{"id":73118,"date":"2021-04-12T19:06:00","date_gmt":"2021-04-12T23:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?migration=converted-node-470044"},"modified":"2023-07-26T16:07:02","modified_gmt":"2023-07-26T20:07:02","slug":"new-crane-ready-to-support-new-ride-for-nasas-artemis-ii-mission","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/artemis\/orion\/new-crane-ready-to-support-new-ride-for-nasas-artemis-ii-mission\/","title":{"rendered":"New Crane Ready to Support New Ride for NASA\u2019s Artemis II Mission"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/oc_crane_replacement.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/oc_crane_replacement.jpg?w=1920\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"A new overhead crane is installed in the Operations and Checkout Building high bay at Kennedy Space Center.\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/oc_crane_replacement.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/oc_crane_replacement.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/oc_crane_replacement.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/oc_crane_replacement.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/oc_crane_replacement.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/oc_crane_replacement.jpg?resize=400,267 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/oc_crane_replacement.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/oc_crane_replacement.jpg?resize=900,600 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/oc_crane_replacement.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" loading=\"eager\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">Inside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building high bay at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a new overhead crane is installed on March 10, 2021. The new hardware will be used to process Orion beginning with the agency\u2019s first crewed mission, Artemis II. <strong>Credits: NASA\/Kim Shiflett<\/strong><\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>As we approach this new era in human spaceflight, Kennedy is making infrastructure upgrades to support <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/artemisprogram\" rel=\"noopener\">Artemis program<\/a> goals: landing the first woman and the next man on the Moon, paving the way for a sustainable presence on the lunar surface, and then on to Mars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Built in the 1960s, the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout (O&C) Building has served as the payload assembly and spacecraft testing facility from the Gemini to Artemis eras, readying flight components ahead of their launch from NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Teams from American Crane and Equipment Corporation recently replaced the facility\u2019s existing crane with a new crane that features greater lift capability and enhanced controls. Situated on the upper railings of the high bay, the O&C\u2019s newest crane joins the family of two other cranes on the high bay\u2019s lower railings. Its initial use will be in support of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/feature\/nasa-s-first-flight-with-crew-important-step-on-long-term-return-to-the-moon-missions-to\" rel=\"noopener\">Artemis II<\/a>, the program\u2019s first crewed mission, lifting the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/exploration\/systems\/orion\/index.html\" rel=\"noopener\">Orion<\/a> spacecraft after the crew and service modules have been mated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The mighty cranes are poised to move Artemis flight elements from one end of the facility\u2019s high bay to the other, among various test stands and to transport devices, which will take the components to their next processing destinations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The new crane can lift 30 tons, and its enhanced controls and additional safety features allow for micro movements to within 1\/100th of an inch. Its precision and capability will support the weight of the spacecraft during assembly as well as for <a href=\"https:\/\/environmental.ksc.nasa.gov\/-\/media\/Environmental\/OCaltitudeArticle.ashx?la=en&hash=FDBFCC39ABE767AA3D763AC37F09D253\" rel=\"noopener\">altitude chamber<\/a> testing. During the Apollo program, engineers used the O&C\u2019s east chamber to test the Apollo crew and service modules, and they used the west chamber to test the lunar lander.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Beginning with the Artemis II crewed mission, the west chamber will be re-activated to test the spacecraft in a vacuum environment that simulates an altitude of up to 250,000 feet. The test allows engineers and technicians to ensure the capsule will not leak in space and to verify that systems, such as the crew module\u2019s Environmental Control and Life Support System, remain intact to keep astronauts safe from the harsh environment of space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The previous crane was used for the final time to hoist its replacement into place, lifting the new crane from floor level to the jacking rig. The retiring crane was then removed, and teams are preparing to decommission it in accordance with applicable state and federal environmental regulations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>View additional images <a href=\"https:\/\/images.nasa.gov\/search-results?q=crane%20replacement&page=1&media=image&yearStart=2021&yearEnd=2021\" rel=\"noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>View a timelapse video. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"hds-media-import-wrapper\"><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As we approach this new era in human spaceflight, Kennedy is making infrastructure upgrades to support Artemis program goals: landing the first woman and the next man on the Moon, paving the way for a sustainable presence on the lunar surface, and then on to Mars. Built in the 1960s, the Neil Armstrong Operations and [...]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":75643,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nasa_hds_core_meta_l10n":"en-US","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_editor":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_contacts":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_topic":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_linked_locations":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_related_articles":[],"hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_id":"","hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_type":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_x":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_y":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_gallery_images":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[2683,3783],"news-tags":[],"internal-terms":[],"coauthors":[],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"New Crane Ready to Support New Ride for NASA\u2019s Artemis II Mission","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/artemis\/orion\/new-crane-ready-to-support-new-ride-for-nasas-artemis-ii-mission\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/artemis\/orion\/new-crane-ready-to-support-new-ride-for-nasas-artemis-ii-mission\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/oc_crane_replacement.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/oc_crane_replacement.jpg"},"articleSection":"Missions","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Linda Herridge"}],"creator":["Linda Herridge"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["NASA Directorates","Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate","Common Exploration Systems Development Division","Orion Program","Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle"],"dateCreated":"2021-04-12T23:06:00Z","datePublished":"2021-04-12T23:06:00Z","dateModified":"2023-07-26T20:07:02Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"New Crane Ready to Support New Ride for NASA\u2019s Artemis II Mission\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/missions\/artemis\/orion\/new-crane-ready-to-support-new-ride-for-nasas-artemis-ii-mission\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/oc_crane_replacement.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2021-04-12T23:06:00Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"Missions\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"NASA Directorates,Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate,Common Exploration Systems Development Division,Orion Program,Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"Linda Herridge\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":3,"time_ago":"3 years","featured_image":{"id":75643,"file":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/oc_crane_replacement.jpg","title":"oc_crane_replacement","alt":"A new overhead crane is installed in the Operations and Checkout Building high bay at Kennedy Space Center.","caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73118"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/31"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=73118"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73118\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":202211,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73118\/revisions\/202211"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/75643"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73118"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=73118"},{"taxonomy":"news-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-tags?post=73118"},{"taxonomy":"internal-terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-terms?post=73118"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=73118"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}