Orbiter Processing Facility

The Orbiter Processing Facilities to (OPF ) are the hangars, where the Space Shuttle NASA space shuttles were waiting between flights.

A total of three OPfs located on the grounds of the Kennedy Space Center (OPF -1, OPF -2 and OPF -3). These are west of the Vehicle Assembly Building located. OPF -1 and OPF -2 are connected to each other, while OPF -3 is housed in a separate building.

After the Columbia space shuttle disaster was each associated with an OPF (OPF -1 of the Atlantis, Endeavour OPF -2 and OPF -3 of the Discovery ). As part of the decommissioning of the shuttles OPF -3 was taken in the course of 2011 prematurely out of service to be ready for new users. This allowed the classification of the Orbiter on its own OPfs last no longer be maintained.

While the usual post- mission processing after each mission a complete inspection of the payload has been expanded, and others, and the orbiter performed. Finally parts of the payload for the next mission were installed and operated the orbiter into the Vehicle Assembly Building.