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First Ever Video of NASA’s ‘Ice Team’

by Nancy Atkinson on May 28, 2010

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NASA has released, for the first time, video of the final inspection of a space shuttle before launch. The Final Inspection Team, also known as the “Ice Team,” performs a walkdown of Kennedy’s Launch Pad 39A during space shuttle Atlantis’ STS-132 launch countdown on May 14, 2010. The six-member team walks on every level of the pad’s fixed service structure, inspecting the shuttle, external fuel tank, solid rocket boosters, pad structure and ground equipment for signs of ice buildup, debris or anything else that might be amiss prior to launch. As part of the inspection, photos are taken and transmitted to the launch team for review.

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A videographer for NASA was included as a member of the team to capture the first-ever up close, high-definition video of this important and hazardous inspection process.

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About

Nancy Atkinson is Universe Today's Senior Editor. She also is the host of the NASA Lunar Science Institute podcast and works with the Astronomy Cast and 365 Days of Astronomy podcasts. Nancy is also a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador.

Tagged as: Space Shuttle, STS-132

  • http://www.theeternaluniverse.com/ jsmidt

    I’m glad you posted this. I have always wondered what the inspection process was like.

  • DrFlimmer

    That is awesome. Thanks for posting!

  • Jon Hanford

    The phrase “living, breathing machine” comes to mind.

    How cool is that! Many thanks, Nancy.

  • ND

    I would love to get that close to the shuttle while sitting on the pad.

    Driving up to the pad with the shuttle in view looks just beautiful.

    Go to 3:48 in the video. I didn’t know Wilford Brimley worked for NASA :)

    The shuttle looks so huge in this video.

  • Commander

    If you’ve ever watched the webcast of a launch, you can see everything on the day of the launch from before the crew leaves the living quarters until the external tank is jettisoned and the orbiter reaches its cruising altitude. That includes watching each crew member get strapped into his/her seat and seeing the “ice team” peering all around the shuttle making sure it’s good to fly to hearing each member making his/her communication checks to KSC/JSC and listening to all the members of launch and flight track all the systems to see if things are running well or not so you know when/if the launch will go/not go. It’s a blast and you only have a couple of chances left now to do that. I’ve been tracking the launches as they countdown since STS-114 now and it has become an obsession, but it’s a great obsession that won’t last too much longer.

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