloging and digitization of these images has been made possible by a generous National Historical Publications and Records grant from the National Archives and Records Administration---Please Tag these images so that the information can be permanently stored with the digital file.---Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum
PictionID:53758511 - Catalog:14_031697 - Title:Atlas Centaur 12 Details: AC-12 Nose Fairing in CSTS Date: 11/03/1966 - Filename:14_031697.tif - Images from the Convair/General Dynamics Astronautics Atlas Negative Collection. The processing, cataloging and digitization of these images has been made possible by a generous National Historical Publications and Records grant from the National Archives and Records Administration---Please Tag these images so that the information can be permanently stored with the digital file.---Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Catalog #: 10_0009145
Date: 1960
Title: Convair/General Dynamics Atlas
Corporation Name: Convair/General Dynamics
Additional Information: Payload Fit Checks for Atlas Able
Tags: Convair/General Dynamics Atlas, Payload Fit Checks for Atlas Able , 1960, Convair/General Dynamics
Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum Archive
Out of this world public domain images from NASA. All original images and many more can be found from the NASA Image Library
Higher resolutions with no attribution required can be downloaded: www.rawpixel.com/board/418580/nasa
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. In the Orbiter Processing Facility, the payload bay doors on Atlantis are being closed in preparation for the expected impact of Hurricane Frances on Saturday. Other preparations at KSC include powering down the Space Shuttle orbiters and stowing the landing gear. Workers are also taking precautions against flooding by moving spacecraft hardware off the ground and sandbagging facilities. The Orbiter Processing Facility is constructed of concrete and steel and was designed to withstand winds of 105 mph. The Vehicle Assembly Building is constructed of concrete and steel and was designed to withstand winds of 125 mph. Other payload and flight hardware support facilities can endure winds of 110 mph. Launch pads and the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility can withstand 125-mph winds. Image from NASA, originally appeared on this site: science.ksc.nasa.gov/gallery/photos/ Reposted by San Diego Air and Space Museum
PictionID:44811615 - Title:Atlas Payload Component - Catalog:14_014444 - Filename:14_014444.TIF - - - - Image from the Convair/General Dynamics Astronautics Atlas Negative Collection. The processing, cataloging and digitization of these images has been made possible by a generous National Historical Publications and Records grant from the National Archives and Records Administration---Please Tag these images so that the information can be permanently stored with the digital file.---Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum
United Launch Alliance (ULA) hoists the Amazon Leo mission payload atop the Atlas V rocket in the Vertical Integration Facility adjacent to Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The Atlas V will launch the Leo 5 mission for Amazon's broadband satellite constellation. Photo credit: United Launch Alliance
Presentations on the ExoMars payload by Daniil Rodionov (ACS, FREND) IKI Moscow, Manish Patel (NOMAD) Uni Padua, and Gabriele Cremonese, Co-PI for CASSIS, Astronomical Observatory, Padua. Images credit: ESA/R. Palmari
PictionID:47058189 - Title:GD/Astronautics Details: Atlas Program Payload Date: 1961 - Catalog:14_024437 - Filename:14_024437.TIF - Images from the Convair/General Dynamics Astronautics Atlas Negative Collection. The processing, cataloging and digitization of these images has been made possible by a generous National Historical Publications and Records grant from the National Archives and Records Administration---Please Tag these images so that the information can be permanently stored with the digital file.---Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum
The Air Force's Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) mission, encapsulated inside a 5-meter payload fairing, is mated to its United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V booster inside the Mobile Service Tower at Cape Canaveral's Space Launch Complex-41. Photo credit: United Launch Alliance
Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) workers in the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) prepare the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft for transfer to the launch pad by placing it in a protective canister. The Surveyor spacecraft (upper) is already mated to its solid propellant upper stage booster (lower), which is actually the third stage of the Delta II expendable launch vehicle that will propel the spacecraft on its interplanetary journey to the Red Planet. Once at Launch Pad 17A on Cape Canaveral Air Station, the spacecraft and booster assembly will be stacked atop the Delta vehicle. The Surveyor is slated for liftoff on Nov. 6 at the beginning of a 20-day launch period.
Image from NASA, originally appeared on this site: science.ksc.nasa.gov/gallery/photos/
Reposted by San Diego Air and Space Museum
In the Multi-Payload Processing Facility (MPPF) at KSC, technicians hoist the orbiting and Retrievable Far and Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrograph-Shuttle Pallet Satellite (ORFEUS-SPAS) II main telescope to a vertical position prior to installing it atop the Astronomy Shuttle Pallet Satellite (ASTRO-SPAS) platform. Two spectrographs share the main telescope: the Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrograph (EUV) provided by the University of California at Berkeley, and the Far Ultraviolet Spectrograph (FUV) designed by German institutions the University of Tubingen and Landessternwarte Heidelberg and built by German company Kayser-Threde. The main telescope has a primary mirror approximately one yard (one meter) in diameter, coated with iridium to improve its light-gathering power in the ultraviolet. During the flight of ORFEUS-SPAS II on Space Shuttle Mission STS- 80, these two spectrographs -- along with a third installed separately on the ASTRO-SPAS -- will gather data about the life cycle of stars.
Image from NASA, originally appeared on this site: science.ksc.nasa.gov/gallery/photos/
Reposted by San Diego Air and Space Museum
United Launch Alliance (ULA) hoists the Amazon Leo mission payload atop the Atlas V rocket in the Vertical Integration Facility adjacent to Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The Atlas V will launch the Leo 5 mission for Amazon's broadband satellite constellation. Photo credit: United Launch Alliance
PictionID:53766902 - Catalog:14_031646 - Title:Atlas Centaur 6 Details: AC-6 Nose Fairing Package Date: 05/22/1965 - Filename:14_031646.TIF - Images from the Convair/General Dynamics Astronautics Atlas Negative Collection. The processing, cataloging and digitization of these images has been made possible by a generous National Historical Publications and Records grant from the National Archives and Records Administration---Please Tag these images so that the information can be permanently stored with the digital file.---Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum
The Air Force's Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) mission, encapsulated inside a 5-meter payload fairing, is mated to its United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V booster inside the Mobile Service Tower at Cape Canaveral's Space Launch Complex-41. Photo credit: United Launch Alliance
Hill Aerospace Museum
Minuteman II ERCS Aeroshell
ERCS flight equipment consisted of the communications payload atop the Minuteman II booster. ERCS payloads were stored and maintained at the local base weapon storage area (WSA) to support the appearance of identical actions with the Mark 11 reentry vehicle, which was also stored and maintained at the WSA. The payload was the same diameter as the Mark 11 to allow connection to the Minuteman booster. The overall shape of the payload was very similar to the Mark 11 but could be readily distinguished by a silver-colored metal point at the top of the aeroshell. The payload was approximately 8 feet high, 32.6 inches in diameter, and weighed 875 pounds.
EMERGENCY ROCKET COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM (ERCS)
The Emergency Rocket Communications System (ERCS) provided a backup communication system to U.S. forces in the event of a nuclear attack. In operation, the ERCS system utilized the Minuteman launch facilities and a Minuteman booster to place a Communications Package into sub-orbital flight. It could then transmit a pre-recorded message to all subscribers within line-of-sight of its trajectory.
Classified SECRET and located only at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, ERCS locations were carefully hidden so as not to be targeted by adversaries. When not installed at the Launch Facility, the ERCS payload was stored with Minuteman warheads to fully disguise their locations.
The U.S. Air Force terminated the ERCS mission in September 1991 with the removal of the Minuteman II missile from the nuclear mission.
PictionID:55777510 - Catalog:GD/Astronautics Testing Details: Pt. Loma; Jettison Test-PRIME Shroud Date: 08/31/1966 - Title:Array - Filename:14_037842.tif - ---- Images from the Convair/General Dynamics Astronautics Atlas Negative Collection. The processing, cataloging and digitization of these images has been made possible by a generous National Historical Publications and Records grant from the National Archives and Records Administration---Please Tag these images so that the information can be permanently stored with the digital file.---Repository: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Out of this world public domain images from NASA. All original images and many more can be found from the NASA Image Library
Higher resolutions with no attribution required can be downloaded: www.rawpixel.com/board/418580/nasa