Crawler-Transporter

Mission Profile

The Crawler-Transporter is NASA's massive tracked vehicle used to move assembled rockets from the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center to the launch pads at Complex 39, a distance of approximately 6.8 km at speeds of roughly 1.6 km/h. Originally built in 1965 for the Saturn V program, two crawlers (CT-1 and CT-2) have served the Saturn V, Space Shuttle, and now the Space Launch System programs, representing over five decades of continuous operational use. Weighing 2,700 tonnes without payload, each crawler is powered by diesel-electric generators and rides on eight massive double-tracked carriages. CT-2 was upgraded between 2019 and 2022 to accommodate the heavier SLS rocket, including reinforced structure and enhanced leveling systems that keep the payload platform within 0.3° of vertical throughout the journey.