When the astronauts are practicing their flight plans during the terminal countdown demonstration test at Kennedy a few weeks before launch, Mann has to make sure the seats, communication equipment and cables are onboard for the mock launch countdown. Photo credit: NASA/KSC + View High-res Image From left to right are Craig Meyer, Mark Shimei, Ray Smith, Troy Mann. Image right: Mann and his team grapple with the ground handling device to transport and load the heavy spacesuit safely onto Discovery. That's equal to two tractor trailers, and fills more than 40 lockers and spaces with bags and containers in the mid-deck stowage areas. More than 6,500 pounds of equipment is loaded on the shuttle for every mission. It takes three technicians using a ground handling device and pulley system with a safety harness to maneuver the suits into the shuttle. That includes food, clothing, mid-deck seats, flight tools, cameras, parachutes, safety equipment, sleep restraints and, most importantly, the astronaut spacesuits - known as "extravehicular mobility units."Įach spacesuit weighs over 200 pounds and is received in four pieces. Every square inch of space is used and planned for ahead of time," said Mann. From left to right are Ray Smith, Craig Meyer, Mark Shimei, Troy Mann. Image left: Mann studies the checklist as his team carefully wraps a spacesuit before packing in a specially designed container prior to stowing on the shuttle. The supplies and equipment are first transported to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida by truck from the Johnson Space Center in Houston.Īfter arriving and being unloaded at Kennedy, the cargo is checked for damage, weighed, tagged and put into shipping containers until it has to be stowed for flight.Įvery item has a specific locker or space, and Mann's team follows a precise map for stowing the supplies in the mid-deck crew compartment on the shuttle. "That has never happened stowing for the shuttle." And Mann should know, since he's been packing the shuttle for more than seven years. "When people go on vacations, we all know we usually forget something," said Mann. Unlike a trip on Earth, there's no convenience store in space to pick up a few missing items. In the background are a few of the many shelves that hold equipment and supplies awaiting their trip to the orbiter. Image right: Mann wraps one of thousands of items that will be stowed on the space shuttle before launch. Troy Mann, lead technician for United Space Alliance's Flight Crew Systems, and his team have the daunting task of making sure the space shuttle crew members have everything from toothbrushes to spacesuits stowed in the orbiter by launch day. We all know what it's like to pack for a vacation, but how about packing for a trip to the International Space Station? Now imagine packing the space shuttle with all the vital equipment and personal items the astronauts need for a successful mission.
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