The LR11350-P1800 crawler crane was a Liebherr crane that was positioned at the launch site in a configuration that includes a power boom. A power boom is some sort of a double arm section. Therefore, it is called the LR11350-P1800 crane. It was the biggest crane used by SpaceX (previously it was the LR1600/2).
It was used to build the first Orbital Launch and Integration Tower (OLIT) at the Starbase Launch/Testing Site as well as for lifting and stacking B4 and SN20/Ship 20 for their first fit check on the Orbital Launch Mount (OLM).
The LabPadre community refers to this crane as "Kong", while the NASASpaceflight community calls it "Frankencrane". Some sources state that onsite contractors call the crane "Frankencrane" as well however this has not been verified. During the LR11350's time at the Launch Site it was reconfigured at least twice for a total of at least three configurations.
At the end of October 2021, the crane was lowered for the last time, disassembled and returned.
History[]
After it has stacked the first three segments of the integration tower, the crane has been lowered for boom extension at the beginning of June 2021. After stacking segments 4-7, the crane was lowered again for adding a third extension at the beginning of July 2021, as the previous configuration wasn't high enough for the eighth segment.
Timeline[]
Click to view the timeline:
- 01 Apr 2021: Installing of the new cranes at launch site: yellow crane LR1300 rising, arriving parts of R11350
- 06 Apr 2021: OLS, IT: LR11350 assembly commenced
- 13 Apr 2021: More parts arrived
- 15 Apr 2021: Assembly continued
- 16 Apr 2021: Assembly continued
- 17 Apr 2021: Parts arrived, some yellow some red
- 18 Apr 2021: Work on support boom
- 21 Apr 2021: Moved to build site (crane yard) ahead of SN15 test program
- 07 May 2021: Moved to OLS (IT)
- 10 May 2021: Crane parts delivered, assembly continued; named "Kong" by LabPadre
- 11 May 2021: Crane assembly continued, becoming very colorful, more parts delivered
- 12 May 2021: Assembly work continued, more parts delivered
- 13 May 2021: ("Kong/Frankencrane") assembly continued
- 14 May 2021: Crane assembly continued
- 16 May 2021: Assembly continued; power boom part nearly finished
- 18 May 2021: Crane assembly continued
- 19 May 2021: "Frankencrane/Kong" nearly complete, hookblock attached
- 21 May 2021: Raised, apparently in a small configuration that will need to be extended for stacking upper segments
- 23 May 2021: OLS, IT: Segment #2 prepared for stacking, assisted by LR11350; work on segment #1 [built] continued; stacking loadspreader attached to LR11350; work lift lifted into the base
- 24 May 2021: OLS, IT: segment #2 attached to LR11350 load spreader, detached from stand and lifted. Crane moved forwards, segment lowered and stacked onto existing structure
- 25 May 2021: Detached from IT, load spreader removed
- 26 May 2021: Move/turned
- 27 May 2021: Parts delivered for boom extension
- 28 May 2021: LR11350 parts unloaded (arrived yesterday)
- 28 May 2021: OLS, IT: segment #3 attached to LR11350, stacked onto segment #2 ("Klein Tool")
- 29 May 2021: IT segment still remained attached to LR11350
- 30 May 2021: OLS IT: LR11350 still attached to segment
- 01 June 2021: Crane detached from OLS IT; crane lowered later for boom extension
- 03 June 2021: Extension work began
- 04 June 2021: Extension work continued: boom tip removed, new jib prepared
- 05 June 2021: Extension work continued; new 2-armed jib installed
- 06 June 2021: Extension work continued
- 07 June 2021: Extension now attached, work continued
- 10 June 2021: LR11350 lifted, work on jib, lowered again later [vid11]
- 12 June 2021: LR11350 boom lifted and lowered again; work continued on crane
- 13 June 2021: OLS, IT: Load spreader attached to LR11350, tower segment #4 attached to crane, section partially unbolted from transport rig, safety meeting, segment lifted slightly, completely unbolted from transport rig, lifted a bit, rotated, let down a bit; LR11350 moved backwards, segment lifted, crane moved forwards, segment lowered into place at 6pm local
- 14 June 2021: OLS, IT: LR11350 crane detached form tower
- 15 June 2021: Moved around, lifted the next temporary elevator section into OLS, IT
- 16 June 2021: OLS, IT: Segment #5 stacked onto tower by LR11350 crane (attached to crane, lifted, moved forward, lowered)
- 18 June 2021: OLS, IT: Segment #5 still attached to LR11350
- 19 June 2021: LR11350 lifted ADS-30Q onto the launch tower (on a steal construction at the base, south side)
- 19 June 2021: Detached form OLS, IT; loadspreader detached
- 20 June 2021: Reattached to OLS IT
- 23 June 2021: Still attached to tower
- 24 June 2021: Detached from tower, preparation work for connecting it to segment #6
- 24 June 2021: OLS, IT: Segment #6 attached to LR11350
- 25 June 2021: OLS, IT: segment #6 attached to LR11350
- 27 June 2021: OLS, IT: Sixth tower segment stacked by LR11350 (lifted, crane moved forwards, lowered; guiding weights used); Fifth and sixth segment have no lift installed yet; segment #7 nearly ready for roll out
- 28 June 2021: OLS, IT: LR11350 detached; elevator section for segment #5 lifted into place
- 30 June 2021: OLS, IT: work continued; stairs installed to segment #7, moved towards crane, attached to LR11350
- 02 July 2021: OLS, IT: LR11350 disconnected from tower
- 02 July 2021: LR11350 lowered for third extension RCs for July 6 and 7 cancelled
- 04 July 2021: LR11350 extension work began
- 06 July 2021: LR11350 parts for extension arrived (boom parts and winch)
- 07 July 2021: LR11350 boom disconnected and moved away by SPMT ahead of extension
- 08 July 2021: LR11350 extension work continued
- 09 July 2021: LR11350 extension work continued
- 10 July 2021: LR11350 extension work continued with a white segment inserted into boom (above power boom section)
- 11 July 2021: LR11350 extension work continued with parts added to jig; jig now reattached to boom
- 11 July 2021: LR11350 lifted
- 12 July 2021: LR11350 6m crane section (old) transported away
- 13 July 2021: LR11350 lowered for some work and risen again later
- 15 July 2021: OLS, IT: Part lowered by LR11350; stairs lifted out; segment #8 moved; work on east side base extension continued
- 17 July 2021: OLS, IT: Two parts of electrical conduit lifted inside tower by LR11350; segment #8 work continued
- 17 July 2021: OLS, IT: Segment #8 attached to LR11350
- 18 July 2021: OLS, IT: Segment #8 detached from and reattached to laodspreader at least 3 times in order to balance the load for lifting (due to one column being taller); crane turned to move the segment closer to tower ahead of stacking; then lifted by LR11350 and stacked to tower; extension platform looking towards OLM
- 19 July 2021: OLS, IT: LR11350 still attached to segment #8
- 20 July 2021: OLS, IT: Load spreader detached from segment #8, LR11350 moved back, load spreader lowered
- 27 July 2021: OLS, IT: Work on segment #9 continued, with an intermediate floor and black winch wheels being installed (5th pulley has been installed); later LR11350 and load spreader attached to the segment
- 28 July 2021: OLS, IT: Segment #9 with a winch wheel lifted by the LR11350 crane with an American flag after a huge winch extension has been added instead of a fourth column; slowly lowered onto segment #8
- 29 July 2021: Grate lifted onto OLS, IT by LR11350
- 29 July 2021: LR11350 disconnected from IT, stacking of the tower appears to be complete
- 30 July 2021: LR11350 and LR11000 moved into position for OL platform lift [vid 31]
- 31 July 2021: OL platform / table lifted by LR11350 and LR11000 onto OLM legs!!, touchdown at 1:46 pm
- 02 Aug 2021: LR11000 and LR11350 detached from OLM platform
- 04 Aug 2021: B4 attached to LR11350 load spreader
- 04 Aug 2021: B4 lifted onto OLM by LR11350 in a very careful manoeuvre
- 05 Aug 2021: B4 detached from LR11350
- 06 Aug 2021: SN20/S20 attached to LR11350
- 06 Aug 2021: SN20/S20 stacked onto B4 by LR11350, fully assembled rocket for the first time ever!!
- 06 Aug 2021: SN20/S20 removed from B4 by LR11350 after first fit check for final construction, touch-down at 9:45 am
- 07 Aug 2021: B4 reattached to LR11350 [?]
- 08 Aug 2021: B4 attached to LR11350
- 10 Aug 2021: B4 removed from OLM at 7:45 am by LR11350; detached from crane/load spreader at 3:06 pm
Specs[]
The specs according to Liebherr[1]:
| Max. load capacity | 1,350 t |
| Max. hoist height | 220 m |
| Max. radius | 164 m |
The following pictures show possible configurations of the crane without the power boom extension. Power boom configurations can be found on the Liebherr homepage. Download the technical data for the LR11350-P1800 for more information.
Boom/jib combinations [m/t]