Page 39 - Solid Rocket Boosters News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

What's the possibility? what are you hearing, john, that the president might add another shuttle flight? >> reporter: you know, that's been speculated for a while now, wolf, and there was some thinking that when he came down here, that would be one of the announcements he made, but it has not been publicized anywhere that it's in the cards. although, he certainly could come up with that tomorrow and say that. they do have the solid rocket boosters to -- to accommodate one additional flight. they've got an extra external tank, so, yes, nasa says they could pull it off if the president and the a...

Was 21. >> reporter: charlie pierce, he started here in 1975. >> nozzle's that way. it's working into the -- the motor. >> reporter: these men build motors, one of a kind motors, called solid rocket boosters. the ones that have propelled the 130 shuttles into space. but it is almost over. as it drives through the falling snow, the transporter looks like something out of "star wars." it's carrying one of the last massive booster segments to a railroad 20 miles away. from there, it's shipped to the kennedy space center. this is prommitory, utah, home to atk aerospace systems. pretty much the mid...

More than 4 1/2 million pounds and now one minute and 27 seconds into the flight, the main engines and solid rocket boosters have reduced that weight by about half. solid rocket boosters alone are burning 11,000 pounds of propellant per second and the external tank is now 3,000 pounds lighter than when it began. discovery is now 21 miles away from its launch pad and 22 miles an altitude. all three main engines are working just as expected and the three fuel cells are generating power and three auxiliary power units are reducing pressure. everything performing well. 2 minutes and 7 seconds into...

Components. there is a tang down in louisiana damaged in 2005 during hurricane katrina. they are currently getting that ready as a launch on need tank, and use that. out in prommintory, utah, the manufacturers of the solid rocket boosters are also preparing additional boosters for that launch on need, so that the boosters and the external tank and the shuttle rather than being the launch on need vehicle would be that next launch, that fifth shuttle flight coming up in 2011 if nasa decides and the president decides to go that way. wolf? >> and so, the other broader question is, why do it? >> we...