MEI Chosen for Crating and Packaging NASA’s FFT Space Shuttle

SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–

MEI LLC announced today that the company was chosen to supply packaging and build crates to transport NASAs Full Fuselage Trainer (FFT) Space Shuttle for its journey from Houstons Johnson Space Center to Seattles Museum of Flight. The FFT was carefully wrapped, crated, and packed by MEI in 22 large sections and will be reassembled later by The Museum of Flight for permanent display. The public is invited to attend todays celebration of the arrival of the NASA Super Guppy transport with the FFT crew compartment at The Museum of Flight beginning at 11:00am PDT.

This project is very important to MEI. We were selected in a competitive bid process. We used our many years of experience and project management to provide a hassle-free experience for NASA. We had to build the right custom crates for the unusual sizes and shapes, and fit the crates with the proper packing material to make certain there would be absolutely no damage to the Shuttle Trainer in transit, said J.D. Silvers, general manager, MEI Rigging and Crating, Houston.

The larger components of the FFT Space Shuttle will be flown to Seattle by NASA’s Super Guppy transport aircraft. The expected delivery schedule includes the shrink-wrapped crew compartment arriving on June 30. The payload bay sections will arrive in August. The engine bells and the OMS pods arrived safely in April. The vertical stabilizer arrived safely in May.

MEI supervised all of the crate construction and packaging at NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston for each individual FFT section. An MEI representative will be on hand at the ceremony to answer any questions regarding the details related to protecting, crating, and packaging the FFT Space Shuttle.

About the Space Shuttle Trainer

After 30 years of training crews for every shuttle mission, NASA’s FFT is leaving its long-time home at NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston. The FFT is a full-scale mockup of the space shuttle orbiterwithout the wings. It was used as a test bed for upgrades to the shuttle fleet and for astronaut training, including extra-vehicular activity (EVA) and emergency egress. The FFT includes flight quality systems, such as a payload bay, lighting, and closed circuit television. The fully reassembled trainer will be on display in the museum’s new Charles Simonyi Space Gallery later this summer.

About MEI Rigging and Crating, a Division of MEI LLC

MEI LLC is a diversified manufacturing and service company serving the semiconductor and high technology industries. MEI Rigging and Crating, a division of MEI, provides rigging services, machinery moving, crane services, factory relocation, shipping crates, and crating services for industrial and commercial clients.

MEI Rigging and Crating serves customers around the world. With locations in Texas, Oregon, and Utah, our experienced teams utilize a wide selection of specialized equipment for export packing, crating, moving, or rigging for machine tools, production lines, or other equipment. For more information, please visit www.meiriggingcrating.com or contact J.D. Silvers at 281-442-0544.