autoevolution
 

Massive, Tracked Crawler Transporter Moving In to Carry SLS to the Launch Pad

Look at it as you will, but the reality is the Artemis lunar exploration program, humanity’s second such endeavor, is off to a bumpy start. Sure, you could argue Apollo’s journey was even bumpier, but keep in mind we’re now 60 years or so past that moment, and expectations were things should go a lot smoother.
Crawler-transporter 2 moving in to grab the SLS 6 photos
Photo: NASA Exploration Ground Systems
NASA CrawlerNASA CrawlerNASA CrawlerNASA CrawlerNASA Crawler
The Artemis program got stuck a bit earlier this year, after NASA failed to properly and completely conduct a wet dress rehearsal test of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion capsule. That means filling the tanks with 700,000 gallons (close to 3.2 million liters) of fuel, perform a countdown to T minus 10 seconds, abort, and then drain the tanks.

It was exactly the operations concerning fuel that failed to properly conclude, on account of several hardware issues that are now allegedly fixed. NASA is ready to have another go at the test sometime this month, but no sooner than June 19.

To do that, it will have to move the SLS-Orion combo back on the launch pad, from where it was retired and sent back to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) not long ago. And to move it, it needs help from the crawler-transporter 2, which just minutes ago at the time of writing started moving into the VAB (check tweet below).

This amazing machine traces its roots back to the magical 1960s, when a family of them was created to help move Saturns and other rockets to the pad.

The size of a baseball infield, the crawler is in fact a platform supported by a a series of independent tracked vehicles, fitted at each corner. The entire structure is 131 feet long and 114 feet wide (40 meters long and 35 meters wide), and can carry the weight of about 20 fully loaded Boeing 777 airplanes.

30 or so people are needed to operate it, and the name chosen for it is not an accident. The crawler moves at a maximum speed of 2 mph (3.2 kph), but when it moved the SLS to the pad last time, it only reached 0.82 mph (1.32 kph) over a four-mile distance.

NASA plans to roll out the SLS on June 6, so stay tuned for another flood of incredible images coming from the operation.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Daniel Patrascu
Daniel Patrascu profile photo

Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories