Re: Does anyone ride in the shuttle when its being ferried atop their
Perhaps so, but on the oter hand, the shuttles are able to withstand at least normal Florida rain and hail showers. Granted, they're protected by the rotating service structure while on the pad, but I have read reports of hail stones ricocheting between the RSS and the shuttle (and in some instances, indeed causing damage). That's not usually been a reason to roll the shuttle back, though.
But you are right in suggesting that transporting a shuttle across the sea will not be exactly similar to them standing on the pad. I can imagine NASA carefully covering them up while on the deck of a ship (I don't imagine an aircraft hangar being high enough to carry a shuttle), and perhaps they'd even transport equipment like the main engines separately. In any case, I don't imagine the sea air (or desert air if the shuttle ends up on a Moroccan landing strip) will be automatically and irreversibly destructive. Tiles are relatively easily replaceable.
Perhaps so, but on the oter hand, the shuttles are able to withstand at least normal Florida rain and hail showers. Granted, they're protected by the rotating service structure while on the pad, but I have read reports of hail stones ricocheting between the RSS and the shuttle (and in some instances, indeed causing damage). That's not usually been a reason to roll the shuttle back, though.
But you are right in suggesting that transporting a shuttle across the sea will not be exactly similar to them standing on the pad. I can imagine NASA carefully covering them up while on the deck of a ship (I don't imagine an aircraft hangar being high enough to carry a shuttle), and perhaps they'd even transport equipment like the main engines separately. In any case, I don't imagine the sea air (or desert air if the shuttle ends up on a Moroccan landing strip) will be automatically and irreversibly destructive. Tiles are relatively easily replaceable.
