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If there's one animal at the Space Center that has played
much of a crucial role in the success of the Space Program, I believe it's this giant complex mechanical vehicle system called
the "Crawler-Transporter". . . a tracked vehicle used to transport the equally giant Saturn-V rockets
(and all else along with it) along the crawlerway towards Launch Complex 39. These machines, designed
by Cucyrus International and built by the Marion Power Shovel Co., are by no means cheap- they each cost some US$
14-million, and during their time, they were the largest in the world.
. . .and along the way, we also caught a glimpse of the huge
CRAWLER that had been employed in the transport of the Apollo-Saturn moon vehicle
from the VAB to the launching complex . . .
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The giant Apollo-Saturn5 moon vehicle (right) riding
on the 'crawler' on its way out for launch. . .
The crawler-transporter itself weighs about 2,700 (short)
tons- or some 5,400,000 lbs, and has 8 tracks- 2 at each corner. Now each track has 57 'shoes' with each shoe weighing
approximately 1,984 lbs.
The entire crawler-transporter vehicle measures 114-ft by
131-ft, and its ground level-to-platform height is adjustable from 20-ft to 26-ft, with each side being able to be raised
or lowered independently from each other.
The crawler uses a laser guidance system and a leveling system to keep the Mobile Launcher Platform level, with the tip of the external tank vertical within plus or minus 10 minutes of arc, while moving along the 5% upgrade to the launch site. A separate laser docking system provides pinpoint accuracy when the crawler-transporter
and Mobile Launch Platform are positioned in the VAB or at the launch pad. The crawler
has 16 traction motors, powered by four 1,341 horsepower (1,000 kW) generators, in turn driven by two 2,750 horsepower (2,050 kW) Alco diesel engines. Two 1,006 horsepower (750 kW) generators, driven by two 1,065 horsepower
(794 kW) engines, are used for jacking, steering, lighting, and ventilating. Two 201 horsepower (150 kW) generators
are also available to power the Mobile Launcher Platform. The crawler's tanks hold 5,000 US gallons (19,000 l/4,200 imp gal) of diesel fuel, and it burns 150 gal/mi (350 L/km).
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