Launch Vehicle - Vehicle Assembly

Vehicle Assembly

Various methods are used to move an assembled launch vehicle onto its launch pad, each method with its own specialized equipment. These assembly activities take place as part of the overall launch campaign for the vehicle. In some launch systems, like the Delta II, the vehicle is assembled vertically on the pad, using a crane to hoist each stage into place. The Space Shuttle orbiter, including its external tank, and solid rocket boosters, are assembled vertically in NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building, and then a special crawler-transporter moves the entire stack to the launch pad while it is in an upright position. In contrast, the launch vehicles such as the Soyuz rocket and the Falcon 9 are assembled horizontally in a processing hangar, transported horizontally, and then brought upright once at the pad.