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John F. Kennedy Space Center

Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) : Even in this aerial view at KSC, the Vehicle Assembly Building is imposing. In front of it is the Launch Control Center. In the background is the Rotation/Processing Facility, next to the Banana Creek. In the foreground is the Saturn Causeway that leads to Launch Pads 39A and 39B.
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Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) : Seen across the water of the Launch Complex 39 turn basin, a crawler-transporter, carrying Mobile Launcher Platform (MLP) number 3 with a set of twin solid rocket boosters bolted atop, crawls out of the 525-foot-tall Vehicle Assembly Building during the second engineering analysis vibration test on the crawler and MLP. The crawler is moving at various speeds up to 1 mph in an effort to achieve vibration data gathering goals as it leaves the VAB, travels toward Launch Pad 39A and then returns.
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Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) : Flatbed trucks carrying some of the debris of Space Shuttle Columbia approach the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). The debris is being transferred from the Columbia Debris Hangar to the VAB for permanent storage. More than 83,000 pieces of debris were shipped to KSC during search and recovery efforts in East Texas. That represents about 38 percent of the dry weight of Columbia, equaling almost 85,000 pounds.
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Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) : A flatbed truck carrying pieces of debris of Space Shuttle Columbia arrives outside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). The debris is being transferred from the Columbia Debris Hangar to the VAB for permanent storage. More than 83,000 pieces of debris were shipped to KSC during search and recovery efforts in East Texas. That represents about 38 percent of the dry weight of Columbia, equaling almost 85,000 pounds.
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Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) : Space Shuttle Columbia sits atop its Mobile Launcher Platform in the open doorway of the Vehicle Assembly Building. The Shuttle never left the VAB due to a steering problem on the crawler-transporter under the MLP. The problem was a faulty bearing in the steering linkage of Power Truck Drive D, which was detected before the C-T left the VAB.
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Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) : Viewed from outside the Vehicle Assembly Building, the stack of external tank and solid rocket boosters on Columbia can be seen sitting atop the Mobile Launcher Platform. The Shuttle never left the VAB due to a steering problem on the crawler-transporter under the MLP. The problem was a faulty bearing in the steering linkage of Power Truck Drive D, which was detected before the C-T left the VAB.
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Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) : Scattered clouds cast shadows as Space Shuttle Atlantis crawls back inside the Vehicle Assembly Building high bay 1. After earlier starting its trek to Launch Pad 39B, Atlantis was returned to the VAB due to lightning in the area. To the left of the VAB is the Launch Control Center. The four-story building houses the firing rooms that are used to conduct Space Shuttle launches. Leading away from the VAB, in the foreground, is the crawlerway, the 130-foot-wide road specially constructed to transport the Shuttle, mobile launcher platform and crawler-transporter with a combined weight of about 17 million pounds.
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Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) : An aerial view of the Launch Complex 39 area shows the Vehicle Assembly Building (center), with the Launch Control Center on its right. On the west side (lower end) are (left to right) the Orbiter Processing Facility, Process Control Center and Operations Support Building. Looking east (upper end) are Launch Pads 39A (right) and 39B (just above the VAB). The crawlerway stretches between the VAB and the launch pads toward the Atlantic Ocean, seen beyond them. At right is the turning basin where new external tanks are brought via ship.
media credits (ID:17247)

General Information

Status: in use

Project Type

Function / usage: Spaceport / Launch complex

Location

km Name
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Technical Information

There currently is no technical data available.

Chronology

29 July 1958

President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs Public Law 85-568 that establishes the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
19 August 1958

T. Keith Glennan was sworn in as the first administrator of NASA.
1 October 1958

The new agency begins operation with the mission to perform civilian research related to space flight and aeronautics.

Participants

Currently there is no information available about persons or companies having participated in this project.

Relevant Web Sites

  • About this
    data sheet
  • Structure-ID
    10000501
  • Published on:
    18/04/2004
  • Last updated on:
    31/03/2020
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