Payload guides and scuff plates assist in deploying and berthing payloads in the payload bay. The payload is constrained in the X direction by guides and in the Y direction by scuff plates and guides. The guides are mounted to the inboard side of the payload latches and interface with the payload trunnions and scuff plates. The scuff plates are attached to the payload trunnions and interface with the payload guides. The guides are V-shaped with one part of the V being 2 inches taller than the other part.
Parts are available to make either the forward or aft guide taller.
This difference enables the operator monitoring the berthing or deployment operations through the aft bulkhead CCTV cameras to better determine when the payload trunnion has entered the guide. The top of the taller portion of the guide is 24 inches above the centerline of the payload trunnion when it is all the way down in the guide. The top of the guide has a 9-inch opening. These guides are mounted to the 8-inch guides that are a part of the longeron payload retention latches. A set of payload active retention latches may consist of as many as five latches per payload.