Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility

Located west of the Vertical Processing Facility and the Hypergolic Maintenance and Checkout Facility in KSC's industrial area is the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility. This unique facility can double as a payload processing facility and a hazardous processing facility.

As a payload processing facility, the PHSF supports the assembly and testing of payload components and systems. As a hazardous processing facility, it supports the integration of solid rocket motors with the payloads and ordnance and hazardous fuel servicing.

The facility is environmentally controlled by a class 5,000 air at filter discharge. The temperature remains at 70 F, plus or minus 5 F.

A 70-foot-wide, 110-foot-long service bay features a 50-ton electrically operated running bridge crane with an 85-foot hook height. The payload airlock is 58 feet wide and 80 feet long and has a 15-ton electrically operated running bridge crane with a 75-foot hook height. The access doors to the PHSF are 35 feet wide and 75 feet high.

The west end of the service bay has a 20-foot by 40-foot sloped floor for fuel servicing. An emergency exhaust system is provided for diluting and removing hazardous fuel and oxidizer vapors. The service bay's fire protection system consists of a deluge system, sprinklers and fire hoses. Fuel waste and oxidizer are disposed of through trench drains in the service bay that lead to 7,500-gallon and 1,500-gallon stainless steel tanks, respectively. The drains and vents are equipped with aspirators and scrubbers.

East of the PHSF is the Facility Control Building, which features two 1,200-square-foot payload control rooms. This facility provides two-way communication links to the PHSF service bay, Payload Processing Facility, VPF, Operations and Checkout Building and launch pad. Its location permits simultaneous operations to be conducted at the PHSF and VPF and pad even during hazardous operations at the PHSF without having to vacate the building. This building also contains offices, a ground station, electrical and mechanical shops and an area for donning SCAPE suits and equipment.

Click here for a detailed map of the PHSF area (internal only).

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Last Updated Thu Oct 28 17:08:52 EDT 1993 Jim Dumoulin (Redacted)