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Fighting for Space Shuttle Work

I support preserving the current Orbiter Maneuvering System (OMS) servicing for overhaul, inspections, upgrades or maintenance currently done by Boeing Reusable Space Systems at Plant 42.

Florida is currently attempting to eliminate Plant 42 from the process by offering to perform shuttle overhaul, upgrade and maintenance functions at Kennedy, and California must get focused and unified to fight that. I will lead such a fight in Sacramento.

In fact, I support more not less Space Shuttle Program work in California. In fact, in 1996, NASA concluded an extensive study to determine the feasibility of an alternative approach to cost reduction which would eliminate much of Florida's shuttle processing workload by recovering shuttle orbiters returning from space directly at Plant 42. That study concluded that it is technically feasible and NASA Houston developed cost data, which suggest that all of the necessary, Plant-42 infrastructure modifications could be completed for approximately $21M. The study also concluded that landing shuttles in California would increase the margin for mission launch schedule success and support flight rate expansion, while eliminating the need to expand facilities and resources in Florida.

California needs to partner with NASA to upgrade Plant-42 facilities and recover shuttles from space, which will dramatically improve California's strategic position in the space industry, so it must be a priority in Sacramento.

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