The Vehicle Assembly Building, located at Kennedy Space Center, is one of the world's largest buildings. Its footprint rests on eight acres, reaches up 525 feet and encloses 130 million cubic feet of space. Construction used 100,000 tons of steel and 65,000 cubic yards of concrete. The original design was built to assemble the Apollo/Saturn moon vehicles. During the late 1970s, new internal access platforms were installed for the Space Shuttle Program.
T     oday, the Solid Rocket Motor segments are assembled here. When booster buildup is complete, the External Tank (that holds liquid hydrogen fuel and oxygen) is attached. Finally, the Orbiter vehicle is moved into the VAB, lifted and then bolted to the External Tank. After testing the electrical and propellant line connections, the Space Shuttle Assembly is ready to roll to the launch pad.
     During the 2004 hurricane season, high winds caused damage to the building's metal sheeting. Panel repair and replacement continues. An inset photo shows workers and scaffolding near the top. Their job comes with an added bonus, a scenic birds-eye-view of the surrounding Merrit Island Wildlife refuge!