Re: Why does the shuttle sit out on the launch pad for a month before launch?

On Feb 27, 2:55 pm, "Danny Deger" <dannyde...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
<Kieran.M.Ke...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message

news:1172606550.286692.40540@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After this past weekend's damage to the external fuel tank due to
hailstorm, I was wondering why the shuttle sits out on the launch pad
for so long before launch?

Good question. I think the Russians keep the Soyuz in a hanger and take it
to the launch pad the morning of the launch. But in the US it is
"impossible" to do this much work in a day.

Danny

My understanding is that the Soyuz launcher is usually rolled to the
pad about two days before launch. It is assembled horizontally only
a day or two before it is rolled out. But weeks of testing and
assembly
precede the final roll out. I seem to recall that the Soyuz launch
vehicle
is actually rolled out to the launch pad for fueling tests a couple
of
weeks before launch, then is rolled back to the horizontal hanger to
have the Soyuz spacecraft added.

- Ed Kyle


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