Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: Shuttle Status for 01/26/90 (Forwarded)
Message-ID: <1990Jan30.190517.8621@utzoo.uucp>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
References: <41391@ames.arc.nasa.gov> <1287@ispi.UUCP> <1990Jan28.012831.19765@utzoo.uucp> <6534@celit.fps.com>
Date: Tue, 30 Jan 90 19:05:17 GMT

In article <6534@celit.fps.com> dave@fps.com (Dave Smith) writes:
>This brings a question to mind.  Did they build another VAB size building
>at Vandenburg, or were they depending on the usually dry weather down here
>and planning to assemble in the open?

I think the Vandenberg shuttle setup planned to use a scheme similar to
what they use for expendables:  assembly on the pad, rather than in a
separate building.  The VAB system really performs better only if launch
rate is seriously high.  KSC was designed around a possible ultimate
Saturn launch rate of 50+ per year, back when rockets were smaller and
dreams were larger.  It would never have been done that way if planners
had known how low the launch rate would be in the end.

On-pad assembly doesn't preclude weather protection, although major
operations like adding another piece to the stack would probably have
to be done only in favorable weather.
-- 
1972: Saturn V #15 flight-ready|     Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology
1990: birds nesting in engines | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu