THE HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT BLOG: From the Space Shuttle to Beyond

Saturday, January 14, 2012

A shot of Discovery's three Replica Shuttle Main Engines (RSMEs) from inside the tail cone, which was attached to the orbiter on January 12, 2012.

NASA / Jim Grossmann

Discovery: Retirement Update... Last Thursday, the tail cone that will protect Discovery’s three Replica Shuttle Main Engines during her flight from Florida's Kennedy Space Center to Virginia this April was attached to the vehicle inside Orbiter Processing Facility-1. This milestone comes despite the fact Discovery’s twin Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) thruster nozzles weren't reattached to the spacecraft. Currently, there is no public info as to whether the OMS nozzles will be re-installed at the Udvar-Hazy Center (the museum where Discovery will go on permanent display) in Virginia or the thrusters won't be reattached at all. I'm hoping that the former will ring true.

A shot of Discovery's three RSMEs before the tail cone was installed around them, on January 12, 2012.

A shot of Discovery's three RSMEs before the tail cone was installed around them, on January 12, 2012.

NASA / Jim Grossmann

The tail cone is about to be installed around Discovery's three RSMEs at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, on January 12, 2012.