X-33 Launch Facility

Professional Engineering Services (PES)
through GSA

System Design, Engineering
and Integration

Each of our 12 major organizational segments supports system design, engineering, and integration activities. The associated customer base includes US Air Force, Navy, Army, Marine Corps, U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), Royal Australian Air Force, NASA, other defense contractors, and commercial enterprises, such as the automotive industry. Our segment which focuses primarily on design/build activities is the Technology Group located in Tullahoma. This group has successfully supported a number of challenging design and engineering efforts. A recent example is the design/build of the launch facility ground support systems for the NASA X-33 Single-Stage-to-Orbit (SSTO) program as a member of the Lockheed-Martin team. Our work included all ground infrastructure, exhaust ducting, rotating vehicle erection system, cryogenic propellant storage and loading systems, pneumatic systems, vehicle cooling and purge systems, and utility support systems. The X-33 project was part of a commercial program with a large investment by industry. As a team member, we developed operations and facility concepts to provide affordable facilities for this experimental program. We actively participated in and led the Integrated Product Teams addressing the vehicle design and ground facility operations concepts. We made facility operations a design requirement in the overall vehicle and ground systems design process to reduce processing time and cost. We also supported launch site and landing site selections, and are supporting launch pad and range operations. We dealt with such critical issues as rotation and hook-up of umbilicals, mating of the vehicle with the launch pad, center-of-gravity snap-through, and variable load conditions such as vehicle weight and wind loading. Critical project elements supported by Jacobs include:

Moveable Shelter – 45 ft high, 100 ft x 100 ft translating shelter to enclose the vehicle during horizontal processing prior to rotation for launch. Self-propelled and self-powered using a diesel generator and electrically driven trucks.
Vehicle Rotation System – An innovative (first of its kind in the U.S. launch industry) rotating launch mount enabling a fully horizontally integrated vehicle to be rotated to vertical for propellant loading then launch. All T-O umbilicals are mated horizontally and accommodate 90° of rotation. Designed to launch and static engine fire environments, vibration, and rotation loads. Turnkey delivery of the structure, hydraulic power, control system, and launch pad interface.
Launch Pad – Exhaust duct designed for launch environment heating and impingements; cross-country piping for cryogenics and pnuematics; facility electrical power and UPS; grounding and lighting protection systems; sound suppression and deluge water systems; roads, grading, and utility extensions.
Cryogenic Propellant Systems – Liquid oxygen system consisting of piping, bulk storage, and vaporizer for propellant loading; liquid hydrogen system consisting of piping, bulk storage, and vaporizer for propellant loading; propellant loading valve skids for LH2 and LO2; and vapor detection and hazardous gas detection systems.
Pneumatic Systems – High pressure GN2 and GHe systems; GN2 inerting and dry air purging of vehicle; gaseous oxygen; gaseous hydrogen.

We completed our scope of work on schedule and within budget. We saved more than $3M by leasing cryogenic storage equipment and another $1M by "piggy backing" with ongoing infrastructure improvements. We also obtained a city of Lancaster, CA, grant for $1M to reduce NASA/Lockheed's facility cost commitment.