Vertical Assembly

When all major components of the first stage are assembled in NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility, they are routed to the Vertical Assembly Building to be assembled.

Manipulated by an overhead crane, the components are placed in final assembly position in the single­story building rising the equivalent of 18 stories.

First the thrust structure is placed on four heavy pylons 20 feet above floor level. Meanwhile, two of the segments—the fuel and LOX tanks which are brought to the Vertical Assembly Building in seg­ments—are being completed on two tank assembly bays. Then, in building-block fashion, the thrust structure is joined by the fuel tank, intertank, LOX tank, and forward skirt. When the forward skirt is secured, the first stage stands 138 feet high.

Vertical assembly completed, the 180-ton-capacity overhead crane lifts the booster by a forward han­dling ring attached to the forward skirt and re­turns it to horizontal position on its 435,000-pound transporter.

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Vertical Assembly—Booster sections are mated in the Vertical Assembly Building. At top left the thrust structure is shown. Fuel tank, intertank assembly, LOX tank, and forward skirt are added in successive pictures.

SATURN V NEWS REFERENCE

As assembly jobs approach completion, installation of internal systems and engines is made in prepara­tion for systems test and checkout.

Engines—One of the first stage’s F-l engines is mounted. To­gether the five will consume 4,492,000 pounds of propellants in 2.5 minutes.