SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM
Solid Rocket Booster Processing
NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Solid Rocket Booster
Processing
Kennedy Space Center
SRB Mechanical Engineering
NE-M7
SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM
Solid Rocket Booster Processing
NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida
KSC – Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) Processing Areas
Shuttle
Processing
and Launch
Postflight
Hardware
Recovery
and
Evaluation
SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM
Solid Rocket Booster Processing
NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida
KSC – Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) Processing Areas
Pad
VAB
RPSF
SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM
Solid Rocket Booster Processing
NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida
KSC – Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) Processing Flow
Recovery
Disassembly and
Assessment

Design Centers

Element Refurbishment and Manufacturing

Logistics and Shipping
Delivery
RPSF
SHUTTLE
LANDING
Offload and
Inspect
SRB RETRIEVAL
SHIP
HANGAR AF
ORBITER PROCESSING
FACILITY
SRB STACKING
Field Joint Mate
Offload
Buildup
INTEGRATED
VEHICLE OPS/VAB
ET/SRB
OPERATIONS
ET
STANDALONE
LCC
HORIZONTAL
PAYLOAD INT
HYPERGOLIC
FACILITY
Aft Booster
Build
Leak Test
Field Joint
Protection
System
S&A
PAYLOAD FACILITIES
VERTICAL
PAYLOAD
INSTALLATION
Launch
Pad Ops
SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM
Solid Rocket Booster Processing
NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Forward Assembly and Aft Skirt arrive from SRB Element in the
Assembly Refurbishment Facility (ARF) at KSC.
Aft Skirt
Parachutes
ARF
Frustum
Nose Cone
Forward
Assembly
•Nose Cone
•Frustum
•Parachutes
•Forward Skirt
SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM
Solid Rocket Booster Processing
NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Segments arrive from ATK in Corrine, Utah in rail cars. The segments go to
the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility (RPSF) at KSC.
RPSF
SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM
Solid Rocket Booster Processing
NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida
At the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility (RPSF), the rail cover is
removed, propellant grain & metal surfaces inspected, the segments are
rotated to vertical, secured on a pallet and stored in the surge facilities.
Break-over of the
forward segment from
horizontal to vertical
SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM
Solid Rocket Booster Processing
NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida
At the RPSF, the aft booster is assembled and processed in the buildup stands. Other hardware processed in the RPSF includes:
- Stiffener Rings Assembly and Closeouts
- Thermal Curtains
- External Tank Assembly (ETA) ring and hardware
- Thermal Protection System (TPS) closeouts
- Systems tunnel and cables installation and closeouts
- Heater power cable installation
- Nozzle severance cable connection
Aft
Skirt
Mate
AEC Mate
AEC Breakover
Aft Segment
Breakover to
Vertical
Build-up to Aft
Booster
Configuration (see
following charts)
Aft Booster
Build-up Stand
SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM
Solid Rocket Booster Processing
NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida
The aft skirt is placed in the build-up stand and the booster segment is
mated. 177 pins are installed and secured with a steel pin retainer strap.
The joint is closed out with cork and RT-455 ablative compound.
Aft Skirt
Mate
Pin Retainer Steel Strap
Cork Band
Aft Booster
Build Stand
Aft Skirt Clevis
SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM
Solid Rocket Booster Processing
NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Aft exit cone is assembled to the forward exit cone at the
RPSF.
•
•
•
Forward Exit Cone
Primary
Phenolic mating surfaces are primed
Seal
with DC1200 primer prior to
assembly.
Secondary
Seal
Primary and secondary seals (Orings) are installed.
Phenolic
Exit cone is raised on an elevator
and floated on an air bearing for
mating.
•
The joint is bolted with 96 fasteners.
•
Leak test is performed at 83 and 30
psig with the mass flow meter prior
to joint RTV backfill. The joint gap is
backfilled (injected) with RTV
silicone sealant as part of thermal
barrier system.
RTV Thermal
Barrier
AEC Mate
Phenolic
Aft Exit Cone
Aft Skirt Not Shown
for Clarity
SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM
Solid Rocket Booster Processing
NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida
If needed, the aft booster will be put into surge for storage. The
SRM transporter transfers the aft booster from the RPSF to the
surge or the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) for the stacking
operations.
•
Surge buildings protect hardware from elements
(rain, wind, etc.)
– Not climate controlled
•
Segments have weather proof covers on top
RPSF
Surge
VAB
SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM
Solid Rocket Booster Processing
NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida
The segment is connected to the beam and the 325-ton crane in
the transfer isle of the VAB. Circularity measurements, tang preps,
metal parts inspections, abrade J-leg, and assemble/connect
curtain.
SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM
Solid Rocket Booster Processing
NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida
The aft booster segment is lifted from the transfer isle to the high bay of
the VAB to be connected to the Mobile Launch Platform (MLP). The
booster is bolted to the hold down post of the MLP with a frangible nut that
separates at launch.
SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM
Solid Rocket Booster Processing
NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida
At KSC, the center and forward segments are stacked. When two
segments are mated at KSC, this joint is called a field joint. The SRB
forward assembly mated. Then, all field joints are all closed out in the
VAB.
Forward
Segment
SRB
Forward
Assembly
Forward Field Joint
Forward Center
Segment
Center Field Joint
Aft Center
Segment
Aft Field Joint
Aft Booster
SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM
Solid Rocket Booster Processing
NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida
All the field joints are configured with a tang and clevis design with a
capture feature. The 3 O-rings and J-leg help prohibit a combustion
gas leak at the joints.
•
Tang
•
Field joint is a clevis and tang configuration with 177
pins
– Three alignment slots/pins ensure correct
segment clocking
Tang “capture feature” and insulation
“j-leg” added during redesign
Capture Feature
Field
Joint
Example
Clevis
– Tang capture feature
“captures” inner clevis
leg to limit seal surface
movement (joint
rotation) during motor
pressurization
– Insulation j-leg prohibits
combustion gas from
reaching seals
Inner Clevis Leg
Insulation J-leg
SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM
Solid Rocket Booster Processing
NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida
For a segment mate, the segment is lowered over the SRB stack. The field
joint assembly fixture (FJAF) acts as a “shoehorn” to align the tang/clevis
and prevent flat-on-flat metal conditions. Leak test of the joint and the vent
port plug are the final acceptance of a successful joint mate.
Field joint mate with 3 feet between the segments.
FJAF
O-rings
PSA
Application
Field joint mate with 1/8” between the segments.
Segment mates require a controlled
environment within the curtain room. Also,
the controlled area requires personnel to
wear flames, eyes-only hoods, gloves and
meet maximum static levels.
SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM
Solid Rocket Booster Processing
NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Each field joint is closed out with the field joint
protection system (FJPS). The FJPS provides thermal
protection, weather protection and retains joint pins.
Cork
Joint
Temperature
Sensor
Heater Retainer
Strap and Thermal
Barrier
Field joint after mate, before FJPS
Joint
Heater
RT-455
Ablative
Cork
Pin Retainer
Band
Field joint with FJPS
RT-455
Ablative
SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM
Solid Rocket Booster Processing
NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida
The forward assembly is mated to the forward segment and also
closed out with FJPS. Since no propellant is exposed in this mate,
a controlled environment is not needed.
Forward Skirt
Cork Band
Fwd Segment
Forward Skirt
JPS
Pin Retainer Strap
Forward Skirt
Joint
SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM
Solid Rocket Booster Processing
NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida
The systems tunnel, cables, heater power cables, and linear shaped charge
(LSC) are all assembled and closed out. In addition, TPS, cabling and
closeouts are completed in other areas of the boosters.
Forward
and Center
Field Joint
Tunnel
Closeout
Tunnel Cover
Systems
Tunnel
Closeout LH
side (fwd 3
segments)
RT-455
Heater
Power
Cables
Cork
SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM
Solid Rocket Booster Processing
NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida
After the boosters are assembled, the external tank (ET) is then brought
over from the ET check-out cell in the VAB for the ET/SRB mate.
SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM
Solid Rocket Booster Processing
NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Next, the orbiter is mated to the ET with the boosters
supporting the weight of the whole shuttle.
SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM
Solid Rocket Booster Processing
NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida
The crawler transports the MLP and the shuttle to the pad
where all processing is completed.
SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM
Solid Rocket Booster Processing
NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida
After launch, the boosters separate at around L+128 seconds. The boosters
continue to climb to around 42 miles high. Then, boosters tumble until the
drogue shoot deploys at 1600 feet, which orientates the boosters upright. The
main parachutes deploy at 6300 ft to slow down the boosters to impact the
ocean at about 60 mph. Before impacting the ocean, the aft exit nozzle
separates to prevent deformation on the reusable motor.
SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM
Solid Rocket Booster Processing
NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida
The Liberty Star and Freedom Star each retrieve a booster
in the ocean to tow it back to Hanger AF at KSC.
SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM
Solid Rocket Booster Processing
NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida
The boosters are received at Hanger AF and evaluated for
any off nominal conditions in the post-flight assessment.
SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM
Solid Rocket Booster Processing
NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Every aspect of the boosters is inspected and compared to past post-flight
data. The segments are disassembled and sent back to ATK and USA.