Transporting missiles from assembly building to launch site
Transporting missiles from assembly building to launch site
(OP)
While visiting the NASA complex in Cape Canaveral, the pathway used to transport missiles and space shuttle is over a gravel road obviously with a very firm base. While looking at some of the Russian launches in the NASA visitor complex, I noticed that railroad tracks are used to transport their missiles. What is the main reason for not using railroad track in Cape Canaveral? I suspect that I may have the answer but I would like to hear the opinions from other people.





RE: Transporting missiles from assembly building to launch site
That or perhaps the crawler manufacture was in the district of an influential senator/congressman or some such.
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RE: Transporting missiles from assembly building to launch site
Moreover, the transporter was designed to handle things like the Saturn V, which is 33 ft wide, which is way more than a conventional railroad car width.
TTFN

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RE: Transporting missiles from assembly building to launch site
The crawler is a little more flexible WRT to changing destinations without a whole lot of rail work, but I think the primary technical advantage of the crawler is that it exerts a _lot_ less ground pressure than railroad ties do on the ground, so the ground deflects less, so there's less danger of tipping a rocket stack and thereby losing it.
Plus, yeah, by the time NASA gets through specifying a square bridge, making it carry its own rail and ties, in the form of crawler tracks, probably is not much more expensive than using 'fixed' rails, and concentrates all the cost up front, instead of having to pay for rail maintenance and changes out of future operating budgets.
Plus, yeah, some senator brought a big lump of money home....
Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA
RE: Transporting missiles from assembly building to launch site
There's a 5% grade on part of the route, a not insuperable challenge for Thomas, but Gordon would struggle.
They cost 14 million each, bit of a bargain I reckon given their longevity.
If the wiki is correct perhaps it all comes down to sparks.
Cheers
Greg Locock
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RE: Transporting missiles from assembly building to launch site
RE: Transporting missiles from assembly building to launch site
RE: Transporting missiles from assembly building to launch site
It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to be always right by having no ideas at all.
RE: Transporting missiles from assembly building to launch site
TTFN

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