GetWiki

{{Short description|Spacecraft assembly building operated by NASA at the Kennedy Space Center}}{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}

factoids

| completion_date = 1966| owner = NASA526|ft}}716518|ft}}| floor_count = 18m2}}| main_contractor = Morrison-Knudsen| embedded =

factoids

| architect =www.urbahn.com| architecture = Industrial| built = 1966| added = January 21, 2000refnum=99001642|version=2010a}}| mpsub = John F. Kennedy Space Center MPS}}}}The Vehicle Assembly Building (originally the Vertical Assembly Building), or VAB, is a large building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida, designed to assemble large pre-manufactured space vehicle components, such as the massive Saturn V, the Space Shuttle and the Space Launch System, and stack them vertically onto one of three mobile launcher platforms used by NASA. As of March 2022, the first Space Launch System (SLS) rocket was assembled inside in preparation for the Artemis 1 mission,NEWS, Barker, Nathan, Gebhardt, Chris, March 17, 2022, NASA moon rocket SLS rolls out to “rebuilt” LC-39B ahead of Artemis 1 rehearsal,www.nasaspaceflight.com/2022/03/sls-rollout-wet-dress-rehearsal/, live,web.archive.org/web/20221116162759/https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2022/03/sls-rollout-wet-dress-rehearsal/, November 16, 2022, March 18, 2022, NASASpaceFlight.com, launched on November 16, 2022.At {{convert|129,428,000|ft3|abbr=on}}, it is the eighth-largest building in the world by volume as of 2022.WEB,science.ksc.nasa.gov/facilities/vab.html, Vehicle Assembly Building, September 23, 2007, NASA, 1999, NASA, NASA, December 29, 2017,web.archive.org/web/20171229063628/https://science.ksc.nasa.gov/facilities/vab.html, dead, The building is at Launch Complex 39 at KSC, {{convert|149|mi}} south of Jacksonville, {{convert|219|mi}} north of Miami, and {{convert|50|mi}} due east of Orlando, on Merritt Island on the Atlantic coast of Florida.The VAB is the largest single-story building in the world,PRESS RELEASE, August 5, 2007, Groundbreaking Digital Experience for Endeavour Shuttle Launch,news.microsoft.com/2007/08/05/groundbreaking-digital-experience-for-endeavour-shuttle-launch/, live,web.archive.org/web/20231129231315/https://news.microsoft.com/2007/08/05/groundbreaking-digital-experience-for-endeavour-shuttle-launch/, November 29, 2023, September 23, 2007, Microsoft, Redmond, Washington, was the tallest building ({{cvt|526|ft|disp=or}}) in Florida until 1974,WEB, Taylor, George Lansing, September 20, 1988, NASA Vehicle Assembly Building, Cape Canaveral, FL,digitalcommons.unf.edu/historical_architecture_main/2374/, live,web.archive.org/web/20230731091332/https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/historical_architecture_main/2374/, July 31, 2023, January 28, 2023, UNF Digital Commons, University of North Florida, and is the tallest building in the United States outside an urban area.MAGAZINE, Aguiar, Laura, January 10, 2020, The Many Stories of the VAB,www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/spmjanfeb2020.pdf, live,web.archive.org/web/20240219083441/https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/spmjanfeb2020.pdf, February 19, 2024, January 28, 2023, Spaceport Magazine, NASA, 7, 1,

History

The VAB, completed in 1966, was originally built for the vertical assembly of the Apollo–Saturn V space vehicle and was originally referred to as the Vertical Assembly Building. In anticipation of post-Apollo projects such as the Space Shuttle program, it was renamed the Vehicle Assembly Building on February 3, 1965.BOOK, Benson, Charles Dunlap, Faherty, William Barnaby,www.hq.nasa.gov/pao/History/SP-4204/ch12-7.html, Moonport: A History of Apollo Launch Facilities and Operations, NASA, 1978, VAB Nears Completion, SP-4204, The new name, it was felt, would more readily encompass future as well as current programs and would not be tied to the Saturn booster., September 25, 2014,web.archive.org/web/20231025104911/https://www.hq.nasa.gov/pao/History/SP-4204/ch12-7.html, October 25, 2023, live, WEB, 2010, America’s Spaceport,www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/438859main_amspaceport10.pdf, live,web.archive.org/web/20240219084111/https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/438859main_amspaceport10.pdf, February 19, 2024, February 22, 2013, NASA, 13, It was subsequently used to mate the Space Shuttle orbiters to their external fuel tanks and solid rocket boosters. Once the complete space vehicle was assembled on a mobile launcher platform, a crawler-transporter moved it to Launch Complex-39A or 39B.Before the destruction of {{OV|102}} in 2003, NASA installed a sub-roof inside the VAB to deal with falling concrete debris due to the building’s age.BOOK, Gehman, Harold W., Barry, John L., Deal, Duane W., Hallock, James N., Hess, Kenneth W., Hubbard, G. Scott, Logsdon, John M., Osheroff, Douglas D., Ride, Sally K., Tetrault, Roger E., Turcotte, Stephen A., Wallace, Steven B., Widnall, Sheila E.,ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20030066167/downloads/20030066167.pdf#page=114, Columbia Accident Investigation Board, Report Vol. 1, August 2003, 978-0-16-067904-9, 114, Harold W. Gehman Jr., James N. Hallock, G. Scott Hubbard, John Logsdon, Douglas Osheroff, Sally Ride, Stephen A. Turcotte, Sheila Widnall,web.archive.org/web/20230918072124/https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20030066167/downloads/20030066167.pdf#page=114, September 18, 2023, live, The VAB was designated as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 2020.NEWS, January 10, 2020, Vehicle Assembly Building at KSC Designated as National Civil Engineering Landmark,www.floridatoday.com/picture-gallery/news/2020/01/10/vab-named-national-historic-civil-engineering-landmark/4436911002/, live,web.archive.org/web/20200111164153/https://www.floridatoday.com/picture-gallery/news/2020/01/10/vab-named-national-historic-civil-engineering-landmark/4436911002/, January 11, 2020, August 20, 2022, Florida Today,

Construction

File:VABConstruction.jpg|thumbnail|left|upright=1.2|VAB during construction (1965) with the three Mobile Launchers for the Saturn VSaturn VIn 1963, NASA contracted Urbahn Architects to design and build the VAB. Construction began with driving the first steel foundation piles on Aug. 2, 1963. It was part of NASA’s massive effort to send astronauts to the Moon for the Apollo program. Altogether, 4,225 pilings were driven down 164 feet to bedrock with a foundation consisting of {{convert|30,000|yd3}} of concrete. Construction of the VAB required {{convert|98,590|ST|lb kg}} of steel.PRESS RELEASE, Granath, Bob, July 18, 2013, Vehicle Assembly Building Prepared for Another 50 Years of Service,www.nasa.gov/content/vehicle-assembly-building-prepared-for-another-50-years-of-service, dead,www.nasa.gov/content/vehicle-assembly-building-prepared-for-another-50-years-of-service/," title="web.archive.org/web/20160929213425www.nasa.gov/content/vehicle-assembly-building-prepared-for-another-50-years-of-service/,">web.archive.org/web/20160929213425www.nasa.gov/content/vehicle-assembly-building-prepared-for-another-50-years-of-service/, September 29, 2016, February 4, 2018, The building was completed in 1966.WEB, 2012, Vehicle Assembly Building,www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/718659main_vab.pdf, live,web.archive.org/web/20240203233553/https://www.nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/718659main_vab.pdf, February 3, 2024, NASA, FS-2012-06-121-KSC, The VAB is {{convert|526|ft|m|1|}} tall, {{convert|716|ft|m|1}} long and {{convert|518|ft|m|1}} wide. It covers {{convert|8|acre|m2}}, and encloses {{convert|129428000|cuft|m3}} of space.WEB, Marquardt, Sarah, August 14, 2017, An Exclusive Look Inside The Secretive Building Where NASA Makes Rockets,futurism.com/an-exclusive-look-inside-the-secretive-building-where-nasa-makes-rockets, live,web.archive.org/web/20230924214057/https://futurism.com/an-exclusive-look-inside-the-secretive-building-where-nasa-makes-rockets, September 24, 2023, January 28, 2023, futurism.com, Located on Florida’s Atlantic coast, the building was constructed to withstand hurricanes and tropical storms. Despite this, it has received damage from several hurricanes (see below).

Capabilities

File:Space Shuttle Discovery lowered toward external tank and solid rocket boosters (STS-124).jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|A crane lowers Discovery toward the ET and SRBs in high bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building for STS-124STS-124There are four entries to the bays located inside the building, which are the four largest doors in the world. Each door is {{convert|456|ft|m|1}} high, has seven vertical panels and four horizontal panels, and takes 45 minutes to completely open or close. The north entry that leads to the transfer aisle was widened by {{convert|40|ft|m|1}} to allow entry of the shuttle orbiter. A central slot at the north entry allowed for passage of the orbiter’s vertical stabilizer.To lift the components of the Space Shuttle, the VAB housed five overhead bridge cranes, including two capable of lifting 325 tons, and 136 other lifting devices.The building has air conditioning equipment, including 125 ventilators on the roof supported by four large air handlers (four cylindrical structures west of the building) rated at a total 10,000 tons of refrigeration (120,000,000 BTU/hr, 35 MW) to keep moisture under control. Air in the building can be completely replaced every hour. The large doors can allow fog to roll into the building and become trapped, leading to incorrect rumors that the building has its own weather and can form clouds.NEWS, Cardona, Carolina, July 3, 2019, Inside the VAB at Kennedy Space Center,www.clickorlando.com/moon-landing/2019/07/03/inside-the-vab-at-kennedy-space-center/, live,web.archive.org/web/20230127231633/https://www.clickorlando.com/moon-landing/2019/07/03/inside-the-vab-at-kennedy-space-center/, January 27, 2023, March 14, 2021, WKMG, Graham Media Group,

Exterior

File:VAB aerial 1977.jpg|thumbnail|upright=1.2|VAB in 1977, with the Bicentennial Star opposite the flag. The Bicentennial Star was painted over with the NASA insignia in 1998. Note the Space Shuttle Landing FacilitySpace Shuttle Landing FacilityThe American flag painted on the building was the largest in the world when added in 1976 as part of United States Bicentennial celebrations, along with the star logo of the anniversary, later replaced by the NASA insignia in 1998. It is {{convert|209|ft|m|1}} high and {{convert|110|ft|m|1}} wide. Each of the stars on the flag is {{convert|6|ft|m|2}} across, the blue field is the size of a regulation basketball court, and each of the stripes is {{convert|9|ft|m|2}} wide.MAGAZINE, Stuckey, Jeff, May 27, 2005, Vehicle Assembly Building’s American flag flies again,www3.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/pdf/116563main_may27color.pdf, live,web.archive.org/web/20240219081729/https://www3.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/pdf/116563main_may27color.pdf, February 19, 2024, Spaceport News, NASA, 44, 12, {{anchor|Hurricane}}Work began in early 2007 to restore the exterior paint on the immense facility. Special attention was paid to the enormous American flag and NASA “meatball” insignia. The work repaired visible damage from years of storms and weathering. The flag and logo had been previously repainted in 1998 for NASA’s 40th anniversary.WEB,www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/behindscenes/vab_flag.html, Restoring Old Glory and a Massive Meatball, July 11, 2007, NASA, 11 January 2007, Mansfield, Cheryl L., 4 March 2021,www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/behindscenes/vab_flag.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20210304110808www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/behindscenes/vab_flag.html,">web.archive.org/web/20210304110808www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/behindscenes/vab_flag.html, dead, (File:Vehicle_Assembly_Building_damage_from_Hurricane_Frances_night_view.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Repair work after Hurricane Frances)The most extensive exterior damage occurred during the storm season of 2004, when Hurricane Frances blew off 850 {{convert|14|x|6|ft|adj=on}} aluminum panels from the building, resulting in about {{convert|40000|sqft|m2|-2}} of new openings in the sides.NEWS, O’Brien, Miles, September 6, 2004, Frances tears panels from NASA shuttle hangar,edition.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/09/06/nasa.frances.cnn/index.html, live,web.archive.org/web/20221220190206/https://edition.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/09/06/nasa.frances.cnn/index.html, December 20, 2022, September 23, 2007, CNN, Twenty-five additional panels were blown off the east side by the winds from Hurricane Jeanne just three weeks later. Earlier in the season, Hurricane Charley caused significant but less serious damage, estimated to cost $700,000 to repair. Damage caused by these hurricanes was still visible in 2007. Some of these panels are “punch-outs”, designed to detach from the VAB when a large pressure differential is created on the outside vs. the inside. This allows for equalization, and helps protect the structural integrity of the building during rapid changes in pressure such as in tropical cyclones.The building has been used as a backdrop in several Hollywood movies including Marooned, SpaceCamp, Apollo 13, Contact, and others.

Future

File:Space Shuttle Discovery in NASA’s VAB.JPG|right|thumbnail|upright=1.2|Discovery in the Vehicle Assembly Building waiting for a ferry flight to Dulles, Virginia, for permanent display at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. ]]Originally, after the Space Shuttle was intended to be retired in 2010, the VAB would have been renovated for stacking of the Ares I and Ares V launch vehicles for the Constellation program, however the Constellation program was cancelled in 2010. The Space Shuttle itself was retired in 2011 after which NASA temporarily (as early as 2012) offered public tours of the VAB. These tours were temporarily discontinued in February 2014 to allow for renovations to take place.NEWS, Pearlman, Robert Z., January 22, 2014, Rocket Renovations Will End Public Tours of NASA’s Vehicle Assembly Building,www.space.com/24372-nasa-vehicle-assembly-building-tours-end.html, live,web.archive.org/web/20231208205121/https://www.space.com/24372-nasa-vehicle-assembly-building-tours-end.html, December 8, 2023, Space.com, The NASA FY2013 budget included US$143.7 million for Construction of Facilities (CoF) requirements in support of what is now known as the Artemis program and its vehicles, including the Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion spacecraft. NASA began modifying Launch Complex 39 at KSC to support the new SLS in 2014, beginning with major repairs, code upgrades and safety improvements to the Launch Control Center, Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) and the VAB Utility Annex. This initial work is required to support any launch vehicle operated from Launch Complex 39 and will allow NASA to begin modernizing the facilities, while vehicle-specific requirements are being developed.WEB,www.nasa.gov/pdf/632670main_NASA_FY13_Budget_CECR-508.pdf, NASA FY13 Budget, 2012-06-09, 2016-03-04,www.nasa.gov/pdf/632670main_NASA_FY13_Budget_CECR-508.pdf," title="web.archive.org/web/20160304051144www.nasa.gov/pdf/632670main_NASA_FY13_Budget_CECR-508.pdf,">web.archive.org/web/20160304051144www.nasa.gov/pdf/632670main_NASA_FY13_Budget_CECR-508.pdf, dead, The VAB could be used to some extent for assembly and processing of any future vehicles using Launch Complex 39, in addition to renovations for SLS capabilities. On June 16, 2015, NASA released an announcement for proposals (AFP) seeking interest in using the VAB High Bay 2 and other complex facilities for commercial use in “assembling, integration, and testing of launch vehicles”. This move is in line with the intent to migrate KSC towards acting as a spaceport accessible to both government and commercial ventures.PRESS RELEASE, Schierholz, Stephanie, Chevalier, Mary Ann, June 15, 2015, NASA Solicits Proposals for Use of Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building High Bay 2,www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-solicits-proposals-for-use-of-kennedy-space-centers-vehicle-assembly-building-high-bay-2/, live,web.archive.org/web/20240219090907/https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-solicits-proposals-for-use-of-kennedy-space-centers-vehicle-assembly-building-high-bay-2/, February 19, 2024, NASA, On April 21, 2016, NASA announced the selection of Orbital ATK (bought by Northrop Grumman as of 2019) to begin negotiations for High Bay 2. The “potential agreement” included an existing mobile launcher platform.PRESS RELEASE, Chevalier, Mary Ann, April 21, 2016, NASA Selects Orbital ATK to Begin Negotiations for Space in Iconic Vehicle Assembly Building,www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-selects-orbital-atk-to-begin-negotiations-for-space-in-iconic-vehicle-assembly-building/, live,web.archive.org/web/20240219091147/https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-selects-orbital-atk-to-begin-negotiations-for-space-in-iconic-vehicle-assembly-building/, February 19, 2024, June 29, 2016, NASA, NASA subsequently completed the agreement in August 2019 to lease High Bay 2 and Mobile Launcher Platform 3 to Northrop Grumman for use with their OmegA launch vehicle.NEWS, Pearlman, Robert Z., August 16, 2019, Apollo to OmegA: NASA signs over legacy launcher for new rocket,www.collectspace.com/news/news-081619a-northrop-grumman-omega-mlp-vab.html, live,www.collectspace.com/news/news-081619a-northrop-grumman-omega-mlp-vab.html," title="web.archive.org/web/20230923100542www.collectspace.com/news/news-081619a-northrop-grumman-omega-mlp-vab.html,">web.archive.org/web/20230923100542www.collectspace.com/news/news-081619a-northrop-grumman-omega-mlp-vab.html, September 23, 2023, November 20, 2021, collectspace.com, However, development of OmegA was subsequently cancelled in September 2020. Northrop Grumman had yet to make any modifications to High Bay 2, and were using it for the storage of OmegA hardware. This hardware was scheduled to be removed from the VAB and returned to Northrop Grumman by the end of September 2020.NEWS, Bergin, Chris, September 11, 2020, OmegA Launch Tower to be demolished as KSC 39B fails to become a multi-user pad,www.nasaspaceflight.com/2020/09/omega-mlp-ksc-39b-multi-user-pad/, live,web.archive.org/web/20230603075853/https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2020/09/omega-mlp-ksc-39b-multi-user-pad/, June 3, 2023, November 20, 2021, NASASpaceFlight.com,

Gallery

File:VAB_exterior_and_LCC.jpg|Aerial view of the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center in 2011File:2019VAB.jpg|The VAB in 2019File:Aerial View of Launch Complex 39.jpg|Overview of the VAB and LCC industrial areaFile:VAB transfer aisle.jpg|Endeavour on its way into the VAB during the launch preparations for STS-89. At the top of the doorway is the slot for the vertical stabilizer.File:VAB Exterior Photos (KSC-20220119-PH-CSH01 0011).jpg|The VAB as viewed from the nearby parking lot, 19 January 2022File:Artemis 1 First Rollout (KSC-20220317-PH-KLS03 0077).jpg|Space Launch System Artemis 1 rollout out of the VAB, 17 March 2022File:VAB Beside the Artemis 1 lauching off in OBZ II PTZ Cam.jpg|VAB Beside the SLS Block 1 Artemis 1 during the Launch, 16 November 2022

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

{{commons category|Vehicle Assembly Building}}

• {{structurae|id=20003280|title=Vehicle Assembly Building}}
• www.flheritage.com/services/sites/fht/record_t.cfm?ID=90&type=c&index=5" title="web.archive.org/web/20070930211849www.flheritage.com/services/sites/fht/record_t.cfm?ID=90&type=c&index=5">Vehicle Assembly Building, High Bay and Low Bay at Florida’s Office of Cultural and Historical Programs
• 3D model of the building for use in Google Earth {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061019231231www.googleearthhacks.com/dlfile5889/NASA-VAB,-Cape-Canaveral,-FL.htm |date=2006-10-19 }}

}}{{Kennedy Space Center}}{{NASA navbox}}{{NASA centers}}{{Apollo program}}{{Space Shuttle}}{{Artemis program}}