Factory-to-Launch Transport and Handling of Future Large Launch Vehicles

It is estimated that the space vehicle of tomorrow will stand approximately 445 feet high and weigh over 2-1/2 million pounds when empty. Therefore, the development of suitable techniques to handle and transport these massive space vehicles represents a major challenge to the industries concerned. Special equipment and transportation facilities will have to be utilized in order to deliver the spacecraft and its components from the factory to the launch site. Some of the more important considerations involved are discussed in this paper.