Apparently, the VAB bays are really big, and the VAB is quite close to LC-39A. For rapid turnaround, it would be efficient to use the VAB instead of moving SS and SH to and from Roberts Road.
Can SpaceX lease a VAB bay? (this is a administrative and political question).
Is it cost-effective for storage and turnaround?
Is it cost-effective for manufacturing? It's a whole lot easier to move rings, nosecones, and engines form Roberts Road to the VAB than it is to move assembled SH and SS.
No, it wouldn't
yes and no to the rest.
Robert Road adds 4 miles. Even though it more than doubles the distance, it really doesn't change things.
On the flip side of your question, what will NASA do with the VAB if the SLS is eventually replaced with SS/SH?
On the flip side of your question, what will NASA do with the VAB if the SLS is eventually replaced with SS/SH?
Yep. That was one of two things I was pondering. The other thing is that SpaceX is not working on the Roberts Road Megabay.
It's a whole lot easier to move rings, nosecones, and engines form Roberts Road to the VAB than it is to move assembled SH and SS.
Building segments at Roberts Road and transporting them to the VAB for stacking means you need to shuttle back and forth for every component. Lots of wasted time for no benefit, and assembly then needs to schedule work around works on SLS (e.g. solid booster segment handling).
Transporting assembled vehicles from Roberts Road to the pad is not an issue. The tower segments that were already transported over the same route were ~300 tonnes each, more than either the Ship or Booster dry mass (and probably more the the dry mass of both combined).
It's a whole lot easier to move rings, nosecones, and engines form Roberts Road to the VAB than it is to move assembled SH and SS.
Building segments at Roberts Road and transporting them to the VAB for stacking means you need to shuttle back and forth for every component. Lots of wasted time for no benefit, and assembly then needs to schedule work around works on SLS (e.g. solid booster segment handling).
Transporting assembled vehicles from Roberts Road to the pad is not an issue. The tower segments that were already transported over the same route were ~300 tonnes each, more than either the Ship or Booster dry mass (and probably more the the dry mass of both combined).
It must be much cheaper NOT to install manufacturing at the VAB. Ideally a finished product will roll out of Roberts road. At the VAB, as leased space, major internal modifications and installations may also be slow, with consultations and approvals needed!
It is absolutely not simple to assemble sections in a new location. Obviously there is the high quality weld of the hull cylinder... but also all the pipework, cabling, and finally tiling. And quality control.
As we have seen at BC, trundling an SS or Heavy a couple of miles is an hour or so's job.
I speculate that: the VAB can be limited to storage, inspection and very minor repairs. And maybe some payload installation.
It's a whole lot easier to move rings, nosecones, and engines form Roberts Road to the VAB than it is to move assembled SH and SS.
Building segments at Roberts Road and transporting them to the VAB for stacking means you need to shuttle back and forth for every component. Lots of wasted time for no benefit, and assembly then needs to schedule work around works on SLS (e.g. solid booster segment handling).
Transporting assembled vehicles from Roberts Road to the pad is not an issue. The tower segments that were already transported over the same route were ~300 tonnes each, more than either the Ship or Booster dry mass (and probably more the the dry mass of both combined).
It must be much cheaper NOT to install manufacturing at the VAB. Ideally a finished product will roll out of Roberts road. At the VAB, as leased space, major internal modifications and installations may also be slow, with consultations and approvals needed!
It is absolutely not simple to assemble sections in a new location. Obviously there is the high quality weld of the hull cylinder... but also all the pipework, cabling, and finally tiling. And quality control.
As we have seen at BC, trundling an SS or Heavy a couple of miles is an hour or so's job.
I speculate that: the VAB can be limited to storage, inspection and very minor repairs. And maybe some payload installation.
Plus, do we really want large-scale welding operations going on in VAB HB2, while at the same time fully fueled SRB segments are coming in to HB4 and being stacked in HB3?!? (Guessing your scenario assumes SLS is still flying.)
It's a whole lot easier to move rings, nosecones, and engines form Roberts Road to the VAB than it is to move assembled SH and SS.
Building segments at Roberts Road and transporting them to the VAB for stacking means you need to shuttle back and forth for every component. Lots of wasted time for no benefit, and assembly then needs to schedule work around works on SLS (e.g. solid booster segment handling).
Transporting assembled vehicles from Roberts Road to the pad is not an issue. The tower segments that were already transported over the same route were ~300 tonnes each, more than either the Ship or Booster dry mass (and probably more the the dry mass of both combined).
It must be much cheaper NOT to install manufacturing at the VAB. Ideally a finished product will roll out of Roberts road. At the VAB, as leased space, major internal modifications and installations may also be slow, with consultations and approvals needed!
It is absolutely not simple to assemble sections in a new location. Obviously there is the high quality weld of the hull cylinder... but also all the pipework, cabling, and finally tiling. And quality control.
As we have seen at BC, trundling an SS or Heavy a couple of miles is an hour or so's job.
I speculate that: the VAB can be limited to storage, inspection and very minor repairs. And maybe some payload installation.
Plus, do we really want large-scale welding operations going on in VAB HB2, while at the same time fully fueled SRB segments are coming in to HB4 and being stacked in HB3?!? (Guessing your scenario assumes SLS is still flying.)
High Bay 2 is soon to begin modifications to host two SLS core stage final assembly/storage vertical cells.
If SpaceX is to ever lease a VAB High Bay, it would be High Bay-1, though that seems (at least from the outside) to be in limbo at the moment.
Welding operations with fueled SRB segments on the next bay over don't sound very likely.
Berger's heard from two people that SpaceX has won the lease for high bay 1. It would be used for Starship payload storage and integration.
Given SpaceX's tendency to flip direction on things, it's probably not finalised until actually announced.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2023/04/rocket-report-spacex-may-lease-high-bay-1-in-the-vab-china-to-fight-price-war/SpaceX may lease High Bay 1 in NASA's VAB. Last August, NASA issued an agency announcement asking for industry proposals to lease the Vehicle Assembly Building High Bay 1 at Kennedy Space Center. This is the same iconic building in Florida where NASA stacks its Space Launch System rocket. In November, NASA selected a proposal. However, agency spokeswoman Patti Bielling declined to name the winner, telling Ars that terms are still being negotiated, and "the process does not conclude until the parties execute the lease, at which time NASA will announce the selection."
Starship processing ... I bring this up because two people have told me that SpaceX won the competition to use the high bay for its Starship program. The sources said SpaceX does not plan to perform stacking operations inside the VAB, but rather will use the facility for storage and integration of payloads on Starship before flight. This might be an interim usage by SpaceX while the company develops a larger facility on Roberts Road near the Florida spaceport. It sounds like SpaceX will continue to build Starships in South Texas and ship them to Florida for the time being.
Berger's heard from two people that SpaceX has won the lease for high bay 1. It would be used for Starship payload storage and integration.
Given SpaceX's tendency to flip direction on things, it's probably not finalised until actually announced.
Given SpaceX's rapid CONOPS changes until (and occasionally after) actual flight, it's probably not finalised until a vehicle is rolled into the bay.