Mobile buildup apparatus for transporting, supporting and protecting space vehicle payloads
US4771998A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 6, 1986 |
| Grant date | Sep 20, 1988 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 6, 2006 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10T29/53548
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A mobile buildup apparatus for transporting, supporting and protecting an upper stage rocket and a mated spacecraft between and in the various facilities through which it must pass prior to their being loaded into the cargo bay of an orbiter of NASA's Space Transportation System and transported into space. The mobile buildup apparatus comprises a transport system, support structure and protective cover. The transport system comprises a pair of semitrailers attached side-by-side removable gooseneck assembly and a removable gooseneck dolly with pintle-hook are attached to the front end of the transport system, and air ride axles to minimize shock and vibration. The support structure comprises an upper stage assembly stand and an access platform both of which are mounted on the mobile buildup apparatus to provide support for and access to, respectively, the upper stage and the mated spacecraft during assembly, testing and ground integration operations. A protective cover also is provided.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.