SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM

Solid Rocket Booster Processing

NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida

Solid Rocket Booster

Processing
Kennedy Space Center
SRB Mechanical Engineering
NE-M7

SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM

Solid Rocket Booster Processing

NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida

KSC Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) Processing Areas

Shuttle
Processing
and Launch

Postflight
Hardware
Recovery
and
Evaluation

SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM

Solid Rocket Booster Processing

NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida

KSC Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) Processing Areas

VAB

RPSF

Pad

SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM

Solid Rocket Booster Processing

NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida

KSC Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) Processing Flow

Recovery
Disassembly and
Assessment

Design Centers

Element Refurbishment and Manufacturing

Logistics and Shipping

Delivery

RPSF

SHUTTLE
LANDING

Offload and
Inspect

SRB RETRIEVAL
SHIP

HANGAR AF

ORBITER PROCESSING
FACILITY

SRB STACKING

Field Joint Mate

Offload
Buildup

INTEGRATED
VEHICLE OPS/VAB

ET/SRB
OPERATIONS
ET
STANDALONE

LCC
HORIZONTAL
PAYLOAD INT

HYPERGOLIC
FACILITY

Aft Booster
Build

Leak Test
Field Joint
Protection
System
S&A

PAYLOAD FACILITIES
VERTICAL
PAYLOAD
INSTALLATION

Launch
Pad Ops

SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM

Solid Rocket Booster Processing

NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida

Forward Assembly and Aft Skirt arrive from SRB Element in the
Assembly Refurbishment Facility (ARF) at KSC.

Aft Skirt

Parachutes

ARF
Frustum

Nose Cone

Forward
Assembly
Nose Cone
Frustum
Parachutes
Forward Skirt

SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM

Solid Rocket Booster Processing

NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida

Segments arrive from ATK in Corrine, Utah in rail cars. The segments go to
the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility (RPSF) at KSC.

RPSF

SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM

Solid Rocket Booster Processing

NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida

At the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility (RPSF), the rail cover is
removed, propellant grain & metal surfaces inspected, the segments are
rotated to vertical, secured on a pallet and stored in the surge facilities.

Break-over of the
forward segment from
horizontal to vertical

SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM

Solid Rocket Booster Processing

NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida

At the RPSF, the aft booster is assembled and processed in the build-up
stands. Other hardware processed in the RPSF includes:
- Stiffener Rings Assembly and Closeouts
- Thermal Curtains
- External Tank Assembly (ETA) ring and hardware
- Thermal Protection System (TPS) closeouts
- Systems tunnel and cables installation and closeouts
- Heater power cable installation
- Nozzle severance cable connection
Aft
Skirt
Mate

AEC Mate

AEC Breakover

Aft Segment
Breakover to
Vertical
Build-up to Aft
Booster
Configuration (see
following charts)
Aft Booster
Build-up Stand

SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM

Solid Rocket Booster Processing

NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida

The aft skirt is placed in the build-up stand and the booster segment is
mated. 177 pins are installed and secured with a steel pin retainer strap.
The joint is closed out with cork and RT-455 ablative compound.
Aft Skirt
Mate
Pin Retainer Steel Strap
Cork Band

Aft Booster
Build Stand
Aft Skirt Clevis

SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM

Solid Rocket Booster Processing

NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida

Aft exit cone is assembled to the forward exit cone at the

RPSF.

Phenolic mating surfaces are primed

with DC1200 primer prior to assembly.

Primary and secondary seals (O-rings)

are installed.

Exit cone is raised on an elevator and

floated on an air bearing for mating.

The joint is bolted with 96 fasteners.

Leak test is performed at 83 and 30

psig with the mass flow meter prior to
joint RTV backfill. The joint gap is
backfilled (injected) with RTV silicone
sealant as part of thermal barrier
system.

Forward Exit Cone

Primary
Seal

Secondary
Seal

Phenolic

RTV Thermal
Barrier
AEC Mate

Phenolic

Aft Exit Cone

Aft Skirt Not Shown

for Clarity

SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM

Solid Rocket Booster Processing

NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida

If needed, the aft booster will be put into surge for storage. The
SRM transporter transfers the aft booster from the RPSF to the
surge or the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) for the stacking
operations.

Surge buildings protect hardware from elements

(rain, wind, etc.)
Not climate controlled

Segments have weather proof covers on top

RPSF

Surge

VAB

SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM

Solid Rocket Booster Processing

NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida

The segment is connected to the beam and the 325-ton crane in

the transfer isle of the VAB. Circularity measurements, tang preps,
metal parts inspections, abrade J-leg, and assemble/connect
curtain.

SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM

Solid Rocket Booster Processing

NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida

The aft booster segment is lifted from the transfer isle to the high bay of the
VAB to be connected to the Mobile Launch Platform (MLP). The booster is
bolted to the hold down post of the MLP with a frangible nut that separates
at launch.

SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM

Solid Rocket Booster Processing

NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida

At KSC, the center and forward segments are stacked. When two
segments are mated at KSC, this joint is called a field joint. The SRB
forward assembly mated. Then, all field joints are all closed out in the VAB.

Forward
Segment

SRB
Forward
Assembly

Forward Field Joint

Forward Center
Segment
Center Field Joint
Aft Center
Segment
Aft Field Joint
Aft Booster

SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM

Solid Rocket Booster Processing

NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida

All the field joints are configured with a tang and clevis design with a
capture feature. The 3 O-rings and J-leg help prohibit a combustion gas
leak at the joints.

Tang

Field joint is a clevis and tang configuration with 177

pins
Three alignment slots/pins ensure correct
segment clocking
Tang capture feature and insulation
j-leg added during redesign

Capture Feature

Field
Joint
Example

Clevis

Tang capture feature

captures inner clevis
leg to limit seal surface
movement (joint
rotation) during motor
pressurization
Insulation j-leg prohibits
combustion gas from
reaching seals
Inner Clevis Leg
Insulation J-leg

SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM

Solid Rocket Booster Processing

NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida

For a segment mate, the segment is lowered over the SRB stack. The field
joint assembly fixture (FJAF) acts as a shoehorn to align the tang/clevis
and prevent flat-on-flat metal conditions. Leak test of the joint and the vent
port plug are the final acceptance of a successful joint mate.
Field joint mate with 3 feet between the
segments.

FJAF

O-rings

PSA
Application

Field joint mate with 1/8 between the segments.

Segment mates require a controlled

environment within the curtain room. Also,
the controlled area requires personnel to
wear flames, eyes-only hoods, gloves and
meet maximum static levels.

SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM

Solid Rocket Booster Processing

NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida

Each field joint is closed out with the field joint

protection system (FJPS). The FJPS provides thermal
protection, weather protection and retains joint pins.
Cork
Joint
Temperature
Sensor
Heater Retainer
Strap and Thermal
Barrier

Field joint after mate, before FJPS

Joint
Heater
RT-455
Ablative
Cork

Pin Retainer
Band

Field joint with FJPS

RT-455
Ablative

SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM

Solid Rocket Booster Processing

NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida

The forward assembly is mated to the forward segment and also

closed out with FJPS. Since no propellant is exposed in this mate,
a controlled environment is not needed.

Forward Skirt
Cork Band

Fwd Segment

Forward Skirt
JPS
Pin Retainer Strap
Forward Skirt
Joint

SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM

Solid Rocket Booster Processing

NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida

The systems tunnel, cables, heater power cables, and linear shaped charge
(LSC) are all assembled and closed out. In addition, TPS, cabling and
closeouts are completed in other areas of the boosters.

Forward
and Center
Field Joint
Tunnel
Closeout

Tunnel Cover
Systems
Tunnel
Closeout LH
side (fwd 3
segments)

RT-455

Heater
Power
Cables

Cork

SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM

Solid Rocket Booster Processing

NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida

After the boosters are assembled, the external tank (ET) is then brought
over from the ET check-out cell in the VAB for the ET/SRB mate.

SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM

Solid Rocket Booster Processing

NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida

Next, the orbiter is mated to the ET with the boosters

supporting the weight of the whole shuttle.

SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM

Solid Rocket Booster Processing

NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida

The crawler transports the MLP and the shuttle to the pad
where all processing is completed.

SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM

Solid Rocket Booster Processing

NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida

After launch, the boosters separate at around L+128 seconds. The boosters
continue to climb to around 42 miles high. Then, boosters tumble until the
drogue shoot deploys at 1600 feet, which orientates the boosters upright. The
main parachutes deploy at 6300 ft to slow down the boosters to impact the
ocean at about 60 mph. Before impacting the ocean, the aft exit nozzle
separates to prevent deformation on the reusable motor.

SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM

Solid Rocket Booster Processing

NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida

The Liberty Star and Freedom Star each retrieve a booster

in the ocean to tow it back to Hanger AF at KSC.

SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM

Solid Rocket Booster Processing

NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida

The boosters are received at Hanger AF and evaluated for

any off nominal conditions in the post-flight assessment.

SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM

Solid Rocket Booster Processing

NASA Kennedy Space Center, Florida

Every aspect of the boosters is inspected and compared to past post-flight

data. The segments are disassembled and sent back to ATK and USA.