Post by swamprat on Nov 11, 2012 12:23:35 GMT -6
NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building Prepared for Multiple Rockets
The Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida is undergoing renovations to accommodate future launch vehicles. A project of Ground Systems Development and Operations, or GSDO, space shuttle-era work platforms have been removed from the VAB's High Bay 3 and accommodations are being made to support a variety of future spacecraft, including NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) heavy-lift rocket. The changes are part of a centerwide modernization and refurbishment initiative in preparation for the next generation of human spaceflight.
Plans now call for the VAB to be able to support multiple types of space vehicles, including the SLS, Orion spacecraft and commercial rockets. NASA is partnering with private industry on rockets and spacecraft to take astronauts to low-Earth orbit and the International Space Station. SLS will be an advanced heavy-lift launch vehicle providing a new capability for human exploration beyond Earth orbit.
The VAB is 526 feet tall, 716 feet long and 518 feet wide. It covers eight acres and encloses more than 129 million cubic feet of space. The building was constructed to withstand hurricanes and tropical storms with a foundation consisting of 30,000 cubic yards of concrete and 4,225 steel pilings driven 160 feet into bedrock.
Ivey's Construction Inc. of Merritt Island, Fla., began the task in early September. Working closely with NASA and other Kennedy contractors such as United Space Alliance and URS, as well as an on-call architectural and engineering firm BRPH, they helped ensure all systems in the VAB were disconnected from the platforms.
"There are several renovation projects going on in the VAB right now," Lopez said. "Tour guests from the Kennedy visitor complex were coming through, so we made sure to coordinate the work so it could be completed with safety being our number one priority."
The next major project will be to install a new fire suppression system.
“This will modernize the fire suppression water supply system and bring it up to modern codes,” he said.
Other major renovation includes code upgrades and safety improvements to the VAB. Some of the utilities and systems slated for replacement have been used since the VAB was completed in 1966. This initial work will be 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.
“Our plans for 2014 include awarding the constitution contract for the new access platforms, including related structures and systems required for the SLS,” Lopez said.
Some of the current work has included removal of over 150 miles of obsolete Apollo- and shuttle-era cabling. This will make room for installation of more efficient, state-of-the-art command, communication, control and power systems needed to perform testing and verification prior to the SLS and other rockets being rolled out to the launch pad.
Bob Granath
NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center
www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/ground/vab_platforms_removed.html
The Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida is undergoing renovations to accommodate future launch vehicles. A project of Ground Systems Development and Operations, or GSDO, space shuttle-era work platforms have been removed from the VAB's High Bay 3 and accommodations are being made to support a variety of future spacecraft, including NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) heavy-lift rocket. The changes are part of a centerwide modernization and refurbishment initiative in preparation for the next generation of human spaceflight.
Plans now call for the VAB to be able to support multiple types of space vehicles, including the SLS, Orion spacecraft and commercial rockets. NASA is partnering with private industry on rockets and spacecraft to take astronauts to low-Earth orbit and the International Space Station. SLS will be an advanced heavy-lift launch vehicle providing a new capability for human exploration beyond Earth orbit.
The VAB is 526 feet tall, 716 feet long and 518 feet wide. It covers eight acres and encloses more than 129 million cubic feet of space. The building was constructed to withstand hurricanes and tropical storms with a foundation consisting of 30,000 cubic yards of concrete and 4,225 steel pilings driven 160 feet into bedrock.
Ivey's Construction Inc. of Merritt Island, Fla., began the task in early September. Working closely with NASA and other Kennedy contractors such as United Space Alliance and URS, as well as an on-call architectural and engineering firm BRPH, they helped ensure all systems in the VAB were disconnected from the platforms.
"There are several renovation projects going on in the VAB right now," Lopez said. "Tour guests from the Kennedy visitor complex were coming through, so we made sure to coordinate the work so it could be completed with safety being our number one priority."
The next major project will be to install a new fire suppression system.
“This will modernize the fire suppression water supply system and bring it up to modern codes,” he said.
Other major renovation includes code upgrades and safety improvements to the VAB. Some of the utilities and systems slated for replacement have been used since the VAB was completed in 1966. This initial work will be 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.
“Our plans for 2014 include awarding the constitution contract for the new access platforms, including related structures and systems required for the SLS,” Lopez said.
Some of the current work has included removal of over 150 miles of obsolete Apollo- and shuttle-era cabling. This will make room for installation of more efficient, state-of-the-art command, communication, control and power systems needed to perform testing and verification prior to the SLS and other rockets being rolled out to the launch pad.
Bob Granath
NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center
www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/ground/vab_platforms_removed.html