NASA Social - SpaceX CRS-2
Kennedy Space Center
Day One - 28 February 2013
Page Three of Eight
  
Here is the second of NASA's two Crawler-Transporters. Both are in the VAB undergoing refurbishments and upgrades.
Our guide points out the tremendous carrying capacity of one of the VAB cranes.
Above left, the VAB Up-Close tour from the Visitors Complex was checking out the building at the same time we were. Above right, an engineering model of the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle was stacked with its service module and abort escape tower for fit checks.
More views of Orion with its abort rocket motor reaching skyward. The abort rocket motor would pull Orion away from the SLS in case of an accident.
It is hoped that one day Orion and the Space Launch System will take people beyond Earth orbit and out into the Solar System to destinations like the Moon, Mars, and asteroids.
Having walked the entire transfer aisle we exited out the other side where we waited in the VAB's shadow for our bus to pick us up. Note the Mobile Launch Tower in the background undergoing construction to be used with NASA's next big rocket, the Space Launch System from which Orion will travel into space.
A panorama of our group waiting for the bus outside the VAB.


A lot of reminders still remain from the Space Shuttle Program, like this sign not to block the Orbiter tow way into the VAB.

At right, a view of the SLS Mobile Launch Tower.

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