Build a Station … Build a Future
Today we saw the future. We toured the Orbital Processing Facility or OPF. Very few pe
ople get to visit this building. Here I saw the space shuttle Discovery that is due to fly in October. I walked underneath the shuttle, 
back to front and side to side. It was an awesome experience. Did you know that the tiles cost between $500 and $3000 each. The Discovery has made 33 flights so far. Even after that many flights over 70% of the tiles are the original. I was able to hold one of the tiles in my hand it is unbelievably light. It felt as heavy as a piece of balsa wood. The used ones were very gray. The newer ones were black.
ople get to visit this building. Here I saw the space shuttle Discovery that is due to fly in October. I walked underneath the shuttle, 
back to front and side to side. It was an awesome experience. Did you know that the tiles cost between $500 and $3000 each. The Discovery has made 33 flights so far. Even after that many flights over 70% of the tiles are the original. I was able to hold one of the tiles in my hand it is unbelievably light. It felt as heavy as a piece of balsa wood. The used ones were very gray. The newer ones were black. 
I also went into the Space Shuttle Main Engine Facility (SSMEF). Inside I was able to see the actual rocket engines that will fly the shuttle Discovery into orbit. These engines are huge. They do not start at the same time; they fire .15 seconds apart. All three of the main engines were there. They are 15 feet long and 7.5 feet in diameter. 
The rest of the day we spent in class and reviewed the history and future of space travel. In your lifetime we may see a mission to Mars, certainly the moon before you graduate from high school.
Tomorrow we go to the launch pad.
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