Aservice structure is a permanentsteelframework ortower erected on arocketlaunch pad that allows assembly, servicing, and crew onboarding of thelaunch vehicle prior toliftoff.
InNASAlaunches at theKennedy Space Center,astronauts enter the vehicle through a type of service structure called an "umbilical tower". Immediately before ignition of the rocket'sengines, all connections between the tower and the craft are severed, and the connectingbridges swing away to prevent damage to structure and vehicle. Anelevator in the tower also allows maintenance crew to service the vehicle.[citation needed]
During the NASASpace Shuttle program, the structures at theLaunch Complex 39 pads contained a two-piece access tower system, the Fixed Service Structure (FSS) and the Rotating Service Structure (RSS). The FSS permitted access to the Shuttle via a retractable arm and a "beanie cap" to capture ventedliquid oxygen (LOX) from theexternal fuel tank. The RSS contained thePayload Changeout Room, which offered "clean" access to theorbiter's payload bay, protection from the elements, and protection in winds up to 60 knots (110 km/h).[citation needed]
The FSS on Pad 39A was repurposed the top of the umbilical tower ofMobile Launcher 2, while the FSS on 39B re-used the umbilical tower of Mobile Launcher 3. Mobile Launcher 3 would later become Mobile Launcher Platform 1 for the Shuttle.[citation needed]
In 2011 NASA removed both the FSS and RSS from LC-39B to make way for anew generation of launch vehicles. In 2017-2018SpaceX removed the RSS fromLC-39A and modified the FSS for itsnew series of launch vehicles.[citation needed]
Certain rockets such as theDelta and theSaturn V use structures consisting of a fixed portion and a mobile portion; the former is the umbilical tower and the latter is known as the "mobile service tower" or "mobile service structure," but often referred to as agantry. This mobile structure is moved away from the vehicle several hours before launch.
Thewhite room was the small area used byastronauts to access the spacecraft during human flights up through theSpace Shuttle program. The room takes its name from its white paint, which was used inProject Gemini. The room was first used inProject Mercury. Its use and white color (since Gemini) continued through subsequent programs of Apollo and the Space Shuttle.[1]
Astronauts and closeout crew made their final preparations before liftoff, such as donningparachute packs, putting onspacesuit helmets, and detaching portableair-conditioning units.[2]In 2014, NASA planned to move the White Room to a museum.[3] SpaceX launches use a rotating "Crew Access Arm" for .[citation needed] As of the 2020Crew Dragon Demo-2 mission, SpaceX began calling the equivalent area of its Crew Access Arm at LC-39A the "White Room" in recognition of the original NASA structure's significance.[4] On the first launch attempt, NASA and SpaceX flight crew began signing their respective "meatball"NASA insignia or SpaceX logos at the end of the Crew Access Arm, a practice which has become a tradition.[citation needed]
Similarly, Soviet-and Russian-designed service structures such as those atBaikonur CosmodromeSite 31 feature rotating crane-like "tower arms" that stand upright to service and secure the vehicle. The tower arms then pivot outward away from the rocket at launch.[5]
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