Titan Integrate-Transfer-Launch (ITL) Facility
Now known as SLC-40 and SLC-41, these complexes were built as part of an Integrate-Transfer-Launch (ITL) facility and are located at the north end of CCAS. The primary facilities in the ITL area include the Vertical Integration Build (VIB) (where the core vehicles and payloads are assembled); the Solid Motor Assembly Building (SMAB) (where the solid motors are built up from their individual segments); the Solid Motor Assembly and Readiness Facility (SMARF) (where the core vehicles and the solids are mated); and the pad's themselves. When these facilities were initially constructed in the early 60's, they supported the TITAN IIIC vehicle. Since that time, and with required upgrades, they supported the TITAN 34D and TITAN IV.
The Integrate-Transfer-Launch, originated during Project Phoenix, provides for off-pad assembly and test. Inherent in the system are flexibility, provisions for rapid launch of many types of space craft, long range dollar savings, and sophisticated control of launch and pre-launch activities.
The Cape's TITAN IIIC construction program began in earnest on 24 November 1962 after a $4.6 million contract was awarded to the Atlantic Gulf and Pacific Company to prepare sites for launch complexes 40 and 41. Though the timetable for completion of the pads remained "soft" for several months, both complexes had to be connected to other facilities in the TITAN IIIC Integrate-Transfer-Launch (ITL) system via railroad lines across a shallow area in the Banana River.
Since much of the land selected for other ITL facilities was also covered by shallow water, most of the area had to be built up, and dredging operations were underway by February 1963 to move 6.5 million cubic yards of landfill from the Banana River to the ITL sites. The contract for the TITAN IIIC launch complexes was awarded to C. H. Leavell and Peter Kiewit & Sons on 13 June 1963, and it was completed in 1965 for approximately $17 million. A $479,500 contract for the TITAN IIIC railroad (i.e. an extension of the NASA railroad network) was awarded to B. B. McCormick, Inc. on 30 July 1963, and it was completed in 1964. Most of the other ITL facilities were grouped under a $26.8 million contract awarded to the firm of Paul Hardeman and Morrison-Knudsen on 30 July 1963. That contract was completed on 16 April 1965.
The process used to "scrub" or remove nitrogen tetroxide vapor (an extremely toxic and dangerous substance) during Titan IV rocket refueling operations produces over 200,000 pounds of caustic sodium hydroxide waste annually. The amount of waste generated per year has been increasing steadily, as are the compliance costs associated with sampling, handling and disposing of this hazardous waste stream.
The scrubbing process was modified with a new control unit that uses potassium hydroxide and hydrogen peroxide instead of the more caustic sodium hydroxide. The "waste" fluid generated from the new process is a potassium-based product, usable as liquid fertilizer-thereby eliminating the waste stream. In addition to providing a more efficient use of the fluid, the new process also is safer for the worker.
Centaur Processing Facility
Construction of the Centaur Processing Facility at Cape Canaveral Air Station, Fla., was managed by the Mobile District team from Mobile, Ala. to Cape Canaveral AS, Fla. The project provided the US Air Force, a multi-story rocket assembly and instrumentation testout building for the Centaur booster. The Centaur is an upper stage (booster) rocket that can lift heavier payloads in to higher orbits for the U.S. Air Force. It can be launched on either the Titan or Atlas primary rockets to put satellites in space.
Two contracts were used to construct the facility. The first phase contract was called the Centaur Cryogenic Tanking Facility and the second phase contract was called the Centaur Processing Building. Both projects together make up the Centaur Processing Facility. The construction contract for the Centaur Cryogenic Tanking Facility was awarded to David Boland, Inc., on Dec. 8, 1992 and was completed on Nov. 15, 1995. The contract amount was $16.2 million. The scope of work was to construct approximately 970,000 square feet of developed area consisting of roads, parking areas, drainage facilities, fluid storage areas, utilities, surface improvements and below grade improvements.
The construction contract for the Centaur Processing Building was awarded to David Boland, Inc., on Dec. 13, 1994 and was substantially completed in September 1997. The contract amount is $34.4 million. The scope of work was construction of a 116,400 square foot, multi-level rocket assembly facility. The building features include a large multi-level class 100,000 clean room, a 20-ton clean room compatible bridge crane, movable clean room compatible rocket assembly platforms, and large vertical lift doors. A clean room is one where the air is filtered to such a degree as to remove all particles down to a specified size to ensure proper performance and safeguarding of sensitive equipment.
Together, the two projects make up the Centaur Processing Facility that support the U.S. Air Force missions in space. The design for both projects was done by Reynolds, Smith and Hills, of Merritt Island, Fla.
They are rocket assembly facilities. They are for the assembling, fueling and instrumentation testout of the Centaur rocket. It also includes the storage of the Centaur rocket. The Centaur is the rocket that puts the satellite into a higher orbit.
The projects fall under the construction management of the Florida Area Office, and initially the Cape Canaveral AS Resident Office. The Centaur Resident Office was established in November 1996 with a mission to motivate the contractor to regain his schedule, complete the building with an acceptable level of quality, with no lost-time accidents, and within funds available.
The Centaur Processing Facility has presented many challenges to the Army Corps of Engineers. There were a lot of design modifications throughout construction. The launch vehicle really determines the criteria for the facility. The launch vehicle drives design changes and it has changed a lot over the years, averaging one design modification a month through design and construction. Despite the many challenges involved and the stringent requirements of the Air Force program, Mobile District employees' can experience a great sense of accomplishment every time a satellite is launched in knowing that they helped the Air Force complete its mission in space.
The CPF, which had been built at a cost of more than $50,000,000, was designed and built to handle a projected increase in CENTAUR upper stage operations. The facility consisted of three buildings: 1) The CENTAUR Cryogenic Tanking Facility (CCTF), 2) the Operations Support Building (OSB) and the CENTAUR Processing Building (CPB).
The facility was completed in 1996, just about the time Air Force Space Command informed the Secretary of the Air Force (SAF/AQSL) that there was no longer any requirement for processing, tanking or storing CENTAURs at the CPF. Due to budget cuts and a change in programming philosophy, the NRO's demand for large military reconnaissance satellites was curtailed significantly. Emphasis shifted to smaller, less expensive spacecraft that (in most instances) would not require TITAN IV class boosters and their associated systems. The CPF was a casualty of this change in direction.
Funding for the CPF's aerospace ground equipment was returned (saving about $50,000,000), and the 45th Space Wing (as AFSPC's agent) began maintaining the CCTF in October 1996 and the CPB in October 1997. The 45th Space Wing was paying at least $1,300,000 per year for facilities it could not use.
Boeing requested the use of excess Air Force property at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station for its EELV operations. Boeing requested the use of hangars C and F for launch vehicle processing, a license to use Complex 37 for launch operations, use of the blockhouse on Complex 37, the Motor Inert Storage (MIS) facility, and the Centaur Processing Facility (CPF). On 23 January 1998, SMC approved Boeing's request for the Centaur Processing Building and the Centaur Cryogenic Tanking Facility.
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