Rotation Processing Surge Facility (RPSF)
May 6th, 2005
RPSF receives new and reloaded SRB segments shipped by rail from Utah and integrates them with aft skirts received from the Assembly and Refurbishment Facility (ARF)
The main facility is used for solid rocket motor receiving, rotation and inspection
Solid Rocket Motor railcar shipping container
Solid Rocket Motor exit cone on a rolling platform
Aft booster buildup workstand with an SRB
Top of a SRB aft segment
With the 2 month flight delay of STS-114, these two SRBs may be shipped back to Utah
Jon poses with them just in case they are used
Closeup of an SRB o-ring which joins the segments
Testing the crane today on the large water tank
Components are lifted off railroad cars by the crane
Down a level where sections are integrated
Stiffners are added to give strength for splashdown
Segments are kept at Utah humidity levels
David is impressed with the amount of bolts
The stiffners require a lot of bolts!
Thrust Vector Control Hydraulic Servicing Panels
Space voyeurs look up the SRBs aft skirt!
The business end of a solid rocket motor
Thrust vector control system within the aft skirt
The Thrust Vector Control System gimbals the Solid Rocket Motor nozzle extension during flight
Nearby Surge Buildings store SRB flight segments until they are moved to the VAB for integration
The third Mobile Launcher Platform sits at the parking location north of the VAB
Nearby empty MLP parking location as the other two MLPs are at the Pad and in the VAB