The SSP Science Team was fortunate to be invited to attend the contract review for NASA's 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) on July 22, 1998, at Evergreen Air Center. The folks at Evergreen also gave the Science Team a chance to present a summary of our work to the NASA Officials in attendance, including several former astronauts.
Both of NASA's Shuttle Carrier Aircraft were built from "off-the-shelf" Boeing 747's, and are now serviced and maintained at Evergreen, which is one of the largest and most complete facilities for 747 maintenance anywhere in the world. (Interestingly, in the 1970's, Evergreen Air Center was a CIA base and it is rumored that various covert government operations are still staged from this facility.)
The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft are used to transport the Space Shuttle to Kennedy Space Center in Florida after mission-ending landings at Edwards Air Force Base, California.
One of the SCA was also used to launch the Orbiter 101 Enterprise for unpowered flight tests over Southern California before any of the shuttles were ever launched into space.
This was our first sight when we entered Evergreen Air Center -- their thoughtful billboard greeting was appreciated by all and exemplifies the strong support that the Science Team has received from Evergreen. (Note as well the sign next to the billboard, strictly prohibiting cameras from being brought into the facility.)
Naturally, one of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft was on hand for the contract review. NASA is very concerned about the security of the SCA's and members of the general public are strictly forbidden from entering the aircraft.
Here's Instrument Design Team Leader Rhonda Morgan in the pilot`s seat of the Shuttle Carrier. (Hopefully none of those NASA security folks will ever find out.)
Science Team Member David Sing took the co-pilot`s seat.
Dave and Instrument Fabrication SubTeam Leader Mike Hay spent more than a few minutes looking for the ignition key...
