Posted on 03/31/2012 8:22:57 AM PDT by M.K. Borders
Does anyone have info about the Kennedy Space Center being closed down?
I found this online:
“However, the center is being realigned/changed to accommodate the newer Aries launch vehicles for the Orion spacecraft (the space shuttle replacement vehicle).” It is not closing down.
The old policy at Kennedy was just to leave old pads in place, as well as old buildings, under the assumption that they can be cleared if and when a new launch system is needed.
The new policy is to ‘restore the site to a natural condition when the program has reached end of life.’ Realistically, that means removing any obvious buildings from the launch site. Unfortunately, this is also destroying some great history at the same time, but hey, nothing like expending our money to make some liberal feel better.
So, you’ll almost always see something about ‘pad x being demolished’ or ‘Space Center x building being closed.’ All that being said, however, has to take into account the continued existence of Lockheed. If they upped and filed bankruptcy tomorrow, you would want to get to Kennedy ASAP if a visit is on your bucket list.
Muslim Holiday?
Here is a good link to what’s going on daily at KSC.
I was laid off/retired last August from KSC and most of the USA folks had already left. It was like a ghost town when I left. Still sad and maybe a little bitter that the program was ended with the remaining orbiters only used for 25% of their design life. I know a lot of folks decried the program as a waste but it was magnificent for a lot of us. It kept me with a job for 36+ years. I know from some of the remaining folks there that there is some work continuing but both pad A and B have had their storage tanks drained of Liquid Oxygen and Hydrogen. That close to the ocean, maintenance is a daily task to be dealt with.
If you mean the Visitor’s Center, it’s still going.
It’s worth going at least once, and if you do, make sure to take the bus tour to see the Saturn V exhibit.
FYI, there are a couple of launches coming up, including the first private rocket to fly to the International Space Station (SpaceX Falcon 9, currently scheduled for 4/30).
See http://kennedyspacecenter.com/ for more info.
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