Figure 6-25 is a view of the L-UT and vehicle combination in place on a launch pad with the mobile arming tower in position adjacent to it. These are brought into position in two separate operations by the crawlertransporter shown being withdrawn from the area. The L-UT is composed of two basic and identifiable portions, the platform measuring 135 feet long, 160 feet wide, 25 feet thick and the tower approximately 395 feet over the platform deck. This platform structure mounts the launch pedestal which supports the vehicle prior to launch, the water deluge systems, and so forth, as well as houses all the computers and other electronic devices which are part of the checking out equipment and which

FIGURE 6-23.--Concept of Launch Complex 39.

ceiving it. It is then picked up by the overhead bridge crane serving a particular pair of opposing bays and transferred outboard and placed in position. This crane handles 250 tons and has a hook height of 456 feet. When the integrated checkout of the entire vehicle and spacecraft combination is completed, one of the crawler-transporters picks up the LauncherUmbilical Tower-vehicle combination and carries it to the launch pad.

The two-story building to the left of the turning basin (fig. 6-24) is the high-pressure gas storage facility used to store gases necessary in the vehicle checkout in the Vertical Assembly Building. The vehicle, launched straight and true from Pad B, can be seen in the background.

keep the vehicle under surveillance during transit to the pad. The tower carries the eight swing arms that provide all of the on-pad access, fueling, cryogenic loading, and electronic monitoring required on the pad. The hammerhead crane on top of the tower, used primarily for swing-arm installation, has a capacity of 25 tons with 10-ton capability over the vehicle. The L-UT is estimated to weigh 11.5 million pounds, the empty vehicle adding about 1⁄2 million pounds for a 12.0-million-pound load to be transported.

The arming tower primarily provides external access to the sides of the vehicle for the attachment of explosive ordnance, retrorockets, ullage rockets, and so forth, deemed too dangerous for attachment in the Vertical Assembly Building. It serves a secondary function of providing on-pad external access to the vehicle for servicing minor items which otherwise might require return to the Vertical Assembly Building. It has a base of 125 feet by 150 feet and stands 415 feet tall not including the 75-toncapacity stiff leg derrick. It is estimated to weigh about 7.0 million pounds.

In conclusion, a few words might be said about the manufacture and testing of large space carrier vehicles. While developing Saturn at the Marshall Space Flight Center, it became obvious that a large fabrication and assembly building would be required when the

vehicle went into production. Such a plant was located in September 1961; the Michoud Plant is shown in figure 6-26 and is approximately 15 miles east of New Orleans. This onestory building encloses more than 40 acres and has 1,869,020 square feet of usable floor space. During World War II, Michoud produced aircraft; and during the Korean War, it manufactured engines for tanks.

Within this huge industrial facility the Chrysler Corporation will manufacture the S-I first stage for the Saturn I and will produce 20 of them during the length of its contract. Also at Michoud, The Boeing Company will produce at least 15 S-IC stages, the first stage for the Saturn V.

Closely associated with the Michoud operations will be a huge new static test facility to be constructed at Logtown, Mississippi, only 35 miles from the Michoud plant. This site will encompass some 142,000 acres and as many as six static test stands such as the one shown in figure 6-27 will be constructed; these test stands will be capable of testing boosters with thrusts up to 20 million pounds.

This summary of the Nation's program to provide vehicles for the assault on the Moon indicates that progress is being made. The grand "countdown" is underway toward the goal of landing a U.S. astronaut on the Moon and bringing him back in this decade.

692-016 0-63- -6

FIGURE 6-27.-Static test stand.

DAVID H. STODDARD

To many concerned with the exploration of space it has been apparent for a long time that because of his enormous curiosity and his willingness to probe the unknown, man would probably not let the first reasonable opportunity to go into space go by unnoticed. This reasonable opportunity has been made available to us by way of the rockets developed as a result of the missile program. As is well known, it has been possible to contain and maintain man in a modest circular orbit for a relatively short period of time. Plans are laid to extend gradually the duration of these orbital flights to a maximum of 14 days in the near future. Such flights will serve to establish our readiness and proficiency for the landing of a team of American astronauts on the surface of the Moon in this decade.

To date, the flight experiences have produced no significant physiological abnormalities that can be attributed to the space environment. It has been established that man can perform safely and effectively as a participant in space flight missions. In Project Mercury missions it has become apparent that he can perform at least as efficiently as in the cockpit of an airplane for as long as 9 hours. In addition, the inclusion of man as an occupant of the spacecraft has provided many advantages as a result of his unique capabilities. Man adds considerably to system reliability and the likelihood of mission completion; he provides logic

and a decision-making capability. In flight he is able to diagnose trouble and make necessary adjustments. If necessary, he can act to cope with the unexpected.

It must be borne in mind, however, that all of these benefits are contingent upon our ability to provide man with a suitable environment during the flight. Even the most carefully selected astronaut crew can survive only if provided an Earth-equivalent environment.

It would appear that a satisfactory approach to the human factor in manned space flight might be found in a discussion of the biomedical activities making up our space medicine program which are made necessary by the introduction of man as a participant in the space flight mission.

These activities are divided into two broad general categories: (1) development, test, and evaluation of components and systems required to insure man's survival and safe effective performance in space flight, and (2) the operational medical support incident to the selection and maintenance of flight crews, their preparation for flight, surveillance during flight, and evaluation upon termination of the flight.

The first category of activity is the responsibility of the Crew Systems Division of the Manned Spacecraft Center. The Crew Systems Division is responsible for the development of systems for the control of spacecraft environment. It also provides personal equipment for

crew members, such as pressure suits and survival gear. It evolves means by which the astronauts are protected from radiation hazards. It determines the requirements for life support in all phases of the space mission and it provides physiological instrumentation and medical analysis of crew performance. Standards are set to provide guides for prime and associate contractors and subcontractors. Development programs are conducted in cooperation with Department of Defense laboratories, universities, medical facilities, government agencies, and scientific organizations.

Within the division, equipment which cannot be obtained elsewhere is designed and constructed. Whenever possible, existing facilities are brought to bear on design problems in order to provide timely data which meet the needs of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and to provide a source of information for other programs and organizations. Whenever possible, existing materials and equipment are adapted to keep pace with the accelerated space program while maintaining a minimum requirement for new concepts. A review of the development of the space suits which protect the astronauts and provide them with a suitable environment indicates how current equipment is adapted to meet new requirements.

When the Mercury space suit was developed, for example, work began with the Navy's Mark IV pressure suit as a basic unit. Performance requirements were established and a long list of modifications were made to insure sufficient mobility and comfort. Provision for instrumentation and other adaptations for the space flight program were added. Other suit designs are employed in the development program and suits presently in use are modified as solutions are achieved. Working with contractors and in its own laboratories, Crew Systems helps to originate new concepts and determines that the requirements of the program are met in the final design. Constant testing and examination are necessary to keep pace with the demands of new missions. A prototype of the suit which may be used in the Gemini flight is evaluated to make certain that the specific requirements of that mission will be satisfied. The final Gemini suit must be adapted for partial wear in order to

provide habitability during missions up to 14 days in length. Intensive effort attends the development of the pressure seals. They must be easy to assemble and absolutely reliable. An important part of space-suit development determines the dexterity which can be achieved within the Gemini spacecraft mockup. The space suit must permit the craft to be entered with reasonable ease. The extent of reach must be evaluated under both pressurized and unpressurized conditions. All of the motions necessary to turn on switches and handle other equipment must be checked. A thermal coverall may be required to permit operations outside a spacecraft during flight.

The design requirements for the pressure suit which will be used ultimately for the Apollo lunar flight are determined. The Apollo pressure suit will be complete with its own life support system to permit the astronauts to move about on the lunar surface for periods of up to 4 hours without any supply requirements on the spacecraft. Crew members must be able to remove the suit and put it on in a confined space. Considerable effort is spent in the analysis of landing forces in order to provide data on which to base the design of the equipment used to protect crew members from injury. The sinking speed of a spacecraft determines the magnitude of the vertical component of the impact force. The horizontal drift due to wind is another prime component of the impact force applied. In addition to these, other variables add complexity to the problem. Since the goal is to insure that crew members may experience impact without suffering physical injury, the interrelationship of all the landing forces must be carefully examined in order to develop impact-attenuation devices and other equipment to protect the crew members. The Manned Spacecraft Center conducts a comprehensive program to establish the tolerances and limitations which must be observed in providing impact protection. The Wright Field biomedical laboratory in cooperation with the Aeromedical Field Laboratory of the U.S. Air Force and the Navy Air Crew Equipment Laboratory has amassed the necessary data through an extensive NASA supported program of drop tests in which human subjects are employed. These