Friday, October 12, 2012

Space-age technology used to drag shuttle through LA - The Seattle Times [fornadablog.blogspot.com]

10:59 PM Unknown No comments

Space-age technology used to drag shuttle through LA - The Seattle Times [fornadablog.blogspot.com]

Calculus I - Lecture 01 - A Review of Pre-Calculus

[fornadablog.blogspot.com], Space-age technology used to drag shuttle through LA - The Seattle Times

LOS ANGELES â€" The space shuttle Endeavour arrived in Los Angeles last month with an air of majesty, soaring over ocean, mountains, the Hollywood sign and Disneyland.

Endeavour lost a little of that grandeur Friday, towed by four trailers, inching down city streets from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) toward its new life as an exhibit at the California Science Center. But it was greeted by large crowds who marveled at its sheer size against the city backdrop.

The journey, which is to conclude Saturday night, provided a view of L.A. less picturesque but perhaps much more realistic than the flyover's postcard-perfect scenes. The shuttle looked a little beat-up when seen up close. But the locales do too.

Moving the shuttle has been an epic undertaking, involving hundreds of workers who removed traffic lights, turned off power lines and cleared crowds so the Endeavour could make it through the streets.

It created a scene out of one of L.A.'s famous disaster movies, the five-story-tall shuttle nudging between buildings as spectators looked on atop gas-station roofs, cranes and even seated on those downed traffic lights.

By Friday afternoon, the shuttle was making its slow crawl west of LAX, greeted by thousands of people who seemed to ignore police warnings as they lined sidewalks, parking lots and balconies. The shuttle drew people from many walks of life: parents with young children, space aficionados and workers taking a break from their jobs.

Bill Douglass, 80, is a self-described "space nut." He's seen almost every shuttle launch since he retired in 2000. So he wasn't about to miss Endeavour's final trip.

"It's saying goodbye to it, celebrating the fact that it's retired," he said. "I couldn't believe it when I first saw it. This is the closest I've ever been to a real one."

The baby of the shuttle fleet, Endeavour replaced Challenger, which exploded during liftoff in 1986, killing seven astronauts. Endeavour thundered off the launchpad 25 times, orbited Earth nearly 4,700 times and racked up 123 million miles.

Moving the 170,000-pound shuttle on the ground is an expensive and difficult task. Science-center officials said the bill for the move would top $ 10 million, with no cost to taxpayers. The Exposition Park museum has raised money from donors for the shuttle project, and several companies involved in the move donated services including work and consultation.

The move was incredibly complex from an engineering standpoint. Four computer-controlled transporters move the shuttle at a speed of no more than 2 mph, helping it negotiate complex turns and avoid streetside obstacles.

The specialized carrier is used typically to haul oil rigs, bridges and heavy equipment. The wheels can spin in any direction, allowing the shuttle to zigzag past obstacles. An operator walks alongside, controlling the movements via joystick. Several spotters along the wings are on the lookout for hazards.

To accommodate the shuttle's 78-foot wingspan, crews planned to remove nearly 400 trees, 200 streetlights and 60 traffic lights.

It's going to take the acrobatics to get the shuttle through some tight squeezes along the route. At one point, the spacecraft will have just a few inches of clearance between buildings.

One of the most anticipated maneuvers would be crossing the 405 Freeway on the Manchester bridge. The California Department of Transportation required the shuttle be removed from its transporters and taken across using dollies. At that point, it will be hitched for a time to a pickup truck â€" Toyota has paid to film a commercial.

And one of the trickiest parts occurs Saturday when Endeavour treks through a narrow residential street with apartment buildings on both sides. With its wings expected to intrude into driveways, residents have been told to stay indoors until the shuttle passes.

The route was selected after ruling out other options. Dismantling the shuttle would have ruined the delicate heat tiles. Helicoptering it to its destination was not feasible. Neither was crossing on freeways because the shuttle is too big to fit through the underpasses.

Information from The Associated Press is included.