Countdown NASA Lauch Vehicles and Facilities 1987

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    Nat~o nal eronautics andSpace Adm inistration

    PMS 018 (KSC)March 1987

    Courmtdown !NASA Launch Vehicles and Facilities

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    TABLE OF CONTENTS

    PAGE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .P A C E L A U N C H V E H I C L E S 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .nactive Launch Vehicles 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .tlas-Agena 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .a t u rn V 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .a t u rn I B 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .i tan I I -Elcentaur 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Curre nt Launch Vehicles 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .elta 2Atlas-Centaur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .cout 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .paceshut t le 3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .rbi ter 4-5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .External Tank 6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .olid Rock et Booster 6

    PROPELLANTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Petroleum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Cryogenic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ypergol ic 7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .olid 8. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .FACl L lT lE S AND OPERATIONS 9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Shutt le Landing Faci l i ty 10. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .rbitel- Processing Fac ility 11. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .rbi ter Mod if ication And Refurbishment Faci l i ty 11. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Logistics Fac ility 12. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .olid Ro cket Booster Processing 12

    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ro tation Processing Bu ilding 12. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ssembly and Refurbishment Fac ility 12. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .URGEBui ld ings 13. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ehicle Assembly Building 13Exte rna lTank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Vehicle Assembly Build ing 13. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Launch Co ntro l Center 15. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Transportable Equipm ent 16. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Mobile Launcher Platform 16

    Crawler-Transporter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Payload Canister 17. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Payload Canister Trans porter 17Crawlerway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .aunch Pads 39A and 39B 18. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Fixed Service Structure 18. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ro tating Service Structure 19. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Flame Deflecto r 21Slidewire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lightning Mast 21. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ound Suppression Water System 21. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Prope llant Storage Facilities 22

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    Information Summ aries

    S ~ a c e aunch VehiclesPeople and cargo at-e PI-opelled Inactive Launch Vehicles The AtlasIAgena stood 36.6

    into space by rocket power. NASA meters (120 feet) high, and devel-uses two types of rockets for these oped a total thrust a t l iftoff ofpurposes - manned and unmanned. AtlasJAgena approximately 1,725,824 newtonsThe latter, often referred to as (288,000 pounds). I t was last usedexpendable launch vehicles, have The AtlasIAgena was a multi- in 1968 to launch an Orbitingone 01- more powered stages. The purpose two-stage liquid pl-opellant G~~~~~~~~~~ observatory0 ~ 0 ) .rocket. I t was used to placemanned Space the ke y unmanned spacecraft in Earth Saturn velement of the nation's Space orbit, ol. inject them into theTranspol-tation System, or STS, i s a proper trajectories fol. planetary or The Saturn V, America's mostunique design, and is in a class deep space probes. powerful staged rocket, carriedby itsel f. -rhe in which the out the ambitious task of sendingPayload weight, destination and versatile A ~ ~ ~ ~ / A ~ ~ ~ ~as utilized astronauts to the Moon. The firstPul-Pose determine what vehicle included early ~ ~ ~ - i ~ ~ ~l-obes to Saturn V vehicle, Apollo 4, wascapabilities are required for each M~~~ and venus, ~~~~~ photo- launched on November 9, 1967.mission. A low-weight spacecraft graphic missions o the M ~ ~ ~ ,he Apollo 8, the fil-st manned flightdesigned to operate in near-Earth orbiting ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~b~~~~~~~~~ of the Saturn V, was also the firstorbit might be flown aboard ( 0 ~ 0 1 , and eal-ly ~ ~ ~ l i ~ ~ ~ ianned flight to the Moon;NASA's smallest space vehicle, the ~ ~ ~ - , ~ ~ l ~ ~ ~atel lites (ATS), -rhe launched in December 1968, itScout. Sending a manned Apol lo Agena upper stage also was used asspacecraft to the Moon l-equired the the rendezvous target vehicle fo rmassive Satul-n V. The powel-ful th e Gemini spacecraf t dul.ing thisTitan-Centaur combination sent series of two-man missions in SATURN Vlarge and complex unmanned 1 I meters1965-1966. In preparation for the (363 feet)scientific explorers such a s the manned unal. landings,Vikings and Voyagers to examine launched lunar spacecl -a f tother planets. Atlas-Agenas sent which went into orbit around theseveral spacecraft to impact the Moon and took photographs ofMoon. Atlas-Centaurs and Deltas possible anding sites.have launched over 200 spacecraftfo r a wide variety of applicationsthat cover the broad range of thenational space program.Today, NASA's fleet of spacelaunch vehicles include only the SATURN I 6unmanned Scout, Delta and Atlas-Centaur, and the manned SpaceShuttle. SPACE

    SHUTTLE

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    Information Summaries

    orbited the Moon but did not land.Apollo 11 , launched on a Saturn Von July 16, 1969, achieved thefirst lunar landing.

    Saturn V began i t s last mannedmission on December 7, 1972,when i t sent Apollo 17 on the finallunar explol-ation flight. I t was lastused on May 14, 1973, when itlifted the unmanned Skylab spacestation into Earth orbit, where i twas occupied by three crews fora I71 days.All three stages of the Saturn Vused liquid oxygen a s the oxidizer.The first stage burned kerosenewith the oxygen, while the fuelfor the two upper stages was liquidhydrogen. Saturn V, with theApollo spacecraft and its smallemergency escape I-ocket on top,stood 11 1 metel-s (363 feet) tall,and developed 34.5 millionnewtons (7.75 million pounds) ofthrust a t l i ftoff.Saturn IB

    The Saturn IB was orig inallyused to launch Apol lo lunar space-craft into Earth orbit, to train formanned flights to the Moon. Thefirst launch of a Saturn IB with anunmanned Apollo spacecraft tookplace in February 1966. A SaturnIB launched the first mannedApollo flight, Apollo 7, on October11, 1968.After the completion of theApo llo progl-am, the Saturn IBlaunched three missions to manthe Skylab space station in 1973.In 1975 i t launched the Americancrew for the ApolloISoyuz TestProject, the join t U.S./Soviet Uniondocking mission.Saturn IB was 69 metel-s (223feet) tall with the Apollo space-craft and developed 7.1 millionnewtons (1.6 million pounds) ofthrust at liftoff .Titan Ill-Elcentaur

    The Titan I I-Elcentau r, firstlaunched in 1974, had an overallheight of 48.8 meters (160 feet).Designed to use the best features ofthree proven rocket propulsionsystems, this vehicle gave the U.S.an extremely powerful and versatilerocket for launching large space-craf t on planetary missions.

    The Titan I I-Elcentaur was thelaunch vehicle for two Viking

    spacecraft to Mars, and twoVoyager spacecraft to Jupiter,Saturn and Uranus. It also launchedtwo Helios spacecraft toward theSun. Al l provided remarkable newinformation about our solar system.The Vikings and Voyagers pro-duced spectacular color photo-graph of the planets they explored.The Titan Il l- E booster wasa two-stage liquid-fueled rocketwith two large solid-propellantrockets attached. At liftoff, thesolid rockets provided 10.7 millionnewtons (2.4 million pounds) ofthrust.

    The Centaur stage, still in usetoday, PI-oduces 133,440 newtons(30,000 pounds) of thrust fromtwo main engines, and burns fot-up to seven and one-half minutes.The Centaur can be I-estartedseveral t imes. which allows formore flex ibilit y in launch times.

    Curren t Laun ch VehiclesDelta

    Delta i s called the workhorseof the space program. This vehiclehas successfully transported over160 scientific, weather, communi-cations and applications satellitesinto space. These include theTlROS Nimbus and ITOS satel-lites, and many Explorer scientificspacecraft.

    First launched in May, 1960,the Delta has been continuouslyupgraded ovel- the yeal-s. Todayit stands 35.4 meters (116 feet)tall. Its first stage is augmentedby nine Caster IV strap-on solidpropellant motol-s, six of whichignite at liftoff and three after thefirst six burn out 58 seconds intothe flight. The average first-stagethrust with the main engines andsix solid-propellant motors burningis 3,196,333 newtons (7 18,000pounds). Delta has liquid-fueledfirst and second stages and asolid-propellant third stage. Formost launches today, this thirdstage has been replaced by a Pay-load Assist Module (PAM) stageattached to the spacecraft.

    The new PAM upper stage i salso used on Space Shuttlelaunches. I t boosts spacecraftfrom the low Earth orbit achievedby the Shuttle orbiter into higher

    ones. Many spacecraft, especial1ycommunications satellites, operatein a geosynchronous (geo-stationary) orbit some 35,792 kilo-meters (22,240 miles) above theequator. With the PAM and arecent change to a more powerfulsecond stage, the Delta can l i f tsome 1,270 kilograms (2,800pounds) into a highly ellipticalorbit , for transfer into geo-synchronous. orbi t by a motorbuilt into the spacecraft. This i salmost double the 680 kilograms(1,500 pounds) a Delta couldmanage only seven yeal-s ago.

    The Atlas1Centau1- is NASA'sstandard launch vehicle for inter-mediate payloads. I t is used fo r thelaunch of Earth orbital, geo-synchronous, and interplanetarymissions.

    Centaur was the nation's firsthigh-energy, liquid-hydrogen liquid-oxygen launch vehicle stage. I tbecame operational in 1966 withthe launch of Surveyor 1, thefirst U.S. spacecraft to soft-landon the Moon.

    Since 1966, both the Atlasbooster and the Centaur secondstage have undergone manyimpl-ovements. A t present, thecombined stages can place over4,530 kilograms (10,000 pounds)in low-Earth orbit, about 2,020kilograms (4,453 pounds) in geo-synchl-onous transfer orbit , andover 1,000 kilograms (2,205pounds) on an interplanetarytrajectory.

    An Atlas-Centaur stands 41.9metel-s (137.6 feet) tall. At l i ft-off, the Atlas booster develops over1.9 million newtons (438,400pounds) of thrust. The Centaursecond stage develops 146,784newtons (33,000 pounds) of thrustin a vacuum.Spacecraft launched by Atlas/Centaurs include 01- bit ing Astro-nomical Observatories; ApplicationsTechnology Satellites; lntelsat IV,IV -A and V communications satel-lites; Mariner Mars orbiters; aMariner spacecraft which made afly-by of Venus and three ofMercury; Pioneer spacecraft whichaccomplished fly-bys of Jupiter andSaturn, and Pioneers that orbitedVenus and plunged through itsatmosphere to the surface.

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    Delta and Atlas-Centaur vehicles are assembled, checked ou t and tested at the launch pads. This contrasts wi th themobile concept used fo r Space Shuttle operations at Complex 39.

    Delta at Complex 17. A tlas/Cen taur a t Complex 36Scout

    The Scout launch vehicle, whichbecame operational in 1960, hasbeen undergoing systematic up-grading since 1976. The standardScout vehicle i s a solid-propellant,four-stage booster system approxi-mately 23 meters (75 feet) inlength with a launch weight of21,600 kilograms (46,620 ounds)and liftoff thrust of 588,240newtons (132,240 ounds).

    Recent improvements includeand uprated third-stage motorwhich increases the Scout's payloadcapability. I t can now place up to21 1 kilograms (465 ounds) in low-Earth orbit. The third stage also hasbeen provided with an improvedguidance system.

    Over 100 Scouts have beenlaunched t o date. They have beenused to place a variety of U.S. andinternational payloads intoinclined, equatorial and polar orbitsfor orbital, probe and reentrymissions.

    Space Shuttle:On April 12, 1981, the first

    Space Shuttle vehicle lifted off

    from Launch Complex 39, Pad A,at the Kennedy Space Center. Aftera two-day test-flight mission thatverified the craft's abil ity tofunction in space, the orbiterColumbia landed at Edwards Ail-Force Base in California. TheVehicle was piloted by astro-nauts John Young and RobertCrippen. The STS-1 mission markedthe first time a new space vehiclehad been manned on i t s firstflight.

    The Space Shuttle consists of areusable delta-winged spaceplanecalled the orbiter; two solid-PI-opellant rocket boosters, whichare recovered and also reused; andan expendable external tank, con-taining liquid propellants for theorbiter's three main engines.

    The assembled Space Shuttle i sapproximately 56 meters (184feet) long, 23.3 meters (76 eet)high (to tip of orbiter's verticaltail) , and 24 meters (78 eet) wide,measured across the orbiter's wing-tips. L if to ff weight of the Shuttlevehicle i s approximately 2,041 I68kilograms (4,500,000ounds).

    A t launch, the orbiter's threeliquid-fueled engines - drawing

    propellants from the external tank- and the two solid propellantrocket boosters burn simul-taneously. Together, they generateabout 28,650,000 newtons(6,400,000pounds) of thrust a tli ft of f. As the Space Shuttle reachesan altitude of about 50 kilometers(31 miles), the spent solids aredetached and parachuted into theocean where they are recovered bywaiting ships for eventual reful-b-ishment and reuse on later missions.The orbiter and external tank, stillattached to each other, continuetoward Earth orbit. When theorbiter's main engines cut off,just before orbit is achieved, theexternal tank is jettisoned, toimpact in a remote ocean area.Using onboard orbital maneuveringengines, the orbiter with its crewand payload accelerates into orbitto carrry out an operationalmission, normally lasting from twoto seven days.

    Wfien the mission is completed,the orbiter reenters the atmosphereand returns t o Earth, gliding to anunpowered landing. Touchdownspeed is above 335 kilometel-s (210miles) per hour.

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    Information Summaries

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    ForwardcontrolthrustersISpace rad~ators(inside doors), anipulator arm

    No:ie gear

    Main gear

    Length: 37 Meters (122 feet)Taxi Height: 17.4 meters (57 Feet)Wing Span: 24 meters (78 Feet)Landing Weight: (Variable- About 90,718 kilograms (200,000 pounds)MAIN ENGINE THRUST: 1,668,000 newtons (375,000 pounds each at sea level)Cargo Bay: 18.3 meters (60 feet) along4.6 meters (15 feet) widePayload Weight: 29,500 kilograms (65,000 pounds) up14,515 kilograms (32,000 pounds) down(A ll Figures Approximate)

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    Information Summaries

    External TankLength: 47 meters (154 feet)Diameter: 8.4 meters (27.5 feet)LOX Tank: 529,000 Liters (140,000 Gallons)LH 2 Tank: 1,438,300 Liters (380,000 Gallons)(A ll Figures Approximate) Orbiter Af t Pressurization Lines

    Nose Cap (Includes Pilot andFour Booster Separation MotorsFrustu m (Includes 3 Main Parachutes)

    (Includes Guidance Gyros)Solid Rocket Motor

    Solid RocketLength; 45.4 meters (149.1 feet)Diameter: 3.7 meters (12.2 feet)Weight: 589,670 kilograms (1,300,000 pounds)Thrust: 11,787,000 newtons(2,658,000 pounds)(A ll Figures Approximate)

    t- Solid Rocket Motor(Forw ard Center Segment)Solid Rocket Motor(Aft Center Segment)

    r-v External Tank Attach RingI .kolid Rocket Mot or (A ft Segment)I ( ,our Booster Separation Moto rsA ft S ki n (Includes Steering System)Nozzle Extension (Cutoff Before Ocean Impact)

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    Information Summaries

    PropellantsSir Isaac Newton stated in his

    Third Law of Mo tion that "everyaction is accompanied by anequal and opposite ireaction." Arocket operates on this principle.The continuous ejection of astream of hot gases in one direc-tion causes a steady motion ofthe rocket in the oppositedirection.

    A jet aircraft operates on thesame principle, using oxygen in theatmosphere to support combustionof its fuel. The rocket engine isdesigned to operate outside theatmosphere, and so must carry i t sown oxidizer.

    The gauge of efficiency forrocket propellants is specificimpulse, stated in seconds. Thehigher the number, the "hotter"the propellant.

    Stated most simply, specificimpulse is the period in secondsfor which a one pound mass ofpropellant (tota l of fuel andoxidizer) will produce a thrust ofone pound force. Although specificimpulse is a characteristic of thepropellant system, its exact valuewill vary to some extent with theoperating conditions and design ofthe rocket engine. I t is for thisreason that different numbers areoften quoted for a given propellantor combination of propellants.

    NASA launch vehicles use fourtypes of propellants: petroleum,cryogenics, hypergolics and solids.Petroleum:

    The petroleum used as a rocketfuel is a type of kerosene similarto the kind burned in heaters andlamps. However, that used forrocket fuel is highly refined, andi s called RP-1 (Refined Petroleum).I t is burned with liquid oxygen(the oxidizer) to provide thrust.

    RP-1 i s used as a fuel in thefirst stage boosters of the Delta andAtlas-Centaur rockets. I t also wasused to power the first stages ofthe Saturn IB and Saturn V. RP-1delivers a specific impulse consid-erably less than cryogenic fuels.

    Cryogenic:Cryogenic propellants used are

    liquid oxygen (LOX), which servesas an oxidizer, and liquid hydrogen(LH2), which is a fuel. The wordcryogenic is a derivative of theGreek kryos, meaning "ice cold."LOX remains in a liquid state attemperatures of -1 83 degreesCelsius (-298 degrees Fahrenheit);LH2 remains liquid at temperaturesof -253 degrees Celsius (-423degrees Fahrenheit).

    In gaseous form, oxygen andhydrogen have such low densitiesthat extremely large tanks wouldbe required to store them aboarda rocket. But cooling and com-pressing them into liquids vastlyincreases their density, making itpossible to store them in largequantities i n smaller tanks.

    The distressing tendency ofcryogenics to return to gaseousform unless kept super-cool makesthem difficult to store over longperiods of time, and hence lessthan satisfactory as propellantsfor military rockets, which mustbe kept launch-ready for monthsat a time.But the high efficiency of theliquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen com-bination makes the low tempera-ture problem worth coping withwhen reaction time and storabilityare not too critical. Hydrogen hasabout 40 percent more "bounceto the ounce" than other rocketfuels, and i s very light, weighingabout one-half pound per gallon.

    Oxygen is much heavier, weigh-ing about 10 pounds per gallon.The RL-10 engines used by

    Centaur, the United States' (andthe world's) first liquid hydrogenrocket stage, have a specific impulseof 444 seconds. The J-2 enginesused on the Saturn V second andthird stages, and on the Saturn IB'ssecond stage, also burned the LOX/LH2 combination. They had spe-cific impulse ratings of 425seconds.For comparison purposes, theliquid oxygen/kerosene combi-nation used in the cluster of fiveF-1 engines in the Saturn V first

    stage had specific impulse ratingsof 260 seconds. The same pro-pellant combination used by thebooster stage of the Atlas-Centaurrocket yields 258 seconds in thebooster engine and 220 secondsin the sustainer.The high efficiency enginesaboard the Space Shuttle orbiteruse liquid hydrogen-oxygen andhave a specific impulse rating of455 seconds. The two liquidpropellants also are used by theorbiter's fuel cells to produceelectrical power through a pro-cess best described as electrolysisIn reverse.

    Liquid hydrogen and oxygenburn clean, leaving a by-productof water vapor.

    The rewards for mastering LH2are substantial. The ability to usehydrogen means that a givenmission can be accomplished witha smaller quant ity of propellants(and hence, a smaller vehicle),or, alternately, that the missioncan be accomplished wi th a largerpayload than is possible with thesame mass of conventional pro-pellants. In short, hydrogen yieldsa bigger bang for the buck.Hy pergolic:

    Hypergolic propellants are fuelsand oxidizers which ignite oncontact with each other and needno ignition source. This easystart and restart capability makesthem attractive for both mannedand unmanned spacecraft maneu-vering systems. Another plus i stheir storability - they do nothave the extreme temperaturerequirements of cryogenics.The fuel is monomethyl-hydrazine (MMH), and the oxidizeri s nitrogen tetroxide (N204 ).Hydrazine is a clear, nitrogen/hydrogen compound with a "fishy"smell. It's similar to ammonia.N204 is a brownish fluid whichmight be described as a supernit ric acid. I t has the sharp, acridsmell of many acids. Both fluidsare highly toxic, and are handledunder the most stringent safetyconditions.

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    Information Summaries

    Hy pergolic propellants are usedin the liquid propellant stages ofthe Titan class of launch vehicles,including the Titan I I-Elcentaurseries which was used by NASAto launch the Helios sun probesand the Viking and Voyager plane-tary explorers.

    The Space Shuttle orbiter useshypergols in i t s Orbital Maneu-vering Subsystem (OMS) for orbi talinsertion, major orbital maneuversand deorbit. The Reaction ControlSystem (RCS) uses hypergols fot-attitude control.

    The efficiency of the MMHIN2 04 combination in the SpaceShuttle orbiter ranges from 260to 280 seconds in the RCS to 313seconds in the OMS. The higherefficiency of the OMS system i sattributed to higher expansionratios in the nozzles and higherpressures in the combustionchambers.Solid:

    The solid propellant motor i s theoldest and simplest of all forms ofrocketry, dating back to the ancientChinese. I t is simply a casing,usually steel, filled wi th a mixtureof solid-form chemicals (fuel andoxidizer) which burn a t a rapidrate, expelling hot gases from anozzle to achieve thrust.

    Solids require no turbopumps orcomplex propellant feed systems.Igni tion is by a simple squib deviceat the top of the motor whichdirects a high-temperature flamealong the surface of the propellantgrain, igni ting i t instantaneously.

    The propellant, a rubbery sub-stance with the consistency of ahard rubber eraser, has a star-shaped (o ther shapes are possible)hollow channel extending throughthe center. When ignited the pro-pellant burns from the center outtoward the sides of the casing.The shaped center channel exposesmore or less burning area a t anygiven point in time, thus providinga means to vary the thrust of theexpel ed gases.

    Solid propellants are easily stor-able and stable. Unlike liquidpropellant engines, though, a solidpropellant motor cannot be shutdown. Once ignited, it will burnuntil all propellant is exhausted.

    Solids are used in a variety ofways for space operations. Smallsolids often power the final stageof a launch vehicle, or are attachedto payload elements to boostsatellites and spacecraft to higherorbits.Medium solids such as thePayload Assist Module (PAM) andthe Inertial Upper Stage (IUS)

    provide the added boost to placesatellites in to geosynchronous orb itor on planetary trajectories.

    The PAM is used for payloadboost on the Delta and SpaceShuttle. The IUS is carried by theSpace Shuttle and the Titan I l lclass of launch vehicles.

    Only one of the nation's stableof launch vehicles uses solidsexclusively. This is NASA's Scout,a four-stage rocket used to orbitsmall satellites.

    Titan, Delta and Space Shut tlevehicles depend on solid rocketsto provide added thrust at liftoff.

    The Space Shuttle uses thelargest solid rocket motors everbuilt and flown. Each, which isreusable, contains 498,951 kilo-grams (1.1 mill ion pounds) ofpropellant.

    This propellant consists of analuminum powder (16 percent) asa fuel; ammonium perchlorate(69.93 percent) as an oxidizer;iron oxidizer powder (.07 percent)as a catalyst; polybutadiene acrylicacid acrylonitrile (12.04 percent)a s a rubber-based binder; and anepoxy curing agent (1.96 percent).The binder and epoxy are alsoburned as a fuel , adding thrust .The specific impulse of theSpace Shuttle solid rocket boosterpropellant is 242 seconds at sealevel and 262 seconds a t altitude.

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    Facilities and OperationsNASA conducts launch oper-

    ations for i t s current stable oflaunch vehicle at several s i t e s acrossthe country. The Scout rocket islaunched by the Langley ResearchCenter from facilities a t Vanden-berg Air Force Base in California ,and from the Wallops FlightFacili ty on the east coast ofVirginia. Visiting teams from Italyoccasionally launch Scouts fromSan Marco, a man-made platformin the ocean off the east coastof Africa.The Kennedy Space Center, thenation's pr imary launch organi-zation, prepares and launchesunmanned Deltas and Atlas-Centaur

    rockets from facilities at Com-plexes 17 and 36 on Cape CanaveralAir Force Station, Florida. MannedSpace Shuttle launches are con-ducted from Launch Complex 39,located at the northern tip ofCape Canaveral.

    The Complex 39 facilities atKennedy Space Center originallywere bui lt to support the ApolloLunar Landing Program. From1967 to 1975, 12 Saturn VIApol lovehicles, one Saturn VISkylabworkshop, three Saturn IBIApollovehicles for the Skylab crews,and one Saturn IBIApol lo for thejo int U.S.-Soviet Apol o-Soyuzmission were launched from Com-

    plex 39. These facilities then weremodified to process and launchthe Space Shuttle. Reworkingexisting facilities was far lessexpensive than building all newstructures. Two major new addi-tions were added - a specialrunway to land returning orbitersand an orbiter checkout hangarcalled the Orbiter ProcessingFacility. During the 19805, anumber of new facilities wereadded for solid rocket boosterprocessing and Shuttle logistics.

    These facilities, and how theysupport Space Shuttle operations,are explained on the followingpages.

    Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center.

    9

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    Shuttle Landing FacilityWhen an operational Space

    Shuttle orbiter returns to Earthfrom its mission in space and landsa t the Kennedy Space Center, i ttouches down on one of the world'slongest runways. This facility islocated two miles northwest of theVehicle Assembly Building, on anorthwest/southeast alignment.

    The Shuttle Landing Facility run-way is about twice the length andwidth of those used at commercialairports. I t is 4,572 meters (15,000feet) long, 91.4 meters (300 feet)wide, and 40.5 centimeters (16inches) thick at the center. Safetyoverruns of 305 meters (1,000feet) are provided at each end.The runway is not perfectly flat,bu t has a slope of 61 centimeters(24 inches) from the centerline tothe edge. Small grooves, each 0.63centimeter (0.25 inch) wide anddeep, have been cut in to the con-crete every 2.85 centimeters (1.25inches) across the runway. Thereare a total of 13,600 kilometers(8,450 miles) of these grooves.Together with the slope of the con-crete they provide rapid drain-offof rain, as well as a more skid-resistant surface.A 168-meter (550- foot) by 149-meter ( 490 -foot) aircraft apron, orramp, is attached to the runwaynear the southeastern end. TheMateIDemate Device, which liftsthe orbiter for attachment to or re-moval from its 747 carrier aircraftduring ferry operations, is located

    An orbiter in the Mate/Demate Device has just been lifted from the 747carrier aircraft used in ferry operations.on the northeast corner of theramp. I t also provides movableplatforms for access t o certainorbiter components.

    A Tactical Ai r Navigation(TACAN) station is located at mid-field off the eas t side of the run-way. This is a homing transmitterthat broadcasts a signal receivableby the orbiter. The TACAN has arange of 483 kilometers (300 miles)and is received when the space-

    Scanning Beam Landing System,which is accurate to within 99.33%in bringing the orbiter to the desig-nated poin t on the runway.

    Unl ike conventional aircraft, theorbiter lacks propulsion during thelanding phase. I ts high-speed glidemust bring it in for a landingperfectly the first time - here isno circle-and-try-again capability.The landing speed of the orbiter is346 kilometers (215 miles) per

    craf t emerges from the re-entry hour.blackout period. The final approach Landings may be made on thei s guided by a precision Microwave runway from the northwest to

    An orbiter/747 combination touching down on the extra-long runway at the Shuttle Landing Facility.

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    Orbiter Columbia is towed i nto Orbiter Processing Facility to begin processing for a mission.southeast (Runway 15) or from thesoutheast to northwest (Runway33). The landing system groundequipment i s duplicated to permitan approach from either direction.Shuttle landings also are made atEdwards AFB, California.Orbiter Processing Facil ity

    Space Shuttle orbiters are pro-cessed between missions in a struc-ture analogous to a sophisticatedaricraft hanger - he Orbiter Pro-cessing Facility. Capable of handlingtwo orbiters in parallel, this facilityis located to the west of the VehicleAssembly Building.

    The Orbiter Processing Facilityconsists of two identical high baysconnected by a low bay. The highbays are each 60 meters (197 feet)long, 46 meters (150 feet) wide,and 29 meters (95 feet) high. Eachi s equipped with two 27-metric ton(30-ton) bridge cranes, and contains

    platforms which effectively sur-round the orbiter to provide per-sonnel access. The high bay areashave an emergency exhaust systemin case of a fuel spill, and fireprotection systems are installedthroughout the facility. The lowbay separating the two high bays i s71 meters (233 eet) long, 30 meters(97 feet) wide, and eight meters(25 feet) high. The low bay houseselectronic, mechanical, and elec-trical support systems, a s well asshops and office space.

    Spacecraft processed throughcheckout in a horizontal attitude,such as the Hubble Space Tele-scope, are loaded in to the orbi terin the Orbiter Processing Facility.Spacecraft that are checked out andinstalled in a vertical attitude aremated with the orbiter at thelaunch pad.

    The processing of the orbiter forflight resembles an airline mainte-

    nance program, rather than thecustomary long and complex spacevehicle checkout and launch opera-tion.

    Orbiter Modification and Refur-bishment Facil ity

    Located just northwest o f theVehicle Assembly Building, this4,645 square meter (50,000 squarefoot) facility i s used to performmodification, rehabilitation andoverhaul of Space Shuttle orbitersoutside of the facilities used inthe normal operational flow. Thebuilding consists of a high bay 29meters (95 feet) high and a two-story low bay area. I t containsspecial work plat forms, storageand parts areas, offices, and special-ized equipment needed to performorbiter modifications that do notrequire a return to the manu-

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    facturing facilities in California.Logistics Facility

    This modern, 30,159 squaremeter (324,640 square foot) facil-it y is located south of the VehicleAssembly Building and houses some190,000 shuttle hardware partsand over 500 NASA and contractorpersonnel. A unique feature of thebuild ing is its state-of-the-art stor-age and retr ieval system whichincludes automated handling equip-ment to find and retrieve specificparts.Solid Rocket Booster Processing

    Following a Space Shuttlelaunch, the expended solid rocketboosters parachute into the ocean.They are retrieved by recoveryships and towed back to facilitieson Cape Canaveral Air ForceStation for disassembly and clean-ing. The empty propellant-carryingsegments are transferred to boosterprocessing facilities at Complex 39,where they are prepared for ship-ment by rail to the manufacturerfor propellant reloading. The re-maining solid rocket booster com-ponents are taken to an assemblyand refurbishment area adjacent toComplex 39 for reconditioning,assembly and testing.The solid rocket booster launchprocessing flow is as follows:

    Rotation Processing Building:Located just north of the VehicleAssembly Building, this facilityreceives new and reloaded solidrocket booster segments - aft,aft center, forward and forwardcenter - shipped by rail from themanufacturer. Here, inspection,rotation and aft skir-tlaft segmentbuildup are performed.Assembly and RefurbishmentFacility: This facility, located sev-eral miles south of the VehicleAssembly Building covers 45 acresand consists of foul- main buildings- Manufacturing, Engineering andAdministration, Service, and HotFire. Inert booster componentssuch as the a ft and fo ~w ar d kirts,frustums, nose caps, recoverysystems, electronics and instru-mentation, and elements of the Assembly o f the Space Shut tle fli ght components takes place in Highthrust vector control system are Bays 1 or 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building. One of the Shuttle's tworeceived, refurbished, assembled solid rocket boosters is being stacked on the Mobil e Launcher Platform. Theand tested. Completed aft skirt external tank wi ll nex t be mated to the boosters.

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    assemblies are transrerred to the mated w ith the Space Shuttle orbiter's main engines during theRotation Processing Build ing for orbitel- and external tank. ascent phase of launch. I t i s theinteg ration wit h the aft segments. only Space Shut tle componentThe remaining components are External Tank that is not recovered and ~reused.intearated with the booster stackduring mating operations insidethe Vehicle Assembly Building.

    SURGE Buildings (2): Each ofthese facili ties are used to storetwo solid rocket booster flightsets (eight segments) afte l- tt-ansfel-from the adjacent Rotation Pro-cessing Building. They remain hereuntil moved to the VehicleAssembly Building fol- integrationwi th other flight-ready boostercomponents fl-om the Assemblyand Refurbishment Facility.

    Vehicle Assembly Building: Al lbooster elements at-e integratedhere into complete flight se t s and

    The external tank is 11-ansportedby barge from i t s manufacturingsite at Michoud, Louisiana, toKennedy Space Center. I t i s off-loaded a t the Complex 39 turnbasin and tl-ansferred into theVehicle Assembly Building whereit i s processed and stored in thehigh bay area until mating withthe othet- Space Shuttle f lightelements.

    The external tank is thelargest element of the SpaceShuttle system. I t contains twoinner tanks which hold the liquidoxygen and liquid hydrogen pro-pellants that are fed into the

    Vehicle Assembly BuildingAfter preparation in the Orbiter

    Processing Facility, the orbiter i stowed to the Vehicle AssemblyBuilding. This is the heart ofLaunch Complex 39 and has beenmodi fied fo r use in assembling theSpace Shuttle vehicle.One of the largest buildings inthe world, the Vehicle AssemblyBuilding covers a ground area of32,376 square meters (eight acres)and has a volume of 3,624,000cubic meters (129,428,000 cubicfeet). It i s 160 meters (525 feet)tall, 218 meters (716 feet ) long and

    The external tank rests on its trailer in the transfer aisle o f the Vehicle Assembly Building afte r arriving at theKennedy Space Center by barge.

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    158 meters (518 feet) wide. Thebuilding i s divided into a high bayarea 160 meters (525 feet) tal l, anda low bay area whicti is 64 meters(210 feet) tall.

    The structure is designed to wi th-stand winds of up to 200 kilometers(125 miles) per hour. Its founda-tion rests on more than 4,200 steelpilings 40 centimeters (16 inches)in diameter, driven down to bed-rock a t a depth of 49 meters (160feet).

    The Vehicle Assembly Buildinghas more than 70 l if ting devices,including two 227-metric ton (250-ton) bridge cranes.

    The Low Bay area containsSpace Shuttle main engine main-tenance and overhaul shops, andserves as a holding area for solidrocket booster forward assembliesand aft skirts.High Bays 1 and 3 are used forintegration and stacking of thecomplete Space Shuttle vehicle.High Bay 2 i s used for externaltank checkout and storage and asa contingency storage area fororbiters. High Bay 4 also is usedfor external tank checkout andstorage, as well as for payloadcanister operations and solid rocketbooster contingency handling.

    During Space Shuttle buildupoperations inside the VehicleAssembly Building, integrated solidrocket booster segments are trans-ferred from nearby assembly andcheckout facilities, hoisted onto aMobile Launcher Platform in HighBays 1 or 3 and mated togetherto form two complete solid rocketboosters. The external tank, afterarrival by barge, and subsequentcheckout, inspection and storage inHigh Bays 2 or 4, is transferredto High Bays 1 or 3 to be attachedto the solid rocket boosters alreadyin place. The orbiter, the finalelement t o be added, is towed fromthe Orbi ter Processing Facili tyto the Vehicle Assembly Buildingtransfer aisle, raised to a verticalposition by overhead cranes,lowered onto the Mobile LauncherPlatform and mated to the rest ofthe stack.

    When assembly and checkoutoperations are complete, the hugeouter doors of a high bay open topermit the Crawler.Transporter to After being towed into the Vehicle Assembly Building the orb iter is raisedenter and move under the Mobile to the vertical position and lifted into the high bay by bridge crane forLauncher Platform holding the as - mating with the external tank.

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    158 meters (518 feet) wide. Thebuilding i s divided into a high bayarea 160 meters (525 feet) tall, anda low bay area which is 64 meters(210 feet) tall.

    The structure is designed to wi th -stand winds of up to 200 kilometers(125 miles) per hour. Its founda-tion rests on more than 4,200 steelpilings 40 centimeters (16 inches)in diameter, driven down to bed-rock a t a depth of 49 meters (160feet).

    The Vehicle Assembly Buildinghas more than 70 li ft ing devices,including two 227-metric ton (250-ton) bridge cranes.

    The Low Bay area containsSpace Shuttle main engine main-tenance and overhaul shops, andserves as a hold ing area fo r solidrocket booster forward assembliesand a ft skirts.High Bays 1 and 3 are used forintegration and stacking of thecomplete Space Shuttle vehicle.High Bay 2 is used for externaltank checkout and storage and asa contingency storage area fororbiters. High Bay 4 also i s usedfor external tank checkout andstorage, as well a s for payloadcanister operations and solid rocketbooster contingency handling.

    During Space Shuttle buildupoperations inside the VehicleAssembly Building, integrated solidrocket booster segments are trans-ferred from nearby assembly andcheckout facilities, hoisted onto aMobile Launcher Platform in HighBays 1 or 3 and mated togetherto form two complete solid rocketboosters. The external tank, afterarrival by barge, and subsequentcheckout, inspection and storage inHigh Bays 2 or 4, i s transferredto High Bays 1 or 3 to be attachedto the solid rocket boosters alreadyin place. The orbiter, the finalelement to be added, i s towed fromthe Orbiter Processing Facilityto the Vehicle Assembly Buildingtransfer aisle, raised to a verticalposition by overhead oranes,lowered onto the Mobile LauncherPlatform and mated to the rest ofthe stack.

    When assembly and checkoutoperations are complete. the huqeouter doors of a high bay open topermit the Crawler-Transporter to After being towed into the Vehicle Assembly Build ing the orbiter is raisedenter and move under the Mobile to the vertical position and lifted into the high bay by bridge crane forLauncher Platform holding the a s - mating with the external tank.

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    The orbiter is lowered into position in the high bay to be attached to theexternal tank.

    In firing room 7 at the Launch Control Center are consoles for the LaunchProcessing System, which is used fo r the checkout and launch of the SpaceShuttle. Identical firi ng rooms enable a second Space Shuttle t o be proc-essed in paral lel.

    sembled Shuttle vehicle. These highbay doors are 139 meters (456 feet)high from ground to top. Seven 23-meter (76 -foo t) wide sliding panelsrise vertically into a protected en-closure near the top of the building.Four panels at the bottom moveapart horizontally, to create anopening that is 46 meters (152feet) wide and 35 meters ( 114feet) high. The Mobile LauncherPlatform is so huge it forms a fairlysnug "f it " wi th in these dimensions.Launch Control Center

    I f the Vehicle Assembly Bu ildingis the heart of Launch Complex 39,the Launch Contl-ol Center is itsbrain. This is a foul--story structureon the east side of the VehicleAssembly Building and connectedwi th i t by an elevated, enclosedbridge.

    The Launch Control Centercontains four firing rooms that areused to conduct NASA and classi-fied military launches. Each isequipped with the LaunchProcessing System which monitorsand contl-01s most Space Shutt leassembly, checkout, and launchopel-ations.

    The Space Shuttle final ccunt-down requires approximately fivehaul-s, compared to 28 hoursfor a Saturn/Apollo countdown.Launches utilizing the Launch Pro-cessing System require approxi-mately 90 personnel in the firingroom as compared with 450 neededfol- previous manned missions.

    The Launch Processing Systemconsists of two major parts, theCentral Data Subsystem and theCheckout, Contl-01, and MonitorSubsystem.The Central Data Subsystemopet-ates foul- computers that storet e s t PI-ocedures, vehicle processingdata, a master pi-ogram library, his-torical data, and pre-testlpost-testanalyses. The Central Data Subsys-tem is located on the second floorof the Launch Control Center.

    The operators of the Checkout,Control, and Monitor Subsystemutilize consoles, mini-computers,a large mass storage unit, and otherrelated equipment located in thefi rin g I-ooms to actually processand launch the vehicle. Shuttlecheckout, countdown, and launchoperations are conducted with thesuppol-t of the information stol-edin the Central Data Subsystem.

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    The Mobi le Launcher Platform and assembled Space Shuttle on the Crawlerway.Transportable Equipment

    The Mobile Launcher Platformi s a steel structure 7.6 meters (25feet) high, 49 meters (160 feet)long, and 41 meters (135 feet)wide. I t serves as a transportablelaunch base fol- the Space Shuttle.The platform i s constructed of steelup to 15 centimeters (six inches)thick . A t their parking sites northof the Vehicle Assembly Building,in the high bays, and a t the launchpads, the two Mobile LauncherPlatforms rest on six 6.7-meter(22- foot ) tall pedestals. There arethree openings through the mainbody of a platfo rm. Two are for the

    exhaust of the solid rocket boost-ers, and the thi rd - he one in thecenter - i s for the Shuttle mainengines exhaust.

    Two large devices called Tail Ser-vice Masts sit on each side of theSpace Shuttle orbiter main enginesexhaust hole. They provide severalumbilical connections to theorbiter, including a liquid oxygenline running through one and aliquid hydrogen line through theother. These cryogenic propellantsare fed into the external tank fromthe pad tanks via these connections.A t launch the umbilicals are pulledaway from the orbiter and Iretractinto the masts, where protective

    hoods rotate closed to shield themfrom the exhaust flames. Each TailService Mast assembly is 4.5 meters(15 feet) long, 2.7 meters (ninefeet) wide, and rises 9.4 meters(31 feet) above the platform deck.The Hydrogen Burnoff Systemconsists of two 1.5-meter (!%foot)long booms, one suspended fromeach Tail Service Mast. Each boomcontains four flare-like devices,which are designed to burn of f gasfrom a pre-ignition flow of liquidhydrogen through the main engines.This i s to keep a cloud of excessgaseous hydrogen from forming,which could explode upon ignitionof the main engines.

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    The Payload Canister in the vertical position on its transporter.

    The Space Shuttle is supportedand held on the Mobile LauncherPlatform by eight attach posts, fouron the aft skirt of each of the twosolid I-ocket boosters. These f i t oncounterpart posts located in theplatform's t wo solid rocket boostersupport wells. The vehicle is freedby triggering explosive nuts whichrelease the giant studs linking thesolid rocket booster attach postswith the platform s.upport posts.There are tw o inner levels ineach Mobile Launcher Platform,with various rooms that house elec-trical, tes t , and propellant loadingequipment. Unloaded, a MobileLauncher Platform weighs 3.7million kilograms (8.23 millionpounds).

    The two Crawler-Transportertracked vehicles were previous1yused to move Saturn rockets fromthe Vehicle Assembly Building tothe launch pad. The transportersare 6.1 meters (20 feet) tall, 40meters (131 feet) long and 35meters (114 feet) wide. The maxi-

    mum speed unloaded i s 3.2 kilo-meters (two miles) pel- hour, whilemaximum speed with the load ofthe Space Shuttle i s 1.6 kilometers(one mile) per hour. A crawler haseight tracks, each of which has 57shoes, or cleats. Each shoe weighsapproximately one ton. Unloaded,the transporter weighs 2,857,680kilograms (6.3 mi llion pounds).

    The transporters have a levelingsystem that will keep the top ofthe Space Shuttle vertical whilenegotiating the five-percent gradeleading up to the top of the launchpad.

    The transporter i s powered bytwo 2,750-horsepower diesel en-gines. The engines drive four 1,000-kilowatt generators which provideelectrical power to the 16 tractionmotors.

    The Payload Canister providesrestraint and protection to thevarious Shuttle payloads whilein transit from payload processingor assembly facilities to either thelaunch pad (vertically handled pay-

    loads) or Orbiter Processing Facil-it y (horizon tally handled payloads).The canister is 21 meters (69 feet)long, 6.4 meters (21 feet) wide and6.4 meters (21 feet) high.

    The canister is made to physi-cally resemble the cargo bay ofthe orbiter. I t can accommodatepayloads up to 18.3 meters (60feet) long, 4.5 meters (15 feet) i ndiameter, and up to 29,481 kilo-grams (65,000 pounds) in weight.I t provides environmental contro land protect ion t o payloads while intransit, and can supply certainneeded support services such as gaspurges and monitoring of criticalmeasurements.

    The Payload Canister Transpor-ter i s a 48-wheel self-propelledtruck designed to transport the can-ister and its associated hardware.The transporter rides on rubbertires and is designed to operate onnormal hard road surfaces. It is19.8 meters (65 feet) long and 7meters (23 feet) wide. Its elevatingflatbed has a height of 1.8 meters(6 feet) but can be lowered to 1.6meters (5 feet 3 inches) 01 -raisedto 2.1 meters (7 feet). I t s wheelsare independently steerable andpermit the ti-anspol-tel- o move for -hard, backward, or sideways; to"crab" diagonally; or t o turn on itsown axis like a carousel.

    The transporter i s driven by ahydraulic system powered by aliquid-cooled diesel engine. How-ever, when wi th in a spacecraft facil-ity the transporter runs on an elec-tric motor using ground power.

    The bare transporter weighs63,500 kilograms (140,000pounds). With a full load of dieselfuel, the environmental control sys-tem, communications systems, andother equipment and instrumenta-tion mounted on it, the transportel-has a gross weight o f 77,300 ki lo -grams (170,500 pounds).

    The transporter i s steerable fromdiagonally opposed operator cabson each end. Its top speed unloadedi s 16 kmlh (10 mph), but fullyloaded it i s 8 kmlh (5 mph).Because payload handling willrequire precise movements, thetransporter has a "creep" modethat permits i t t o move as slowly as0.023 k ml h (0.014 mph). Thetransporter can carry the payloadcanister in either the horizontalor vertical position.

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    The Crawler-Transporter can l i f t the Space Shuttle on its Mobi le Launcher Platform and move i t f rom the VehicleAssembly Building to the launch pad.

    CrawlerwayThe Crawler-Transporters move

    on a roadway 40 meters (130 feet)wide, almost as broad as an eight-lane turnpike. The crawlerway con-sists of two 12-metel- (40-foot)wide lanes, separated by a 15-meter(50-foot) wide median strip, thatrun from the Vehicle AssemblyBuilding to the launch pads. Thetop surface on which the trans-porters operate is river gravel. Thisgravel layer is 20 centimeters(eight inches) thick on curves andhalf that on the straightaway sec-tions. The distance from theVehicle Assembly Building to Pad39A is about 5.6 kilometers (3.5miles), and to Pad 39B, 6.8 kilo-meters (4.25 miles).

    Launch Pads 39A And 39BThe Launch Complex 39 pads

    are roughly octagonal in shape.Each covers about 0.64 square kilo-meter (0.25 square mile) of land,contained within a high chain linkfence. Space Shuttles are launchedfrom the top of the concrete hard-stand in the center of the pad. ThePad A stand is 14.63 meters (48feet) above sea level a t its top, andPad B is 16.76 meters (55 feet).The top of each pad measures 119

    meters (390 feet) by 99 meters(325 feet). The two major items ofequipment on each pad are theFixed Service Structure and theRotating Service Structure.

    The Fixed Service Structure i slocated on the west side of thehardstand. A hammerhead crane ontop provides hoisting services as re-quired in pad operations. There are12 work levels at six-meter (20-foot) intervals. The height of thestructure to the top of the tower is75 meters (247 feet), to the top ofthe hammerhead crane 81 meters(265 feet), and to the top of thelightning mast 106 meters (347feet).

    Swingarms on the Fixed Ser-vice Structure provide access tothe orbiter for crew and equip-ment. The Orbiter Access ~ r &swings out to the crew compart-ment to provide personnel access.The outer end of this arm supportsa small room, holding up to 6 per-sons, commonly called the "WhiteRoom." I t mates wi th the crewhatch. This arm iremains in the ex-tended position until seven minutesprior to launch, to provide an emer-gency exit for the crew should onebe needed. I t is 20 meters (65 feet)long, 1.5 meters (5 feet) wide, and2.4 meters (8 feet) high. The Or-

    biter Access Arm is attached to theService Structure a t the 44.8-meter(147-foot ) level. I t I-otates to i t sretracted posit ion in approximately30 seconds.

    The External Tank GaseousOxygen Vent Arm lowers a hood,called the beanie cap, over the topof the Shuttle's external fuel tank.Heated gaseous nitrogen i s pumpedinto the hood to warm the liquidoxygen vent system a t the top ofthe external tank. This preventsvapors at the vent opening fromcondensing into ice that could dis-lodge and damage the orbiterduring launch. The vent system armi s 24.4 meters (80 feet) long, 1.5meters (5 feet) wide, and 2.4meters (8 feet) high. The diameterof the vent hood is 4 meters (13feet). The arm is attached to theFixed Service Structure betweenthe 63.1-meter (207-foot) and 69.2-meter (227-foot ) levels. The armand i t s hood can be I-etracted inabout one minute and 30 seconds.They are in the fully l-etl-actedposition at approximately 45 sec-onds prior to launch.

    The External Hydrogen VentLine Access Arm provides a meansof mating the external tank umbili-cals to the pad facilities, and pro-vides work access to the tank area.

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    This arm retracts several hours be-fore launch, leaving the umbilicalsattached. A t the moment the solidrocket boosters ignite, these umbili-cals eject from the Shuttle and fallback against the tower, where theyare protected from engine flame bya curtain of sprayed water. Thisarm is 15 meters (48 feet) long, andattached at the 51-meter (167 -foo t)level.

    The Rotating Service Structureprovides access to the orbi ter fo rinstallat ion and servicing of payloadsa t the pad. I t pivots through one-thi rd of a circle, from a retractedposition well away from the Shuttleto the point where i t s payloadchangeout room doors meet andmatch the orbiter cargo bay doors.I t rotates around a vertical hingeattached to one corner of the FixedService Structure. Most of its bodyi s some 18 meters (59 feet) abovethe pad, supported by the hingeand a structural framework on theopposite end. This framework restson two eight-wheel motor-driventrucks, which ride on rails installedwith the pad surface. The rotating

    body is 31 meters (102 feet) long,15 meters (50 feet) wide, and 40meters (130 feet) high.

    The primary purpose of theRotating Service Structure i s toreceive Space Shuttle payloadswhile in the retracted position, 1-0-tate, and install them in the orbitercar-go bay. With the exception ofthe Spacelab and other largehorizontal payloads, which areloaded while the orbiter is in the01-bi ter Processing Facili ty, allspacecraft are loaded in to theShuttle at the pad. The payloadchangeout room provides anenvironmentally clean or "whiteroom" condition in which toreceive payloads from their pro-tective transpol-tation canisters, andmaintains this cleanliness by neverexposing the spacecraft to the openair during the transfer operations.

    In operation, a canister i shoisted to the proper elevation inthe retracted Rotating ServiceStructure and locked into position.The environmental seals in theRotating Service Structure areinflated against the sides of the

    canister. The space between theclosed doors of the RotatingService Structure and the canisterare purged with clean, temperatureand humidity-controlled air, afterwhich the doors may be opened.The payload is then transferredfrom the canister into the RotatingService Structure, the canister andRotating Service Structure doorsare closed, the environmental seal isdeflated, and the canister is loweredto its transporter to be taken of fthe pad. The Rotating ServiceStructure rolls int o position toenclose the orbiter's payload bay,re-establishing the environmentalseals and clean air purge. TheRotating Service Structure andpayload bay doors are then openedso that the payload may beinstalled.

    A Weather Protection Systema t Pads A and B shields the orbiterfrom windblown debris, heavy rainsand hail that could damage thecraft's fragile heat protection tiles.A considerable portion of theorbiter i s shielded by the RotatingService Structure and i t s attached

    Pad 39A, wi th its Fixed and Rotati ng Service Structures, prepares to accept the Space Shuttle on itsMobi le Launcher Platform. The Shut tle is being carried up the pad ramp by the Crawler-Transporter.

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    Information Summaries

    Payload Changeout Room whichcloses i w around the vehicle whi leon the pad. The Weather ProtectionSystem fills in the gaps.

    Protection for the lower portionof the orbiter i s provided by metaldoors that slide together betweenthe orbiter's belly and the externaltank. The doors, measuring up to16 meters (53 feet) long, 11.6meters (38 feet) tall and weighingup to 21 metric tons (46,000pounds), are connected to theRotating Service Structure and theFixed Service Structure. The doorsmove together from opposite sideson wheeled flanges that ride onsteel beams.The top of the orbiter i s pro-tected by an inflatable seal thatextends from the Payload Change-out Room, forming a semi-circlecovering 90 degrees of arc between Attached to the top of the Fixed Service Struc ture is the gaseous oxygenthe vehicle and the external tank. vent hood on its swingarm. Underneath, the external tank hydrogen ventA series of 20 or more bi-fold line and access arm allows ma ting o f umbilicals and access to the inter tankmetal doors, about 24.4 x 1.2 interior.

    The Payload Canister is lift ed f rom its transporter into the cradle of the Rotating Service Structure.

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    Information Sum maries

    meters (80 x 4 feet) in size, foldout from the Payload ChangeoutRoom on the Rotating ServiceStructure t o cover the side ai-easbetween the external tank and theorbiter.

    The Flame Deflector Systemprotects the vehicle and pad struc-tures from the intense heat oflaunch. I t is located in the groundlevel flame trench that bisects thehardstand. A flame deflector func-tions by presenting an invertedV-shape to the flames pouring intothe trench through openings in theMobile Launcher Platform. Bothsides of the upside-down V curveout near the bottom until they arealmost hol-izontal. Flames followthese curves and are deflected hori-zontally down the flame trench,rather than bouncing back up toenvelop the vehicle.The flame trench divides thehardstand lengthwise from groundlevel t o the pad surface. I t is 149meters (490 feet) long, 18 meters(58 feet) wide, and 12 meters (40feet) high. At launch, flames shootout both ends of the trench intothe air. The deflector for the SpaceShuttle is actually a two-in-onedevice, where one side of the inve12-ted V I-eceives the flames from theorbiter's main engines, and the op-posite side the flames from the twosolid rocket boostel-s. I t is fixednear the center of the trench, andextends completely across it .The orbiter and booster deflec-tors are built of steel and coveredwi th an ablative material about13 centimeters (five inches) thickthat flakes off to shed heat. Theyweigh over 453,592 kilograms (onemillion oounds) each.In addition to the fixed deflec-tor -~ , here are t wo movable oneslocated at the top of the trench, foradditional protection f ~ o mhe solidrocket booster flames.

    The Slidewire System providesan escape route for the astronautsand closeout crew until the final 30seconds of countdown. Five slide-wires extend from the F ixed Ser-vice Structure at the Orbiter AccessArm level down to the ground. Aflat-bottom basket made of steelwire and heat resistant fiber is sus-pended from each of five wires andwositioned for entrv in event of

    wire to a bunker located west ofthe Fixed Service Structure. Thedescent takes approximately 35 sec-onds and is controlled by a fric-tion brake between the basket andthe wire.The Lightning Mast extendsabove the Fixed Service Structureand provides a "cone o f protec-tion" over the vehicle and padstructures. The 24-meter (80-foot)tall fiberglass mast i s grounded by acable which starts from a groundanchor 335 meters (1,100 feet)south of the Fixed Service Struc-ture, angles up and over the light-ning mast, then extends back downto a second ground anchor the samedistance to the north. The mast

    functions as an electrical insulator,holding the cable away from thetower. The mast with its accom-panying support structure extends30 meters (100 feet) above theFixed Service Structure.A Sound Suppression WaterSystem has been installed on thepad to protect the orbiter and i t spayloads from damage by acoustical,energy reflected from the MobileLauncher Platform during launch.The Shuttle orbiter, with i t s pay-loads in the cargo hold, i s muchcloser to the surface of the MobileLauncher Platform than was theApollo spacecraft a t the top ofa Saturn V or Saturn IB I-ocket.

    The sound suppression system

    emergency. Each basket can holdtwo persons. The basket slides Astronauts Paul Weitz and Karol Bobko participate in the Emergency Egressdown a 366-meter (1,200 foot) Training on the slide wire at Pad 39A.

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    Information Summaries

    The rainbirds begin to place a cushion o f water on the Mobile Launcher Platform to prevent reflection of acousticalenergy from the platform's steel structure. Fresh water stored in the elevated tank flows through a valve network(upper left ) to achieve proper pressure. I t then flows through the giant pipes to the rainbirds.

    includes an elevated water tankwith a capacity of 1,135,550 liters(300,000 gallons). The tank is 88meters (290 feet) high and is lo-cated on the northeast side of thepad. The water is released just priorto ignition of the Shuttle engines,and will flow through 2.1-meter(seven-foot) diameter pipes fo rabout 20 seconds. Water poursfrom 16 nozzles atop the flamedeflectors, and from outlets in themain exhaust hole in the MobileLauncher Platform. By the time thesolid rocket boosters ignite, a to r-rent of water will be flowing ontothe Mobile Launcher Platform fromsix large quench nozzles, or "rain-birds," mounted on its surface.

    The rainbirds are 3.6 meters(12 feet) high. The two in the centerare 107 centimeters (42 inches) indiameter; the other f our have a 76-centimeter (30- inch) diameter.

    The peak rate of flow from allsources is 3,406,500 liters (900,000gallons) of water per minute at nineseconds after liftoff.Acoustical levels reach theirpeak when the Space Shuttle isabout 91 meters (300 feet) abovethe platform, and cease to be aproblem at an altitude of about308 meters (1,000 feet).

    Part of the Sound SuppressionWater System is the Solid Rocket

    Booster Overpressure SuppressionSystem. I t alleviates the ef fect of areflected pressure pulse whichoccurs at booster ignition. Thispressure, without the suppressionsystem, would exert significantforces on the wings and controlsurfaces of the orbiter.There are two primary com-ponents to the system. A waterspray system provides a cushion ofwater which is directed into theflame hole directly beneath eachbooster. This i s supplemented by aseries of water "hammocks"stretched across each hole, pro-viding a water mass to dampen thereflected pressure pulse. Used to-gether, this water barrier blocks thepath of the reflected pressure wave,greatly decreasing its intensity.In the event of an abortedmission, a Post-Shutdown EngineDeluge System i s used to cool theaft end of the orbiter. I t also con-trols the burning of residual hyd ro-gen gas after the Shuttle's mainengines have been shut down withthe vehicle on the pad. There are 22nozzles around the exhaust hole forthe main engines within the MobileLauncher Platform. Fed by a 15.2-centimeter (6-inch) diameter supplyline, water flows a t a rate up to9,460 liters (2,500 gallons) per min-ute.

    Propellant Storage Facilitiesare located a t both pads. Liquidoxygen, used as an oxidizer by theorbiter's main engines, is storedin a 3,406,500-litel- (900,000-gallon) tank located at the north-west corner of each launch pad.This ball-shaped vessel i s a hugevacuum bott le which is designedto maintain the supel-cold tem-peratures of cryogenic propellants.

    Liquid oxygen is transferredfrom the storage tank to theorbiter's external tank before flightby two pumps which supply37,850 liters (10,000 gallons) pel-minute each.

    The liquid hydrogen fuel forthe 01-biter's main engines is storedin a similal- 3,218,250-litel-(850,000-gallon) ball-shaped vessellocated at the northeast corner ofthe pads.Pumps are not required tomove the liquid hydrogen from thestorage tank to the orbiter's exter-nal tank during fueling operations.A small amount of liquid hydrogeni s allowed to vaporize. This createsa gas pressure in the t op of the tankthat moves the extremely lightfuel through the transfer lines.The vacuum-jacketed transferlines carry the supercold pro-pellants to the Mobile LauncherPlatform, where they are fed from

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    Two large round vessels, onelocated near the pad perimeteron the east side and the otheron the west, are actually giantdewars, or vacuum bottles. Thisone contains the supercold liquidoxygen, the other the liquid hydro-gen which are burned as propellantsin the orbiter's main engines.

    the Tail Service Masts through theorbiter into the external tank.

    Hypergolic Propellants used bythe orbiter's Orbital ManeuveringEngines and Attitude ControlThrusters are also stored at the pad,in well-separated areas. The fuel,monomethylhydrazine, is main-tained i n a fac ili ty located on thesouthwest corner of the pad area.Nitrogen tetroxide, an oxidizer, isstored in a similar facil ity locatedon the southeast corner. These pro-pellants are fed by transfer lines tothe Fixed Service Structure andcontinue to the Rotating ServiceStructure's Hypergolic Umbi licalSystem, by which they are attachedto the orbiter.

    The Space Shuttle is poised for launch. The orbiter is connected to a tailservice mast on each side which provides propellant loading umbilicals andestablishes connections to ground support equipment.

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    Complex 39 is more than just a launch facility. A whole new era of transportation has come into being with theadvent of the Space Shuttle, which can transport a variety of payloads into orbi t.

    NASA- JSC 24

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    Space Station

    NAS A's launch vehicles, launch operations and facilities have been high ly effective instruments o f America's ambi-tious e ffo rt to e xplore and ut ilize the space environment. Over the years, these resources have been m odif ied andupgraded to meet the growing ma turit y and reach of the nation 's goals in space. As we move toward the21st Ce ntury, new requirements and demands will no d oub t result in fu rther refinements and the additio n of moresophisticated resources and ope rations.

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    Nat~onal eronautics andSpace A dm~nis t ra t~on