NASA Vehicle Assembly Building (Kennedy Space Center)
NASA, Merritt Island, Florida
NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center was completed in 1966 to stack Apollo Saturn V moon rockets and later assembled Space Shuttles for 30 years. At 525 feet tall with 456-foot doors, it is among the largest buildings in the world by volume. It was used to assemble the Space Launch System for Artemis I in 2022.
- Company
- NASA
- Status
- Operating
- Opened
- 1966
- Employees
- Not stated
- Industry
- Aerospace and defense
- Revised
- November 12, 2026
What is made here
Assembly building where NASA stacks crewed launch vehicles: Apollo Saturn V rockets, Space Shuttles and the Space Launch System.
Facts
| Purpose | Completed in 1966 to assemble the Apollo/Saturn V moon rocket; used to assemble and house American crewed launch vehicles from 1968 to 2011, including space shuttles for 30 years (federal: nasa.gov) |
|---|---|
| Size | 3,664,883 cubic meters in volume, 525 feet tall and 518 feet wide, covering about eight acres (federal: nasa.gov) |
| Doors | Four high-bay doors each 456 feet high, the largest doors in the world, taking about 45 minutes to open or close (federal: nasa.gov) |
| Construction | Built with 65,000 cubic yards of concrete and 98,590 tons of steel on 4,225 steel pilings driven 164 feet to bedrock (federal: nasa.gov) |
| Flag | A painted American flag 209 feet tall and 110 feet wide is on the side of the building (federal: nasa.gov) |
| SLS | The Space Launch System rocket for Artemis I was assembled there by March 2022 (reference: en.wikipedia.org) |
Figures are as stated by the source named next to each one. Company figures are the company's own claims.
Can you visit?
We haven't found a public tour of this factory. See factory tours in Florida.
Sources
- NASA: Vehicle Assembly Building fact sheet (federal, checked November 12, 2026)
- Wikipedia: Vehicle Assembly Building (reference, checked November 12, 2026)
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