The Transporter-Erector (TE) is a specialized piece of ground support equipment that carries a launch vehicle horizontally from the assembly building to the pad. Once in position, hydraulic rams on the TE lift the rocket into a vertical orientation for launch. It often contains umbilical connections to supply power and propellants until liftoff.
Heard on the job
The TE is rolling out to pad 39A and we expect to go vertical by midnight.
Also heard as
- Transporter-Erector
- strongback
Related terms
Erector
A heavy vehicle or structure that transports a rocket and raises it vertically onto the launch pad.
Launch vehicle
A rocket or other system used to carry a payload from the Earth's surface into space.
Umbilical
A physical line providing power, fluids, or data to a vehicle or astronaut before separation.