Ares I Mobile Launcher

Carnahan, Proctor and Cross’s used a 3D High Definition Laser Scanner, for its accuracy and density capabilities to scan the Blast Hole walls of NASA’s Mobile Launch Base (MLB) platform for future rocket launches. Our survey division scanned the 24’ x 24’ walls at its highest resolution and density, identifying hundreds of prefabricated bolt holes for Met-Con, Inc.’s aerospace project. Detailed Cad drawings of the four walls, some 3D, were generated for Met-Con to fabricate stainless-steel heat shield plates that would insulate its walls during rocket launches. These measurements and drawings assisted the client in drilling the bolt holes in the insulation plates to match the existing steel structure. This met NASA’s extremely accurate requirements, three decimal places, for precision of the placement of the bolts, brackets and insulation plates. This was the first time NASA had used or allowed laser scanning as a data collection solution for measurements on their site. It was not only innovative but it also translated into a cost savings for the client for their quality control of the final product.