Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) Rooftop Views

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The iconic Vehicle Assembly Building, originally known as the Vertical Assembly Building or (VAB), is located at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Completed in 1966, it was first used to assemble large pre-manufactured space vehicles like the Saturn V that took us to the moon. It was refurbished in the 1970’s and used to stack the Space Shuttle and went through another refurb in support of Artemis that will once again take us back to the moon.

The VAB is the largest single-story building in the world. And was the tallest at 525 feet in Florida until 1974.

Let us venture to the roof of the VAB, by taking the elevators to the 34th floor. From there you exit the elevator and hop on a small elevator up to the roof.

Enjoy these views from the roof of the VAB – one of the best views in the world!

You exit on to the VAB roof from the door located in the back center of this photo. There are multiple antenea’s and weather stations up on the roof.
Looking East at LC-39A (Pad A) which has now been converted to a SpaceX Launch Pad.The MLP & ML Crawler-way is on the right.
Looking NW at the Shuttle Landing Facility
Pad B in the distance – New home for the Artemis Missions to the Moon and Mars

The photo below shows the OSB II Facility with a walking trail that resembles the outline of the Space Shuttle

Looking South at the OSB II Facility
Looking Southwest you can the Space Shuttle External Tank and Boosters located at the KSC Visitors Center
A view looking East at the Mobile Launcher and the Booster Rotation Processing Facility

About

About the Author and Photographer: Alden Pitard has over 40 years experience working in the Aerospace Industry at Cape Canaveral, The Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and Boeing locations throughout the country. He has supported the Space Shuttle Program, International Space Station, 787 Dreamliner and most recently the Artemis Program. During his time at "The Cape" he photographed a majority of the Launch Sites at KSC and Cape Canaveral. As the Space Shuttle program was coming to a close in 2011, the author decided to bike to all the Launch Complexes he could and capture the Space Center and Cape Canaveral as it was - thus "Biking through Space Ruins".