NASA Crawler upgrades...

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Originally Posted By: HerrStig
Now that the shuttle is grounded, what are they going to move that is so large as to require an upgrade?


Orion isn't going to strut all on its own to the launch site and take off under its own power. The Space Launch System is considerably larger than the Shuttle with the fuel tank and booster rockets.
 
The newly designed SLS rocket. The most powerful rocket ever (if they actually complete it). Designed to go to the moon (and back) without a crew (Mission 1), then go to the moon (and back) with astronauts (Mission two) and finally a one way suicide trip to land on Mars (Mars Mission). One article I read states that they do plan to land on Mars and then come home and others say it is a one way mission, so we shall see.

Really cool stuff actually. I'm glad that NASA still has the vision to inspire.

SLS+Vehicle+Configurations+2.PNG
 
Those crawlers have had a pretty good lifespan for a vehicle. They are pushing 5 decades. Obviously upgraded (looks like 1977 was some kind of overhaul for the shuttle from that website), but still the same basic structure. Not many ships, planes, spacecraft, etc. reach that kind of working lifespan.

According to Wikipedia, Marion, the company contracted to build the crawlers when new, has been defunct for almost 20 years.
 
Those crawlers are freaking massive. When my dad worked out at the Space Center, I got to "crawl" all over the crawler and sit up in the cab.

And there is no way a Toyota truck can pull a crawler. It is just too heavy and large. I believe the Toyota pulled a space shuttle down the road, which is possible as the shuttle isn't too terribly heavy and rolls on rubber tires.

Yep, it was the Space Shuttle.
toyota-tundra-and-space-shuttle.jpg
 
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