The crawler-transporter is an immense vehicle, adapted from earth-moving machinery, which carried the Space Shuttle, and, previous to that,the Saturn V, on a crawlerway (see below) from the Vertical Assembly Building to one or other of launch pads 39A and 39B at Cape Canaveral. The crawler-transporter is 40 m long and 35 m wide, weighs 2,721 tons, and contains two diesel generators that provide 5,600 hp for the electric drive motor system. It moves on four double-tracked crawlers, with hydraulic jacking pads on 27-m centers. Traveling at a mere 1.5 km/h, it guzzles fuel at the rate of one liter every 1.6 m (1 gal every 20 ft).

 

Crawlerway

The crawlerway is a specially prepared dual roadway providing access for the crawler-transporter to the launch pads, arming tower parking areas, and the Vertical Assembly Building. The roadway is designed to support 7.9 million kg. The two lanes are spaced on 27-m centers to match the tractor units, and each lane is 12 m wide. The crawlerway has a 5% grade approaching each pad.