NASA Crawler-Transporter 2 (CT-2) To Get New Diesel Engines & Generators

 

               Arguably the world’s biggest self-powered locomotive, the NASA’s Crawler-Transporter 2 (CT-2) has been employed for a serious job for over 30 years now. The CT-2 was responsible for transporting the big space shuttles like the Atlantis, Challenger, Columbia, Discovery, Endeavour and Enterprise on its back from the place where they were assembled (called Vehicle Assembly Building aka VAB) to the Complex 39 – the place from where the shuttles are launched at Kennedy Space Center. CT-2 now wants to get ready for the future space programs and is getting an overhaul with two new diesel engines and generators.

             A team 20 NASA engineers and technicians have already began the work on removal of parts along with the engines that were built in 1964. The new 1500 kW diesel engines have been built by Cummins in Minnesota. The new engines are smaller but have a larger power. The old engines are likely to be recycled or resold. The installation of the new engines is expected to be completed by 2014.