The crawler-transporters (Missile Crawler Transporter Facilities) are a pair of tracked vehicles used to transport spacecraft from NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building along the Crawlerway to Launch Complex 39. Built in 1965, they were originally used to transport the Saturn IB and Saturn V rockets during the Apollo, Skylab, and Apollo–Soyuz programs. Built by Marion Power Shovel Company using components designed and built by Rockwell International, their technology has been upgraded over the years. They each weigh over 6 million pounds and would cover the infield in a baseball stadium. Powered by locomotive and large electrical power generator engines, they use laser guidance and a leveling system to keep the Mobile Launcher Platform level. The crawlers have traveled more than 3,400 miles at a speed of 1 mph loaded or 2 mph empty. Still, more entertaining than watching paint dry. The two crawler-transporters were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. Check out an interesting fact sheet from NASA.
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