STENNIS TEST STAND TO SEND ASTRONAUTS BACK TO THE MOON

SUN HERALD ^ | May 29, 2009 | J.R. WELSH

[Islander7]

STENNIS SPACE CENTER — A massive steel structure jutting into the sky not far from Interstate 10 is sending the world a message: NASA is taking the next step in hurtling humans back to the moon.

Structural work was recently finished on the giant A-3 test stand. Now, things are moving further along in the construction phase.

In April, Steel Erector Inc., of Lafayette, La., put the final steel beam on top of the towering test stand and bolted the beam in place, bearing the signatures of project team members. “We’re now 235 feet closer to going back to the moon,” A-3 project manager Lonnie Dutreix said.

The test stand has a final completion date of May 2011. Steel for the project began arriving at Stennis in October 2008 — enough to build 16 phases on foundations and footings that were placed in 2007. All told, four million pounds of fabricated steel were used.

[Islander7]

Stennis, with its 125,000-acre acoustical buffer zone, was selected by NASA in the 1960s as an engine test site, specifically because of its space and isolation. The first test stand was used to test the Saturn V rocket for the Apollo Program. In the 1970s, Stennis began testing space shuttle main engines.

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Several years ago, I owned a home on a hill about 20 miles from Stennis. During winter, when the air was dense and calm, tests of the Space Shuttle engines would rattle the windows and vibrate the whole structure.

I thought it cool!

[Islander7]

[DonaldC]

I sure hope this country has sense enough to put man back on the moon safely. I’m not sure we do.

[Alberta's Child]

I’m still not sure it ever made sense to send them there in the first place.

[dfwgator]

Been there, done that.

[NoPrisoners]

I owned a home on a hill about 20 miles from Stennis

I've been to Stennis -it's beautiful there.

[VaRepublican]

It did and it still does make sense.

[NonValueAdded]

Soon enough, neighbors will move in and complain about the noise. I’m worried about the wisdom of using Pad 39B for testing Ares.

[Islander7]

I sure hope this country has sense enough to put man back on the moon safely. I’m not sure we do.

It amazes me that the Apollo program was largely successful due Slide Rules!

Mention 'slide rule' to college kids today and you get a blank stare.

[Islander7]

Soon enough, neighbors will move in and complain about the noise.

Not gonna happen. The shuttle engines are extensively tested prior certification. The buffer zone around the facility is truly huge.

The light gray area is an exclusion zone. No habitable structures are allowed there.

[Alberta's Child]

I’m not sure how the enormous investment in time, money, etc. is supposed to pay off in the long run.

[VaRepublican]

we are just going to have to agree to disaagree.

[VaRepublican]

oops, disagree

[COBOL2Java]

Wonder if you can see the structure from I-10?

[TSgt]

I spent all that time at Keesler in Biloxi and never visited Stennis...just damn...

I did make it to the Stennis carrier during my Air Force career. Not something many flyboys can say!

[Piquaboy]

I was stationed at Huntsville’s Redstone Arsenal, Ala back in the 60’s. They were test firing the Saturn V there in a similar test stand.

[GreyFriar]

Will it happen under the new director?

[Charles Martel]

Several years ago, I owned a home on a hill about 20 miles from Stennis. During winter, when the air was dense and calm, tests of the Space Shuttle engines would rattle the windows and vibrate the whole structure.

I thought it cool!

It *was* cool! I went to several Shuttle engine tests which were open to the public at Stennis. The place really used to rattle my parents' windows back in the late '60s when they tested those huge Rocketdyne F1 engines for the Apollo program. I was a few miles further away from the test stand, too (eastern New Orleans).

[Moonman62]

I sure hope this country has sense enough to put man back on the moon safely.

I hope our country has enough sense to cancel a stupid program that will hurt manned spaceflight in the long run.

[Alberta's Child]

Sure. I’m not even sure we actually disagree on this. I’ve just not seen a lot of evidence indicating what tangible results have been obtained — or might be obtained — from lunar exploration. I could easily be swayed, though.