Vehicle Assembly Building

The VAB viewed from the NASA parkway

The Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) is an industrial building at the John F. Kennedy Space Center. It is a site for the assembly of pre-made rocket stages, spacecrafts and related parts onto a mobile launch platform. Multiple spacecrafts, such as the Saturn V and Ares I were assembled in the VAB, as well as the Space Launch System.

Construction began in 1963, and was completed in 1966. It is 525 feet (160 m) tall, 716 feet (218.2 m) long and 518 feet (157.9 m) wide, made from approximately 100,000 tons of steel, and contains 3,665,000 m³ of internal volume.

The VAB has four large assembly areas called high bays, with one huge central aisle where the rocket parts are loaded in.

The Launch Control Center is adjacent to the side of the building, with a walkway connecting both buildings.

Vehicle Assembly Building Media

VAB during construction (1965) with the three Mobile Launchers for the Saturn V rocket.
A crane lowers Discovery toward the ET and SRBs in high bay 3 of the Vehicle Assembly Building for STS-124.
VAB in 1977, with the Bicentennial Star opposite the flag. The Bicentennial Star was painted over with the NASA insignia in 1998. Note the Space Shuttle Landing Facility at upper left.
Repair work after Hurricane Frances
Discovery in the Vehicle Assembly Building waiting for a ferry flight to Dulles, Virginia, for permanent display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.
Aerial view of the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center in 2011
Overview of the VAB and LCC industrial area
Endeavour on its way into the VAB during the launch preparations for STS-89. At the top of the doorway is the slot for the vertical stabilizer.
The VAB as viewed from the nearby parking lot, 19 January 2022