The Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) – Florida Historic Places

The amount of history that has rolled out the VAB and launched into space is amazing. That is why the VAB makes our list of Florida Historic Places!

Here are a few facts you should know about the VAB.

1. VAB stands for Vehicle Assembly Building.
2.  The VAB was designed to assemble large pre-manufactured space vehicle components, such as the Saturn V’s that took Americans to the Moon, and the Space Shuttle which transported parts to low earth orbit for the International Space Station (ISS).
3. At 129,428,000 cu ft, the VAB is the eighth-largest building in the world by volume as of 2022.
4. The VAB is the largest single-story building in the world, was the tallest building (526 ft) in Florida until 1974, and is the tallest building in the United States outside of an urban area.
5. Though it has never been tested, it is estimated that 250 billion ping pong balls would fit inside the VAB
6. The VAB was constructed 3.5 miles from Launch Pad 39A and 4.2 miles from Launch Pad 39B.
7. The VAB is home to the largest American flag, a 209-foot-tall, 110-foot wide star-spangled banner painted on the side of the VAB.
8. The doors on the VAB are the largest in the world and take about 45 minutes to completely open or close.
9. The VAB was painted in 2007, when the repairs were completed after the 2004 Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne tore 845 panels off the building.
10. The VAB has its own weather! Since the building’s interior volume is so vast, humid air rises, moisture condenses and forms on surfaces, and the condensation falls down, like rain.
11. The building has been used as a backdrop in several Hollywood movies including Marooned, SpaceCamp, Apollo 13, etc.

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