THE FINAL ASSEMBLY

How are spacecraft prepared and stored during their last hours before takeoff?

Mobile launcher The spacecraft is assembled onto the mobile launcher platform. This will support the vehicle while in the VAB, as well as during liftoff. Crawler-transporter Weighing around 3 million kilograms, this vehicle transports the spacecraft and mobile launcher to the launch pad. The maximum weight it can carry is about 8 million kilograms. Crawlerway This 40-metre-wide pathway is travelled by the spacecraft as it is transported nearly 4.5 miles from the assembly building to the launch pad. Transfer aisle The components needed to build a rocket or other spacecraft aren’t small. A spacious central aisle connects the bays and allows large equipment to be transported through the building. Each part is lifted onto the mobile launcher using large cranes.