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VAB Q&A
by
OV135
on 10 Oct, 2012 15:19
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How many cranes does the VAB have? Is there a diagram showing them and their position in the VAB?
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#1
by
Jim
on 10 Oct, 2012 15:53
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there are dozens
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#2
by
OV135
on 11 Oct, 2012 14:18
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#3
by
Jim
on 11 Oct, 2012 14:31
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#4
by
OV135
on 11 Oct, 2012 15:55
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I see. I always thought it was one crane per hi-bay as you only see one moving during a stacking up to lift the orbiter into the bay.
Thanks for the clarification.
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#5
by
DaveS
on 11 Oct, 2012 17:13
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I see. I always thought it was one crane per hi-bay as you only see one moving during a stacking up to lift the orbiter into the bay.
Thanks for the clarification.
Actually, there's two separate cranes serving each HB set(1/2, 3/4). The original 275 ton crane that was installed when the VAB was constructed in 60's and a new 325 ton crane that was installed in 1996.
Nowadays, they only use the 325 crane for vehicle stacking with the 275 ton crane serving as back up in case a fault renders the 325 ton crane unusable for stacking.
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#6
by
JayP
on 11 Oct, 2012 17:16
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I'm curious on the main cranes used for lifting the shuttle components for stacking.
In the new photos showing the Shuttle era enclosures for the hi-bay. It looks like each bay has a crane.
For example http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/kscpao/images/medium/2012-5674-m.jpg
Each East-West pair of bays (1-2 and 3-4) has 2 bridge cranes that can traverse the full width of the building from east to west. One has a max lift of 325 tons and the other has a max of 250 tons. That is what you are seing in this photo. The heavier cranes were added years after the VAB was originally built.
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#7
by
OV135
on 16 Oct, 2012 14:16
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I see.
Will these cranes still be in use for the future SLS or more up to date cranes be built? I know the Crawler is being redone to lift the heavier stack of SLS.
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#8
by
OV135
on 16 Oct, 2012 14:18
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As seen in the new KSC photos of the shuttle/Apollo era work platforms being taken out. What will become of these?
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#9
by
Jim
on 16 Oct, 2012 14:24
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As seen i nthe new KSC photos of the shuttle/Apollo era work platforms being taken out. What will become of these?
scrap
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#10
by
Rocket Science
on 16 Oct, 2012 14:33
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As seen i nthe new KSC photos of the shuttle/Apollo era work platforms being taken out. What will become of these?
scrap
Hey Jim,
Is that scrapyard outside the gates of KSC on Merritt IIRC still there? I forget the name of it. Years back they had some interesting rocket parts sitting there. I looked on google sat view but couldn’t locate it.
Thanks
Robert
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#11
by
Jim
on 16 Oct, 2012 16:58
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It is gone
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#12
by
Rocket Science
on 16 Oct, 2012 17:17
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It is gone
Mystery solved, I knew you would know. Thanks Jim!
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#13
by
AnalogMan
on 16 Oct, 2012 22:46
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I see.
Will these cranes still be in use for the future SLS or more up to date cranes be built? I know the Crawler is being redone to lift the heavier stack of SLS.
Since no-one else replied, here is a note on crane refurbishment:
Refurbishment on Grand Scale for Iconic VABMay 14, 2012
http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/ground/vabrefurbishment.html...
"The five primary overhead cranes in the VAB will see their antiquated control systems modernized, too. The cranes, anchored to the VAB's framework at the top of the structure, were used to lift the shuttles and rocket stages from the floor of the transfer aisle to their place on the launch platforms. They routinely hoisted the 100-ton shuttles more than 16 stories off the ground safely and lowered them onto the side of the external fuel tank for launch.
Two of the cranes can lift 325 tons, another two are rated for 250-ton loads and the fifth one is designed to hold 175 tons. They will be crucial again in the future to stack the SLS components into a launch configuration."...
A request for proposals (RFP) for refurbishment of the 175-ton transfer-aisle crane was issued September 18, with submitted proposals due by October 25. Around 12 companies showed enough interest to attended a site visit at the beginning of this month.
If you really want to see all the nitty-gritty details of the work required, here is the link to the Specification (59 pages, 290 kB):
http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/eps/eps_data/153416-OTHER-001-003.pdfHave not seen anything for the heavier bridge cranes yet.
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#14
by
psloss
on 17 Oct, 2012 16:30
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The platforms are being taken apart in the area outside the VAB. Looks similar to the way that the 39B service structures were taken apart.
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#15
by
JayP
on 18 Oct, 2012 15:22
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I see.
Will these cranes still be in use for the future SLS or more up to date cranes be built? I know the Crawler is being redone to lift the heavier stack of SLS.
There is no need to build new cranes. The SLS won't require any heavier lifts than they did durring the shuttle program. The 325 ton cranes were added as part of the ASRM program which would have increased the weight of the individual motor segments by about 33%. The crane program managed to survive the cancellation of the ASRM program.
The reason for the crawler upgrade is because the SLS rollout will have both a ML with a LUT AND a vehicle with filled SRBs so the total weight will be higher. Apollo and the Shuttle each had one of these but not both.
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#16
by
modemeagle
on 22 Oct, 2012 18:35
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I am looking for the dimensions of the VAB High and Low bays for autocad drawing of either 2D or 3D. Not having much luck even in the NTRS.
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#17
by
OV135
on 22 Oct, 2012 23:28
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#18
by
capcomespace
on 31 Oct, 2012 12:02
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They are one other crane at VAB. It was installed below the HB crane. Maybe 125 feet above the floor. It could only service HB-2.
According Zpoxy, It's been disassembled and temporarily stored in the OPF-3 car parking lot in 2000.
I don t know when it was put on the building after.
When this crane was build ?
What is this use ?
http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/detail.cfm?mediaid=62993
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#19
by
capcomespace
on 31 Oct, 2012 12:21
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Do you have any informations and facts on the VAB clean room ?
