Author Topic: Pad Changes Though the Years (LC-37, 41, 40  (Read 10349 times)

Offline Jim

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Pad Changes Though the Years (LC-37, 41, 40
« on: 06/21/2013 10:09 am »
I am going to start a few threads that Art LeBrun thought of doing.  He wanted to show how umbilical towers for certain pads changed through the years.  I don't have the resources that Art did so I thought of increasing the scope to show how pads evolved though out the years..
« Last Edit: 06/23/2013 12:53 pm by Jim »

Online Chris Bergin

Re: Pad Changes Though the Years
« Reply #1 on: 06/21/2013 10:10 am »
That sounds epic! Thanks Jim!
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Offline Jim

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Re: Pad Changes Though the Years
« Reply #2 on: 06/21/2013 10:11 am »
I start with CCAFS pad 37 aka LC-37 or SLC-37*
Here it is supporting Saturn I
* I will talk about naming conventions later
« Last Edit: 06/21/2013 10:12 am by Jim »

Offline Jim

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Re: Pad Changes Though the Years
« Reply #3 on: 06/21/2013 10:12 am »
« Last Edit: 06/21/2013 03:19 pm by Jim »

Offline Jim

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Re: Pad Changes Though the Years
« Reply #4 on: 06/21/2013 10:15 am »
the interim

Offline Jim

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Re: Pad Changes Though the Years
« Reply #5 on: 06/21/2013 10:15 am »
Delta IV
« Last Edit: 06/21/2013 10:18 am by Jim »

Offline Jim

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Re: Pad Changes Though the Years
« Reply #6 on: 06/21/2013 10:16 am »

Offline R7

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Re: Pad Changes Though the Years
« Reply #7 on: 06/21/2013 10:55 am »
Fantastic imagery. Did the mobile service structure shuttling between two Saturn pads/umbilical towers improve combined pad throughput much? Wondering if something like that should be considered for modern pads if launch rates do eventually go up a lot.
« Last Edit: 06/21/2013 10:56 am by R7 »
AD·ASTRA·ASTRORVM·GRATIA

Offline Jim

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Re: Pad Changes Though the Years
« Reply #8 on: 06/21/2013 11:37 am »
Fantastic imagery. Did the mobile service structure shuttling between two Saturn pads/umbilical towers improve combined pad throughput much? Wondering if something like that should be considered for modern pads if launch rates do eventually go up a lot.

The second pad was never used.  Actually sharing the MST would have limited flight rates.

Take Falcon and Atlas for example.  Their "MST's" are the hangar and the VIF.  The vehicle spends very little time on the pad.  One of the options for increasing Atlas flight rate is to build another VIF.

Offline Rocket Science

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Re: Pad Changes Though the Years
« Reply #9 on: 06/21/2013 12:13 pm »
Great thread Jim, I’m sure Art will be honored by it...
"The laws of physics are unforgiving"
~Rob: Physics instructor, Aviator

Offline zerm

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Re: Pad Changes Though the Years
« Reply #10 on: 06/21/2013 12:44 pm »
I've always thought that one of the best examples of a launch complex that is designed and well thought-out for a high flight rate was the Titan III ITL. Two complete pads, four-bay VIB- everything maxed out to get pretty much any flight rate the Air Force needed.

Offline Jim

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Re: Pad Changes Though the Years
« Reply #11 on: 06/21/2013 01:08 pm »
I've always thought that one of the best examples of a launch complex that is designed and well thought-out for a high flight rate was the Titan III ITL. Two complete pads, four-bay VIB- everything maxed out to get pretty much any flight rate the Air Force needed.

I was surprised it was never used for single core vehicles.

Offline edkyle99

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Re: Pad Changes Though the Years
« Reply #12 on: 06/21/2013 01:19 pm »
Notice that today's SLC 37B is not actually in the same location as the old LC 37B.  The new pad is just east of the old pad.  The old umbilical tower base and part of the old apron still exist.

 - Ed Kyle
« Last Edit: 06/21/2013 01:20 pm by edkyle99 »

Offline simonbp

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Re: Pad Changes Though the Years
« Reply #13 on: 06/21/2013 02:25 pm »
The second pad was never used.  Actually sharing the MST would have limited flight rates.

If you are doing single shots. I think the orginal idea (like LC-39) was that von Braun wanted to launch off salvos of Saturns for EOR and tanking. So, you'd have a complete launch vehicles on both pads and they would launch right after each other.

Obviously nothing like that was really attempted, with the closest being Gemini-Agena.
« Last Edit: 06/21/2013 02:25 pm by simonbp »

Offline R7

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Re: Pad Changes Though the Years
« Reply #14 on: 06/21/2013 02:46 pm »
Pondering a while how come in Jim's third post there appears to be images of vehicle on both pads (3.jpg vs 5.jpg/7.jpg). It looked like same pad is closer in every image but apparently 3.jpg is shot towards inland and is horizontally flipped? So the other Saturn pad was just a spare in case of CATO?
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Offline Jim

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Re: Pad Changes Though the Years
« Reply #15 on: 06/21/2013 03:15 pm »
Pondering a while how come in Jim's third post there appears to be images of vehicle on both pads (3.jpg vs 5.jpg/7.jpg). It looked like same pad is closer in every image but apparently 3.jpg is shot towards inland and is horizontally flipped? So the other Saturn pad was just a spare in case of CATO?

fixed it.  The additional pad was for higher launch rates but reasoning behind the one MST may have proved faulty.
« Last Edit: 06/21/2013 03:21 pm by Jim »

Offline kevin-rf

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Re: Pad Changes Though the Years
« Reply #16 on: 06/21/2013 03:33 pm »
Obviously nothing like that was really attempted, with the closest being Gemini-Agena.
If your willing to relax the time a bit, Skylab-2's launch was planned to closely follow the Skylab-1 launch.
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Offline Jim

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Re: Pad Changes Though the Years
« Reply #17 on: 06/22/2013 02:05 pm »
Continuing on, in no particular order
LC-41
« Last Edit: 06/22/2013 02:06 pm by Jim »

Offline Jim

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Re: Pad Changes Though the Years
« Reply #18 on: 06/22/2013 02:05 pm »
Titan IIIC
« Last Edit: 06/22/2013 02:14 pm by Jim »

Offline Jim

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Re: Pad Changes Though the Years
« Reply #19 on: 06/22/2013 02:13 pm »
Titan IIIE
« Last Edit: 06/22/2013 02:15 pm by Jim »

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