When a space shuttle or other big rocket is standing on the launch pad, what is supporting the weight? Can’t be the rocket nozzles…they’d crush like a beer can.
Industrial sized hooks on the Gantry?
It is bolted to the launch tower.Amazingly they use explosive bolts that blow away when the shuttle is taking off.
The space shuttle is supported on posts attached to the aft skirt of the solid rocket boosters (SRBs). These posts mate with supports on the mobile launch platform. There are four posts per SRB and they are, as stated, attached with explosive bolts (it’s actually the nut that is “frangible” – NASA-speak for explosive).
Here’s a website that should answer most questions about the physical aspects of the shuttle:
http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/technology/sts-newsref/centers.html#sts-ksc-mlp
There’s this little cardboard tube, y’see? And you slide the rocket down onto the launch rod, putting the launch rod into the small tube.
Oh… You mean real rockets. Never mind…
Yeah, what pluto said. Here’s a page that shows the posts and the bolts on the SRB (The relevant pics are about halfway down):
http://www.geocities.com/kimekeller/SRBdetail1.html