Efficient payload processing: the opposite side of frequent space shuttle launches

The planned rate of up to 40 Space Shuttle missions per year from the Kennedy Space Center requires a matching payload processing capability that must be efficient and economical. Five facilities are being converted to handle spacecraft assembly and checkout, two to handle explosives and other dangerous spacecraft components, and one for total payload integration. New handling and transporting equipment is being built, and new procedures established. This paper presents an overview of the processing cycles of the two presently known types of payloads, their integration into Shuttle-ready cargos, and the installation of the cargo into the Space Shuttle Orbiter.