a11_v_c_o_AKP (108-KSC-69C-3695)
“Launch Escape System for Apollo 11. PIB.”
THIS…this is what would’ve saved the lives of Armstrong, Aldrin & Collins in the event of a launch/ascent abort scenario! Is that too cool or WHAT?! Especially since, thank God, such was not necessary.
PIB = Pyrotechnic Installation Building
More specifically then, this photograph was taken in what I assume to be the parking lot of the PIB (building M7-1469). Further, through painstaking/pathetic & pointless research, I’ve concluded, based on the angular separation between the two buildings in the distance, for them to be Hypergolic Test Building 2 (left) & Hypergolic Test Building 1 (right) (respectively, buildings M7-1210 & M7-1212). Then again, I may be wrong. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Additionally, per Jim Behling, at the collectSPACE website. Interesting, informative & sad:
“…The southeast section of the KSC Industrial Area was formerly known as the Fluids Test Area.
Per Moonport Chapter 11, the Fluids Test Area consisted of: Hypergolic test building, Cryogenic test building, Environmental control systems building and Support building. The same reference also includes a Weight and balance building which might be near the O&C building (MSOB). Also, there are pictures (Figure 126) and other references to a pyrotechnic installation building.
I have a old Manned Spacecraft Center document (I will have to find it and post some scans) and it says the Hypergolic test building and Environmental control systems building have two bays. Using this info, I believe that M7-961 current Hypergol Module Processing, North is the Hypergolic test building and M7-1212 current Hypergol Module Processing, South is the Environmental control systems building. The document I have shows one building further south where M7-1412, Hypergol Module Storage, East is and since there used to be a H2 and O2 servicing pads near this facility, it would mean it was the Cryogenic test building.
The pyrotechnic installation building remains unknown to me and as well as the former name of Hypergol Module Storage, West. Also, weight and balance of items and spacecraft may have occurred in these same building so did the Weight and balance building exist and if so, what is it called today?
This is the area formerly known as the Fluids Test Area today.
Through further research, I have found that the Weight and Balance building became the Pyrotechnics Installation Building. This is where the final checkout of the Gemini spacecraft occurred before going to the pad. Before going to the Pyrotechnics Installation Building, the spacecraft and its fuel cells were checked out in the Cryogenic test building.
This is also where the Apollo LES was processed.
The Pyrotechnics Installation Building became the Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility-1 during the Titan IIIE era and eventually, the Vertical Processing Facility in the shuttle era.
Not to offend anybody, but with the heavy emphasis on site for anything Mercury, Gemini or Apollo, why wasn't there an uproar over the demolition of the Vertical Processing Facility (VPF) in 2010.
After all, Gemini spacecraft were processed there, and the Apollo 1 spacecraft was disassembled and laid out for the review board.”
The above thread from/at:
www.collectspace.com/ubb/Forum41/HTML/000481.html
And, as a segue from Mr. Behling’s last two lines:
“The Vertical Processing Facility (M7-1469) was originally built in 1964 as the Pyrotechnic Installation Facility. In the 1970s, it became the Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility No. 1, and was used for unmanned spacecraft operations. During the SSP, particularly between 1982 and 1986, the building played a key role in the processing and integration of vertical payloads. It also housed an Orbiter Simulator used for astronaut training. However, the simulator and all support equipment have been removed, and the facility, currently in mothball status, has suffered a loss of integrity. It no longer conveys its historical functions, and thus, is not considered NRHP-eligible. In addition to these buildings, six transport vehicles at KSC were surveyed and assessed as ineligible for listing in the NRHP. These include the CTV, the Astrovan, two Payload Canister Transporters, the Solid Rocket Motor (SRM) Transporter, and the Orbiter Transporter. Both the CTV and the Astrovan are used to transport astronauts. The CTV was purchased from Continental Airlines at Denver International Airport and modified in 1992. It is used to assist crew egress following landing, and moves the astronauts from
the SLF to the O&C Building for post-flight physical examinations. A similar vehicle is used by NASA Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards AFB. With the exception of interior modifications to support the astronauts and their equipment, the CTVs are identical to the vehicles, variously referred to as “mobile lounges” and “plane mates,” used at commercial airports today. Similarly, the Astrovan, used to transport the astronauts and their support team to the launch pad, is unremarkable in design and similar to a commercially-available Airstream trailer, with the exception of interior modifications. This Astrovan is not the original, which has been retired from service (Mark Smith 2006). Thus, it is not distinguished by its exceptionally significant historical associations with the SSP.”
The above being a depressing extract from the “NASA-WIDE SURVEY AND EVALUATION OF HISTORIC FACILITIES AND PROPERTIES IN THE CONTEXT OF THE U.S. SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM: JOHN F. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA”, at:
gandalfddi.z19.web.core.windows.net/Shuttle/NASA%20Kenned...
Finally, as is often the case, additional pertinent & wonderful content from the CAPCOM ESPACE website, specifically:
www.capcomespace.net/dossiers/espace_US/apollo/ksc/ZI/zon...
Along with:
www.scribd.com/document/61757830/Apollo-Saturn-V-Facility...
Credit: SCRIBD website
a11_v_c_o_AKP (108-KSC-69C-3695)
“Launch Escape System for Apollo 11. PIB.”
THIS…this is what would’ve saved the lives of Armstrong, Aldrin & Collins in the event of a launch/ascent abort scenario! Is that too cool or WHAT?! Especially since, thank God, such was not necessary.
PIB = Pyrotechnic Installation Building
More specifically then, this photograph was taken in what I assume to be the parking lot of the PIB (building M7-1469). Further, through painstaking/pathetic & pointless research, I’ve concluded, based on the angular separation between the two buildings in the distance, for them to be Hypergolic Test Building 2 (left) & Hypergolic Test Building 1 (right) (respectively, buildings M7-1210 & M7-1212). Then again, I may be wrong. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Additionally, per Jim Behling, at the collectSPACE website. Interesting, informative & sad:
“…The southeast section of the KSC Industrial Area was formerly known as the Fluids Test Area.
Per Moonport Chapter 11, the Fluids Test Area consisted of: Hypergolic test building, Cryogenic test building, Environmental control systems building and Support building. The same reference also includes a Weight and balance building which might be near the O&C building (MSOB). Also, there are pictures (Figure 126) and other references to a pyrotechnic installation building.
I have a old Manned Spacecraft Center document (I will have to find it and post some scans) and it says the Hypergolic test building and Environmental control systems building have two bays. Using this info, I believe that M7-961 current Hypergol Module Processing, North is the Hypergolic test building and M7-1212 current Hypergol Module Processing, South is the Environmental control systems building. The document I have shows one building further south where M7-1412, Hypergol Module Storage, East is and since there used to be a H2 and O2 servicing pads near this facility, it would mean it was the Cryogenic test building.
The pyrotechnic installation building remains unknown to me and as well as the former name of Hypergol Module Storage, West. Also, weight and balance of items and spacecraft may have occurred in these same building so did the Weight and balance building exist and if so, what is it called today?
This is the area formerly known as the Fluids Test Area today.
Through further research, I have found that the Weight and Balance building became the Pyrotechnics Installation Building. This is where the final checkout of the Gemini spacecraft occurred before going to the pad. Before going to the Pyrotechnics Installation Building, the spacecraft and its fuel cells were checked out in the Cryogenic test building.
This is also where the Apollo LES was processed.
The Pyrotechnics Installation Building became the Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility-1 during the Titan IIIE era and eventually, the Vertical Processing Facility in the shuttle era.
Not to offend anybody, but with the heavy emphasis on site for anything Mercury, Gemini or Apollo, why wasn't there an uproar over the demolition of the Vertical Processing Facility (VPF) in 2010.
After all, Gemini spacecraft were processed there, and the Apollo 1 spacecraft was disassembled and laid out for the review board.”
The above thread from/at:
www.collectspace.com/ubb/Forum41/HTML/000481.html
And, as a segue from Mr. Behling’s last two lines:
“The Vertical Processing Facility (M7-1469) was originally built in 1964 as the Pyrotechnic Installation Facility. In the 1970s, it became the Spacecraft Assembly and Encapsulation Facility No. 1, and was used for unmanned spacecraft operations. During the SSP, particularly between 1982 and 1986, the building played a key role in the processing and integration of vertical payloads. It also housed an Orbiter Simulator used for astronaut training. However, the simulator and all support equipment have been removed, and the facility, currently in mothball status, has suffered a loss of integrity. It no longer conveys its historical functions, and thus, is not considered NRHP-eligible. In addition to these buildings, six transport vehicles at KSC were surveyed and assessed as ineligible for listing in the NRHP. These include the CTV, the Astrovan, two Payload Canister Transporters, the Solid Rocket Motor (SRM) Transporter, and the Orbiter Transporter. Both the CTV and the Astrovan are used to transport astronauts. The CTV was purchased from Continental Airlines at Denver International Airport and modified in 1992. It is used to assist crew egress following landing, and moves the astronauts from
the SLF to the O&C Building for post-flight physical examinations. A similar vehicle is used by NASA Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards AFB. With the exception of interior modifications to support the astronauts and their equipment, the CTVs are identical to the vehicles, variously referred to as “mobile lounges” and “plane mates,” used at commercial airports today. Similarly, the Astrovan, used to transport the astronauts and their support team to the launch pad, is unremarkable in design and similar to a commercially-available Airstream trailer, with the exception of interior modifications. This Astrovan is not the original, which has been retired from service (Mark Smith 2006). Thus, it is not distinguished by its exceptionally significant historical associations with the SSP.”
The above being a depressing extract from the “NASA-WIDE SURVEY AND EVALUATION OF HISTORIC FACILITIES AND PROPERTIES IN THE CONTEXT OF THE U.S. SPACE SHUTTLE PROGRAM: JOHN F. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA”, at:
gandalfddi.z19.web.core.windows.net/Shuttle/NASA%20Kenned...
Finally, as is often the case, additional pertinent & wonderful content from the CAPCOM ESPACE website, specifically:
www.capcomespace.net/dossiers/espace_US/apollo/ksc/ZI/zon...
Along with:
www.scribd.com/document/61757830/Apollo-Saturn-V-Facility...
Credit: SCRIBD website