Highlights
of the work include installation of a new high-tech cockpit, an improved
navigation
system,
and numerous safety, operational, reliability and turnaround enhancements
ranging from
better
protection against space debris, to numerous measures to reduce Columbia's
weight, thereby
increasing
the vehicle's payload capacity to orbit.
"In essence,
every time a Shuttle leaves Palmdale, America gets a new, safer, improved
Shuttle
orbiter:
one that is revitalized, more operationally fit and outfitted with the
latest technologies," said
Rick Stephens,
Boeing RSS vice president and general manager.
Shuttle
orbiter major modifications (OMMs) are typically performed on each vehicle
approximately
every
three years. The work is being conducted for Shuttle prime contractor United
Space
Alliance.
Contract value is not yet final.
Stephens
said astronaut safety is paramount to the Palmdale workforce. "Every employee
in
Palmdale
understands the importance of the work they do," he said. "They know their
ultimate
customers
are the men and women who fly these incredible spacecraft. And they take
personal
accountability
for ensuring their safety though quality workmanship. Our record in that
regard has
been consistently
impressive. Nevertheless, we remain obsessed with continuous improvement
to
do our
work safely, faster, better and cheaper." Stephens said an expanded training
regimen is
being
adopted for work on Columbia and all subsequent vehicle modifications.
Included are
awareness
training, videos, an enhanced orbiter entry/access class, computer-based
training and
orbiter
orientation training. In addition, each employee is required to complete
a detailed
certification
procedure.
The highlight
of this OMM will be installation of a $9 million "glass cockpit" called
the Multifunction
Electronic
Display Subsystem (MEDS), the second such fleet installation following
a similar effort
on Atlantis
last year. Technicians will replace Columbia's four existing cathode-ray
tube screens
and numerous
mechanical gauges and instruments with nine full-color, flat-panel displays.
This will
allow
Shuttle crews to operate with the convenience and control of the most advanced
commercial
and military
flat-panel display technology available today.
Developed
by Honeywell Space Systems, Phoenix, Ariz., MEDS is a space-qualified adaptation
of
the display
technology used on the Boeing 777. It will provide Shuttle crews with easy
access to
vital
information through the two- and three-dimensional color graphic and video
capabilities of its
onboard
information management system. Information will be interchangeable between
screens,
allowing
crews to select the display format that best suits the needs of their particular
mission.
MEDS eliminates
obsolescence concerns and is less expensive to maintain than present
electro-mechanical
devices. Besides reducing maintenance costs, MEDS will reduce vehicle weight
and power
consumption, improve Shuttle reliability and performance and improve Shuttle
safety by
simplifying
cockpit panels and providing a redundant display capability. MEDS is also
capable of
future
upgrades.
Columbia
also will be installed with a single Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite
navigation
receiver
and prepared for future installation of a triply-redundant GPS system that
may eventually
replace
the current system. GPS will provide more accurate and capable vehicle
attitude and
location
data and reduce Shuttle program costs by eliminating ground stations.
Several
modifications to Columbia are designed to accommodate the possibility of
supporting
International
Space Station (ISS) missions in the future. Included are electrical and
structural
provisions
for modifying the orbiter's docking system, increased cooling and power
capacities, a
wireless
video system that will support payload requirements for near-term ISS missions
by
documenting
the assembly process, and upgrades to the ship's UHF space communications
system.
Columbia
will retain its internal airlock.
Operational
enhancements include increasing Columbia's load-carrying capability; upgrades
to
thermal
protection system tiles and blankets; orbital maneuvering system/reaction
control system
thruster
performance improvements; and a series of measures to reduce the orbiter's
weight. Most
notable
among the weight savings will be the removal of approximately 1,000 pounds
of
development
flight instrumentation wiring unique to Columbia that was used during the
fleet's first
flights
to monitor Shuttle performance. Safety and reliability enhancements include
provisions to
protect
the orbiter's cooling system and the leading edges of the wings from space
debris, a partial
structural
fortification of the crew module floor to increase the crew's probability
of surviving a hard
landing
and enhancements to the vehicle's hydraulic system.
During
five months of structural inspection, technicians will scour Columbia using
the latest
technologies
to search for possible fatigue, corrosion, or broken rivets or welds.
In support
of ongoing USA and NASA fleet inspections, an extensive inspection of Columbia's
electrical
wiring system will be performed. All accessible wiring harnesses will be
inspected and
abrasion
protection applied to any area where wires/harnesses could, or do, contact
any screw
head/tail,
rivet tail or other sharp or protruding metal edges. In addition, selected
harnesses
enclosed
in convoluted tubing will be removed, disassembled, evaluated, reassembled
and
reinstalled
to validate the NASA inspection criteria currently being used on Shuttles
Discovery and
Endeavour.
Tests will be conducted to confirm resistance to damage, vibration, shorting
and
age-related
degradation.
Boeing
Palmdale personnel also will perform preflight vehicle checkouts, significantly
reducing the
time required
to process Columbia for her next flight.