The Vehicle Assembly Building VAB construction in early

The Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) construction in early 1965 • The Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) undergoes construction in early 1965 at Kennedy Space Center, with the Launch Control Center (LCC) and Service Towers - See more at: http: //www. space. com/20287 -kennedyspace-center-nasaphotos. html#sthash. e. UPRm. Spc. dpuf

The Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center celebrates its 50 th anniversary this month. After serving through the Apollo and Space Shuttle Programs, the mammoth structure now is undergoing renovations to accommodate future launch vehicles and to continue as a major part of America's efforts to explore space for another 50 years. Construction began with driving the first steel pilings on Aug. 2, 1963. It was part of NASA's massive effort to send astronauts to the moon for the Apollo Program. Altogether, 4, 225 pilings were driven down 164 feet to bedrock with a foundation consisting of 30, 000 cubic yards of concrete. Construction of the VAB required 98, 590 tons of steel. When completed in 1965, the VAB was one of the largest buildings in the world with 129, 428, 000 cubic feet of interior volume. The structure covers eight acres, is 525 feet tall and 518 feet wide. To accommodate moving, processing and stacking rocket stages, 71 cranes and hoists, including two 250 -ton bridge cranes were installed. On the east and west sides are four high bay doors, each designed to open 456 feet in height allowing rollout of the Apollo/Saturn V moon rockets mounted atop launch umbilical towers. This photo from November 9, 1970, shows a ground level view at Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center, with the Apollo 14 (Spacecraft 110/Lunar Module 8/Saturn 509) space vehicle leaving the Vehicle Assembly Building. The Saturn V stack and its mobile launch tower, atop a huge crawler-transporter, were rolled out to Pad A. http: //www. nasa. gov/content/vehicle-assembly-building-at-kennedy-space-center

Apollo 12 on Transporter On September 8, 1969, a transporter carried the 363 -foot-high Apollo 12 Saturn V space vehicle from the Vehicle Assembly Building's High Bay 3 at the start of the 3. 5 mile rollout to Launch Complex 39 A. The transporter carried the 12. 8 million pound load along the crawler way at speeds of less than one mile per hour. Image Credit: NASA

Kennedy Space Center: America's Spaceport • Over 50 years ago, NASA began building launch pads and towers on Florida's east coast. By 1960, NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center adopted as an extension this "Missile Firing Laboratory. " On July 1, 1962, NASA officially activated the Launch Operations Center at the seaside spaceport. The following year, the center underwent a name change to honor the president who put America on the path to the moon. NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center has served as the launch site for every American manned mission and hundreds of advanced scientific spacecraft. Today, following the retirement of the space shuttle fleet, facilities at the space center remain open to visitors. In addition, newer attractions continue to be added, including the forthcoming unveiling of Shuttle Atlantis, the "Shuttle Experience" simulator, and the Angry Birds Space Encounter exhibit. See pictures of this historic site in this gallery. In this photo, a T-38 plane banks over Launch Pad 39 A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida as - See more at: http: //www. space. com/20287 -kennedy-space-center-nasaphotos. html#sthash. e. UPRm. Spc. dpuf

Mercury-Atlas 9 ready to blast off on May 15, 1963 • This aerial view of Launch Complex 14 (LC-14) at Cape Canaveral, adjacent to Kennedy Space Center, was taken in 1963. Mercury-Atlas 9 stands ready to blast off on May 15, 1963 - See more at: http: //www. space. com/20287 -kennedyspace-center-nasaphotos. html#sthash. e. UPRm. Spc. dpuf

Launch Control Center at Kennedy Space Center in February 1965 • In the shadow of the massive Vehicle Assembly Building (under construction at right) the Launch Control Center nears completion at Kennedy Space Center in February 1965. - See more at: http: //www. space. com/20287 -kennedyspace-center-nasaphotos. html#sthash. e. UPRm. Spc. dpuf

Saturn V 500 F rocket roll out of the (VAB) on May 25, 1966 • The Saturn V 500 F rocket rolls out of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) on May 25, 1966 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla - See more at: http: //www. space. com/20287 -kennedyspace-center-nasaphotos. html#sthash. e. UPRm. Spc. dpuf

Gemini 5 spacecraft Launch, August 21, 1965 NASA launched the Gemini 5 spacecraft, August 21, 1965 at 0900 EST on a planned eight-day mission from Launch Complex 19, Cape Canaveral Air Force Base, - See more at: http: //www. space. com/20287 kennedy-space-center-nasa-photos. html#sthash. e. UPRm. Spc. dpuf

President Kennedy at Cape Canaveral with NASA Officials • Dr. Wernher von Braun (center) describes the Saturn Launch System to President John F. Kennedy (right, pointing). NASA Deputy Administrator Robert Seamans stands to the left of von Braun. Cape Canaveral is the location of both Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Kennedy Space Center. - See more at: http: //www. space. com/20287 -kennedy-spacecenter-nasaphotos. html#sthash. e. UPRm. Spc. dpuf

Saturn V rocket (Apollo 4 mission) dawn of November 8, 1967 • The giant Saturn V rocket for the Apollo 4 mission at the Kennedy Space Center's launch complex 39 A stands at the dawn of November 8, 1967, during the pre-launch alert. Rockets of this type launched astronauts to the moon during the Apollo Program. - See more at: http: //www. space. com/20287 -kennedy-spacecenter-nasaphotos. html#sthash. e. UPRm. Spc. dpuf

First Giant Saturn 5 Launch on Nov. 9, 1967 • The Apollo 4 (Spacecraft 017/Saturn 501) space mission was launched from Pad A, Launch Complex 39, Kennedy Space Center, Fla. , on Nov. 9, 1967. The first launch from Kennedy of the giant Saturn 5 rocket paved the way for flights of Apollo astronauts to the moon. - See more at: http: //www. space. com/20287 -kennedyspace-center-nasaphotos. html#sthash. e. UPRm. Spc. dpuf

Apollo 11 Launch July 16, 1969 • The Apollo 11 mission launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida on July 16, 1969, bearing the first humans to walk on the moon. - See more at: http: //www. space. com/20287 -kennedyspace-center-nasaphotos. html#sthash. e. UPRm. Spc. dpuf

Columbia Prepares for the First Launch on April 12, 1981 • The space shuttle Columbia is pictured on the launch pad prior to the launch of the STS-1 mission – the maiden flight of NASA's space shuttle program. Columbia is showered in lights on the pad, in preparation for a Flight Readiness Firing of its main engines. Columbia lifted off from Launch Pad 39 A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on April 12, 1981 - See more at: http: //www. space. com/20287 -kennedy-spacecenter-nasaphotos. html#sthash. e. UPRm. Spc. dpuf

The First Space Shuttle Launch STS-1, launched on April 12, 1981 • The first space shuttle mission, STS-1, launched on April 12, 1981, from Kennedy Space Center, with astronauts John Young and Robert Crippen on board space shuttle Columbia. - See more at: http: //www. space. com/20287 -kennedyspace-center-nasaphotos. html#sthash. e. UPRm. Spc. dpuf

VAB and Space Shuttle Atlantis move to the KSC Visitor Center • At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Atlantis is towed from the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) before being put on display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. - See more at: http: //www. space. com/20287 -kennedyspace-center-nasaphotos. html#sthash. B 2 mck. Npr. dpuf