The Construction of Space Shuttle Launch Complex 39-B
A very personal and technical written and photographic history, by James MacLaren.
Page 3: Introductory Background Page 3 of 5 - First Look, Basic Elements.
This will be our first photograph of the series. Taken on the sly, from just outside
the Sheffield Steel field trailer in which I "worked."
This photograph has been altered to correspond with what you see in the sketch I first introduced on the preceeding page, so that you may better understand what's in the sketch, by the fading-out of all structural elements which had been raised by a crane and either welded or bolted into place by Union Ironworkers from Local 808, working for
Wilhoit Steel Erectors, between the time the sketch had been created and the photograph was taken.
I would guess that a period of a few weeks, maybe a full month but probably not, went by between the creation of the sketch and the taking of this first photograph.
The erection of primary-framing structural steel is a surprisingly-
fast process, so we're already learning how this stuff works. In the time it takes for you or I to build a moderately-detailed scale model of something, union ironworkers have already finished
their first hundred vertical feet and are well on their way with the
second. There will be
much more to come. Much more to
learn.
Above the low concrete hulk of the pad itself, from left to right, you are seeing:
The
water tower which fed
Sound
Suppression
Water into the pad, and the dark tangle of the
9099 Building (which includes much more than the "9099 Building" itself, but this whole deeply-complicated area was invariably referred to as the 9099 Building, so that's what we're going to call the whole area too, unless further cosiderations dictate that we specify any of the other systems and/or equipment in this area by thier own specific names) on top of the pad, below and in front of the water tower.
The tall red multi-platformed structure of the
FSS, with the
Hammerhead Crane on top of it, and the
Lightning Mast on top of that.
The bewildering snarl of steel comprising the nascent
RSS resting on and supported by the falsework which held it up until it became self-supporting and the falsework could then be removed.
Falsework is a whole world unto itself, well-worthy of further consideration, and will be given that consideration in due time.
But not right now.
We're still trying simply
to find our way around this place, and I'm not going to hit you with too much, too soon, ok?