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The Astronauts Use Snap On

threewood

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A display in Kennedy Space Center of a tool kit. The torque wrench and extensions are Snap-On. I couldn't see the markings on the rest. Probably the most expensive ratchet strap I have ever looked at lol. These were in space aboard the Atlantis.
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Hmmm, hope no one complains about some of that wording.
 
I used to work at Snap-On and I remember a couple of times hearing about some of the tools NASA used.
 
Cool place isn’t it?! I was there a few years ago and couldn’t get enough! I could spend days in there , great place to take the kids and let them see it all right in front of them... NASA is pretty awesome!!

no made in China crap there ! My snap on dealer was clueless when I told him about the tools.
 
is that one of them $5,000 torque wrenches :poke:
sort of like the $2,000 hammer & $10,000 toilet seat :bananadance:
like all the old jokes were about, just a few years back

isn't that retail price from Snap-On (just kidding people) :bananaweed:

it is cool to see that stuff
I love NASA & the Astronauts, (now Spaceforce)
they really got a raw deal/the shaft a few (6-7+) years back
 
I wonder how many 10mm sockets they lost.:rolleyes:
 
I admire the quality of work on air craft/ space craft and how big of balls it takes to strap yourself in for a ride... sad thing is we can’t take human error out of any of it... I still stand with we do it the best in the USA. Just got to keep politicians out of everything and we clearly have the most talent in the world.
 
Well thats because the tax payers pay for them. Nothing against the brand at all, but I do know the government and price is never a concern. Having worked acquisitions from both sides (on active duty and then later for a manufacturer) I have seen what a hammer costs $800 and some of the other outrageous things; its because the government has many requirements for any single item that have to be met which requires the manufacturer/vendor to test to that level which costs money, sometimes a lot of money. Also in order to receive a government contract you typically have to be ISO compliant (min) certified (preferred) which costs a crap ton of money. If the equipment is sensitive or to be used for a classified program you have to have a secure facility (a lot of money) and many times your employees have to get security clearances ($10K min per person).

So it is not as easy as running down to the tool store as one would think.
 
A hammer is a hammer is a hammer. In many cases the civilian part is made to the same standards as the "mil spec" part. The only difference is the mil spec #.
 
A hammer is a hammer is a hammer. In many cases the civilian part is made to the same standards as the "mil spec" part. The only difference is the mil spec #.

True to a degree, the "milspec" aspect indicates that the item has been tested against the spec and passed. Might be exactly the same as you could buy locally but a part of the "milspec" is that it has been purchased under a USG contract. So, yes in many/most cases the civilian item is nearly/exactly identical to the "milspec" version but the one with the NSN (National Stock Number) has undergone testing and has been awarded a contract.

Having said that, there are cases where the USG does a COTS (commercial off the shelf) purchase, sometimes those items get NSNs and sometimes they don't however most if not all of those items are not "milspec" at least initially
 
We used Snap-On at Edwards aFB, F-22 Flight Test Team
It's a Government Purchase, much cheaper than the Rape Van....
(I dated the Gvt. Rep...no jokes, she was 100 percent Female and gorgeous back in 1995-96ish)
But yeah, cheaper and the Rep is on Base daily
 
True to a degree, the "milspec" aspect indicates that the item has been tested against the spec and passed. Might be exactly the same as you could buy locally but a part of the "milspec" is that it has been purchased under a USG contract. So, yes in many/most cases the civilian item is nearly/exactly identical to the "milspec" version but the one with the NSN (National Stock Number) has undergone testing and has been awarded a contract.

Having said that, there are cases where the USG does a COTS (commercial off the shelf) purchase, sometimes those items get NSNs and sometimes they don't however most if not all of those items are not "milspec" at least initially
If an item is made from a material that meets the mil spec and said item meets mils spec. The only diff is one has the number on it.
Here is an example.
My brother once worked for a company that makes machines used in engine building. One day they got an order from the gummint for repair parts. He went to the bin to get the parts and there weren't enough to fill the order. He contacted his supervisor and was told to pull the remaining items from the civilian parts bin and have the mil spec number etched on the parts as there was no difference. Both items were made at the same time from the same material. Some had the mil spec number applied and placed in the appropriate bin.
Well, there was a difference. The price.
The testing was done on the raw material, not the finished part.
 
We were going to stop in Kennedy space center yesterday but the kids picked pool day instead, would’ve cost us north of $300 to get in so I wasn’t too mad at them.
 
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