SPACEPHOTOS

KSC's Launch Complex 39 is strategically located next to a barge site and a variety of structures, including a Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), Orbiter Processing Facilities (OPF), Press Site, Launch Control Center (LCC), and a crawlerway to the pads. The crawlerway, leading to pads 39B on the left and 39A on the right, can be seen extending from the massive VAB at the left in this photo. The VAB, which covers eight acres and stands 525 feet tall, is used for assembly, stacking and mating of Space Shuttle elements. Originally built for assembly of Apollo/Saturn vehicles and later modified to support Space Shuttle operations, the VAB is one of the largest buildings in the world. The LCC, seen here as the small white building to the upper right of the VAB, is where launch, mission support, and loading are controlled.