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Why is this part of the Space Shuttle launch pad suspended so high off the ground?

21

1

$begingroup$

http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-107/images/high/KSC-02PD-1894.jpg
shows a large part of the launch pad suspended off the ground.

What is it for and why is there all that empty space underneath it?

space-shuttle launch-site identify-this-object

share|improve this question

edited Mar 26 at 18:16

Community♦

1

asked Mar 25 at 11:15

GnubieGnubie

435159

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  18
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  I'm not sure "floating in air" is quite right for something with enormous towers at each end holding it up. ;)
  $endgroup$
  – Graham
  Mar 25 at 22:01
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  3
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  @Graham - Yeah I was thinking "Which part are you referring to?"
  $endgroup$
  – Kyle Delaney
  Mar 25 at 22:49
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

21

1

$begingroup$

http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-107/images/high/KSC-02PD-1894.jpg
shows a large part of the launch pad suspended off the ground.

What is it for and why is there all that empty space underneath it?

space-shuttle launch-site identify-this-object

share|improve this question

edited Mar 26 at 18:16

Community♦

1

asked Mar 25 at 11:15

GnubieGnubie

435159

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  18
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  I'm not sure "floating in air" is quite right for something with enormous towers at each end holding it up. ;)
  $endgroup$
  – Graham
  Mar 25 at 22:01
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  3
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  @Graham - Yeah I was thinking "Which part are you referring to?"
  $endgroup$
  – Kyle Delaney
  Mar 25 at 22:49
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

$begingroup$

http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-107/images/high/KSC-02PD-1894.jpg
shows a large part of the launch pad suspended off the ground.

What is it for and why is there all that empty space underneath it?

space-shuttle launch-site identify-this-object

share|improve this question

edited Mar 26 at 18:16

Community♦

1

asked Mar 25 at 11:15

GnubieGnubie

435159

$endgroup$

share|improve this question

edited Mar 26 at 18:16

Community♦

1

asked Mar 25 at 11:15

GnubieGnubie

435159

share|improve this question

edited Mar 26 at 18:16

Community♦

1

asked Mar 25 at 11:15

GnubieGnubie

435159

edited Mar 26 at 18:16

Community♦

1

edited Mar 26 at 18:16

Community♦

1

asked Mar 25 at 11:15

GnubieGnubie

435159

asked Mar 25 at 11:15

GnubieGnubie

435159

1 Answer
1

active

oldest

votes

48

$begingroup$

That is the Rotating Service Structure.

It can be rotated to fit over the Shuttle while it is on the pad, giving access to the Shuttle cargo bay. The empty space allows the RSS to fit over the launch platform.

It's not floating, the leg on the left side of the photo is part of the RSS.
This is a detail of the leg:

You can see the cab and wheels used to move the RSS between its positions.

The rotating service structure provides protected access to the orbiter for installation and servicing of payloads at the pad, as well as servicing access to certain systems on the orbiter. The majority of payloads are installed in the vertical position at the pad, partly because of their design and partly because payload processing can thus take place further along in the launch processing schedule.

This photo shows the RSS in its rotated position:

share|improve this answer

answered Mar 25 at 11:30

HobbesHobbes

96.6k2272427

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  The last photograph still leaves me with the question of why the launch pad itself is off the ground. I would have expected a tremendous amount of downward force against it.
  $endgroup$
  – sondra.kinsey
  Mar 25 at 18:48
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  11
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  It had to be off the ground because it was carried by the crawler. The crawler set it down on a bunch of very sturdy pylons. The downward force went through holes in the launch pad.
  $endgroup$
  – Hobbes
  Mar 25 at 18:52
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  I always wondered why they needed a raised platform (the "mound") in the first place? A flame trench could have been dug into the ground. Then I remembered the water - millions of gallons that would have to be pumped out of the trench...
  $endgroup$
  – Mitch99
  Mar 25 at 20:48
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  14
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  @Mitch99, it's not just the water from the sound-suppression system. The entire state of Florida is basically a swamp, so any time you dig into the ground, you'll have to continuously pump water out.
  $endgroup$
  – Mark
  Mar 25 at 21:45
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  On top of that add rain season and you start getting real problems. Did the area acutally ever get flooded?
  $endgroup$
  – TomTom
  Mar 26 at 13:30
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

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48

$begingroup$

That is the Rotating Service Structure.

It can be rotated to fit over the Shuttle while it is on the pad, giving access to the Shuttle cargo bay. The empty space allows the RSS to fit over the launch platform.

It's not floating, the leg on the left side of the photo is part of the RSS.
This is a detail of the leg:

You can see the cab and wheels used to move the RSS between its positions.

The rotating service structure provides protected access to the orbiter for installation and servicing of payloads at the pad, as well as servicing access to certain systems on the orbiter. The majority of payloads are installed in the vertical position at the pad, partly because of their design and partly because payload processing can thus take place further along in the launch processing schedule.

This photo shows the RSS in its rotated position:

share|improve this answer

answered Mar 25 at 11:30

HobbesHobbes

96.6k2272427

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  The last photograph still leaves me with the question of why the launch pad itself is off the ground. I would have expected a tremendous amount of downward force against it.
  $endgroup$
  – sondra.kinsey
  Mar 25 at 18:48
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  11
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  It had to be off the ground because it was carried by the crawler. The crawler set it down on a bunch of very sturdy pylons. The downward force went through holes in the launch pad.
  $endgroup$
  – Hobbes
  Mar 25 at 18:52
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  I always wondered why they needed a raised platform (the "mound") in the first place? A flame trench could have been dug into the ground. Then I remembered the water - millions of gallons that would have to be pumped out of the trench...
  $endgroup$
  – Mitch99
  Mar 25 at 20:48
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  14
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  @Mitch99, it's not just the water from the sound-suppression system. The entire state of Florida is basically a swamp, so any time you dig into the ground, you'll have to continuously pump water out.
  $endgroup$
  – Mark
  Mar 25 at 21:45
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  On top of that add rain season and you start getting real problems. Did the area acutally ever get flooded?
  $endgroup$
  – TomTom
  Mar 26 at 13:30
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

48

$begingroup$

That is the Rotating Service Structure.

It can be rotated to fit over the Shuttle while it is on the pad, giving access to the Shuttle cargo bay. The empty space allows the RSS to fit over the launch platform.

It's not floating, the leg on the left side of the photo is part of the RSS.
This is a detail of the leg:

You can see the cab and wheels used to move the RSS between its positions.

The rotating service structure provides protected access to the orbiter for installation and servicing of payloads at the pad, as well as servicing access to certain systems on the orbiter. The majority of payloads are installed in the vertical position at the pad, partly because of their design and partly because payload processing can thus take place further along in the launch processing schedule.

This photo shows the RSS in its rotated position:

share|improve this answer

answered Mar 25 at 11:30

HobbesHobbes

96.6k2272427

$endgroup$

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  The last photograph still leaves me with the question of why the launch pad itself is off the ground. I would have expected a tremendous amount of downward force against it.
  $endgroup$
  – sondra.kinsey
  Mar 25 at 18:48
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  11
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  It had to be off the ground because it was carried by the crawler. The crawler set it down on a bunch of very sturdy pylons. The downward force went through holes in the launch pad.
  $endgroup$
  – Hobbes
  Mar 25 at 18:52
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  I always wondered why they needed a raised platform (the "mound") in the first place? A flame trench could have been dug into the ground. Then I remembered the water - millions of gallons that would have to be pumped out of the trench...
  $endgroup$
  – Mitch99
  Mar 25 at 20:48
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  14
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  @Mitch99, it's not just the water from the sound-suppression system. The entire state of Florida is basically a swamp, so any time you dig into the ground, you'll have to continuously pump water out.
  $endgroup$
  – Mark
  Mar 25 at 21:45
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  $begingroup$
  On top of that add rain season and you start getting real problems. Did the area acutally ever get flooded?
  $endgroup$
  – TomTom
  Mar 26 at 13:30
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

$begingroup$

That is the Rotating Service Structure.

It can be rotated to fit over the Shuttle while it is on the pad, giving access to the Shuttle cargo bay. The empty space allows the RSS to fit over the launch platform.

It's not floating, the leg on the left side of the photo is part of the RSS.
This is a detail of the leg:

You can see the cab and wheels used to move the RSS between its positions.

The rotating service structure provides protected access to the orbiter for installation and servicing of payloads at the pad, as well as servicing access to certain systems on the orbiter. The majority of payloads are installed in the vertical position at the pad, partly because of their design and partly because payload processing can thus take place further along in the launch processing schedule.

This photo shows the RSS in its rotated position:

share|improve this answer

answered Mar 25 at 11:30

HobbesHobbes

96.6k2272427

$endgroup$

share|improve this answer

answered Mar 25 at 11:30

HobbesHobbes

96.6k2272427

answered Mar 25 at 11:30

HobbesHobbes

96.6k2272427

answered Mar 25 at 11:30

HobbesHobbes

96.6k2272427