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Space Station Processing Facility facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
STS-129 ExPRESS Logistics Carrier 14
Inside the SSPF, with many engineers and technicians manufacturing ISS parts

The Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF) is a factory building at the Kennedy Space Center's industrial complex.

It was built in 1994 to make parts for the International Space Station and test them for launch.

Today, the SSPF is used to make and process all of NASA's future space station components, such as the Lunar Gateway and resupply vehicles for International Space Station.

The building has a total floor area of 42,000 sq meters, is four stories high, and contains two enormous cleanrooms that serve as the main manufacturing bay. The building also has a ballroom for lectures, meetings and dinner events; office space for laboratories and computers; a canteen (with a restaurant and refreshment area), and several visitor areas. Tours are free (included in the KSC visitor complex bus tour), and show many areas of the factory.

Images for kids

  • SSPF under construction in 1991

    The Space Station Processing Facility under construction in December 1991. Structural steel beams, and the Neil Armstrong Building are visible in the background.

  • ISS-RapidScat in the Space Station Processing Facility (KSC-2014-2976)

    Technicians checking out and testing the ISS RapidScat antenna dish in the low bay area

  • STS-133 PMM Leonardo

    STS-133 MPLM in its workstand, while visitors observe the area from the observation windows

  • SAGE III at Space Station Processing Facility (23390877722)

    The I-bay area

  • ISS s3-s4 truss hoist in the SSPF factory

    S3-S4 Truss being hoist to the payload transfer container

  • NASA SSPF factory panorama

    A panorama view of the high bay area in August 2010. Note the lights sometimes tend to change color from pink to gold hues

  • Workers make LunaH-Map cube sat in SSPF

    Engineers and students make and prep a LunaH-Map cubesat for Artemis 1 in the SSPF, July 2021

  • Main Ballroom of the NASA Space Station Processing Facility

    Main ballroom of the SSPF, typically used for NASA lectures and sometimes special dinner events

  • SSPF exterior

    The exterior of the SSPF viewed from NASA Parkway

  • Space Station Processing Facility aerial view

    Aerial view of the SSPF in 1995

  • ISS space station modules in the SSPF

    International Space Station modules being manufactured in the SSPF main workshop area

  • SSPF entrance

    The main entrance to the facility

  • SSPF purple overview

    A ground level overview of the SSPF high bay and iconic observation windows

  • MPLM inside the SSPF

    An MPLM being hoisted by overhead cranes

  • ISS columbus in SSPF

    Columbus being moved to a weighing stand before loading in transfer container

  • Huge overhead cranes hoist JEM in the SSPF

    The JEM being hoisted to a manufacturing workstand

  • Columbus at Kennedy Space Center

    European Space Agency Columbus Module

  • ISS Kibo module 08-27-2003

    The main Kibo module in its manufacturing workstand, c. 2003

  • Kibo ELM-PS move to payload canniste

    Kibo JLP module transfer to the payload transfer container

  • Node 3 in SSPF

    Tranquility in the SSPF.

  • Japanese Experiment Module and its robotic arm in gold light in the SSPF

    A worker assembles parts for the Japanese Experimet Module remote manipulator arm, under gold light

  • LOP-G module training mock-up module group photo

    NASA and Lockheed Martin employees group photo with the Lunar Gateway module training mock-up inside the SSPF

  • LOP-G interior with Astronauts

    Inside the Lunar Gateway mock-up module, with four astronauts.

  • ISS-RapidScat arrives at Kennedy Space Center (KSC-2014-2504)

    Loading yard

  • Cygnus CRS OA-7 in Kennedy SSPF (KSC-20170212-PH SWW01 0112)

    Orbital ATK Cygnus CRS-0A-7

  • Cygnus CRS OA-7 in Kennedy SSPF (KSC-20170207-PH SWW01 0096)

    ISS Cargo bags

  • Space Station Processing Facility, Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA2

    SSPF lobby

  • SSPF factory floor view with modules

    Overview of the high bay factory floor filled with space station modules

  • Kennedy Space Center 64

    A view of an empty workstand from the high bay observation windows

  • SSPF lobby Sep 2019

    The main visitor entrance lobby to the SSPF in September 2019. Note the signage displays 'International' in addition to the building's name, but is not official.

  • Bishop Airlock Module

    The Bishop Airlock Module being made by Nanoracks in the high bay, October 7, 2020.

  • National Space Council meeting at the John F. Kennedy Space Center, Florida, Feb. 20, 2018 180221-D-SW162-1251 (39511228625)

    7th National Space Council meeting in the high bay, with temporary desk platforms, Feb 21, 2018

  • CRS-21 Science Experiments Unpacking 04

    Scientists and students working on SpaceX CRS-21 returned science experiments in the SSPF lab workshop, January 2021

  • ISS roll out solar array in the SSPF

    ISS roll out solar array being made in the SSPF high bay, 2 April 2021

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Instalaciones de procesamiento de la estación espacial para niños

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