Orbiter processing facility8/31/2023 ![]() ![]() This turnaround process usually lasted between 2-4 months depending on what needed to be completed. The modular payload bay would be reconfigured for the next mission and the shuttle prepped. Modifications to the orbiter were completed at this time as well such as upgrading systems and hardware. All 3 OPF’s were located just west of the Vehicle Assembly Building.Īfter a shuttle had completed a mission, it was moved into one of the three hangars where it would undergo maintenance and processing. Scaffolding would be setup around the Shuttle’s aft section to allow technicians access to the main engines which would be removed and rebuilt before every mission. Any repairs that were needed on the orbiter’s thermal protection system including the thermal blankets and thousands of tiles was completed. Any refuse and other waste products including draining of the potable water system were offloaded and the fuel cell tanks were drained of remaining cryogenic reactants. There were 3 Orbiter Processing Facilities called OPF-1, OPF-2 and OPF-3. The Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) was a hangar at Kennedy Space Center where the Space Shuttle orbiter vehicles underwent maintenance in between flights.
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