john f. kennedy space center brevard county, florida - Environmental ...

NAME(S): Missile Crawler Transporter Facilities; Crawler Transporters; Crawlers
FACILITY NO.: N/A
FLORIDA MASTER SITE FILE NO.: 8BR1688
LOCATION: KSC Launch Complex 39 Area
PROPERTY TYPE: Resources Associated with Transportation; Launch Operation Facilities
DATE(S): 1965
ARCHITECT/ENGINEER: Marion (Ohio) Power Shovel Company
USE (ORIGINAL/CURRENT): The Crawlers were originally designed and built during the
Apollo era to transport the Mobile Service Structure (MSS) and the combined Launch Umbilical
Tower (LUT) and launch vehicle to and from the launch pad. The Crawlers perform the same
function in support of the Space Shuttle Program by transporting the Shuttle vehicle and Mobile
Launcher Platform (MLP) from the VAB to the launch pad.
HISTORICAL DATA: The two Crawler Transporters (Crawlers) were manufactured at the
Marion Power Shovel Company plant in Marion, Ohio, and transported to KSC for final
assembly. Construction at KSC was directed by D.D. Buchanan, Associate Director for Design.
The Crawlers were in service by early 1967. At this time, they were believed to be the largest
tracked vehicles in the world. The vehicles were originally used during the Apollo Program to
transport the Mobile Service Structures (MSS) and the combined LUT/launch vehicle in
preparation for flight. Each Crawler had the capability of lifting, transporting, and lowering the
LUT or the MSS without the aid of auxiliary equipment. Each also supplied limited electrical
power to the LUT and the MSS during transit. Since the beginning of the Space Shuttle Program,
they have been used to move the fully assembled Space Shuttle vehicle, mounted on the mobile
launcher platform (MLP), from the VAB to the launch pad. Once the MLP is attached to the
launch pad pedestals, the Crawler is backed down the ramp and returned to its parking area.
The Crawlers have undergone few modifications in support of the Shuttle program.
Refurbishment consisted mostly of replacing outdated electrical items. This work was completed
by December 1978 for the first Crawler, and by the end of 1979 for the second. In 1985 a laser
docking system was added, allowing the Crawlers to dock within 0.50 to 0.25 inches of the fixed
“dead zero” position at the Launch Pad.
DESCRIPTION: Each Crawler measures approximately 137 feet (ft) in length, 114 ft in width,
and its height ranges from 20 to 26 ft, depending on whether the jacking cylinders are retracted or
expanded. Each is comprised of a rectangular steel chassis, faced with a combination of steel
plates and aluminum/Styrofoam panels, and four steel truck assemblies.
The chassis, on its own, measures about 137 ft in length (Sides 2 and 4), 90 ft in width (Sides 1
and 3), and 13 ft in height. It is composed of five major structures of trusses, box beams, and
steel plates. Each corner of the chassis has a 48-inch-diameter guide tube for mating with the
truck assemblies. The meeting of Sides 1 and 2 and Sides 3 and 4 each has an operator control
cab, Cab #1 and Cab #3, respectively. Surrounding the perimeter of the chassis is a 3-ft-wide
walkway, which raises and lowers to accommodate the truck assemblies. These changes in