Questions tagged [facility]
Questions related to facilities used in space exploration, such as factories, test sites, launchpads and mission control centers.
19 questions
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Why does Starship launch on a cloud?
This image is from the first launch attempt of spaceX's IFT-8.
During propellant loading, I understand that the process requires significant venting, my question is the following:
Why does SpaceX ...
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To what extent were plans for a spaceport on Christmas Island advanced, and what hindered further progress from being made?
The Wikipedia article on Christmas Island says...
The Australian government in 2001 agreed to support the creation of a commercial spaceport on the island; however, this has not yet been constructed, ...
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Was anything manufactured at the Michoud facility between Apollo and the Shuttle?
The Michoud Assembly Facility is a manufacturing complex in New Orleans owned by NASA.
During the Apollo program, the first stages of the Saturn I, IB, and V rockets were built there.
During the ...
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Was the Progress spacecraft named after the research facility, or vice versa?
"Progress" is used as the name of a Russian space research facility and factory (the Progress Rocket Space Centre), and also as a spacecraft that delivers cargo to space stations (Progress ...
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Are the waterways around Kennedy and Canaveral routinely dredged?
Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral SFS are surrounded by waterways, which have been vital for shipping large components from manufacturers to the launch sites. Do these waterways get ...
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What is the difference between Cape Canaveral SFS and Patrick SFB?
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Patrick Space Force Base are two facilities of the United States Space Force (both formerly assigned to the Air Force) on the east coast of Florida. They both ...
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Why was Redstone Arsenal specifically chosen for post-war rocket development?
We have had questions on the origin of JSC, KSC, White Sands, and Wallops Island. Today is MSFC's turn.
After World War II, many of the officials of the German rocket program -- including leader ...
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Is there anything left of the J-2 test stands at Santa Susana Field Laboratory and the F-1 test stands at Edwards AFB?
The Mississippi Test Facility (now Stennis Space Center) is used for a lot of rocket testing, including testing the F-1. However, many of the test stands are now gone.
Rocketdyne, however, also had ...
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Is the acoustic horn at Stennis Space Center still there? Is it used?
Stennis Space Center had a giant horn installed in the times when they were testing the Saturn program engines. The purpose was to see what the acoustic conditions were like before testing and thus ...
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What is a "fee area" exactly and why is it named that way?
On the map of Stennis Space Center, from the early 1960s when it was still named "Mississippi Test Facility"/"Mississippi Test Operations", part of the area is labeled "Fee ...
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Why did Kennedy have four control rooms but Houston had only two?
Kennedy Space Center has four firing control rooms, one for each bay in the Vehicle Assembly Building.
After launch, authority was transferred to the mission control center in Houston. For the ...
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Why do personnel in the KSC launch control room face away from the launchpad?
The firing rooms of the Kennedy Space Center have enormous windows that face the launch pads.
However, personnel faced away from the windows, and thus away from the launchpad. Is there a documented ...
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Why was Houston selected as the location for the Manned Spacecraft Center?
NASA's Manned Spacecraft Center in located in Houston, Texas. What were the site selection criteria, and what contenders were there other than Houston?
The center is named for Lyndon B. Johnson. He ...
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Has JPL been affected by the November 2018 California wildfires?
The Deep Space Network Now page shows no activity at all. Two hours ago, there was only testing on two of the Madrid dishes (so it's more than a faulty webpage). I've never seen anything like it ...
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What is Kennedy's USB?
In this answer, the following picture appeared (emphasis in red mine):
The VIC is the visitor centre (nowadays KSVC). But what is the USB facility? Is this by chance related to the Unified S-band ...