Posts: 473
From: Maryland
Registered: May 2010

Posts: 52423
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 05-19-2024 02:31 PM               

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I asked about this when NASA first announced it was going with a clean pad configuration for Artemis.

From what I recall, NASA decided to forgo an Apollo-like mobile service structure for Artemis, opting instead to complete most of the work on the Space Launch System (SLS) in the Vehicle Assembly Building and rolling out to the pad within days, instead of weeks of the planned launch.

The Apollo mobile service structure provided some protection against weather, but its primary purpose was to enable access to the Saturn V while on the pad. The rocket still had to be rolled back in the case of hurricanes or other extreme weather threats.

Posts: 1906
From: Cape Canaveral, FL
Registered: Mar 2010

posted 05-23-2024 08:46 PM               

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quote:

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Originally posted by SpaceAngel:
...to protect the spacecraft as well as launch vehicle from inclement weather?

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The primary task of the MSS was to support Apollo spacecraft servicing and Saturn V vehicle access. Weather protection was secondary.

For the shuttle, the RSS was not designed for weather protection. But when the pad duration became longer than originally planned and the TPS vulnerability became known, weather protection was added to pad fixtures. I believe most was added after the Challenger stand down.