Blower Facility

Building 4658 is the blower facility, added to the S-IC Test Stand infrastructure in 1975, to provide ventilation to help dissipate any hydrogen gas buildup when the stand was used in the Shuttle era, for external tank and Space Shuttle Main Engine testing. The S-IC Test Stand was built to test-fire stages with LOX/RP-1 engines, and thus did not initially require this ventilation function.

Air is directed to the test stand through a large-diameter duct, meeting the stand at the northeast pedestal, where it splits into slightly smaller ducts to carry the air along the north face to the northwest pedestal and along the east face of the stand to the southeast pedestal, where it splits again, carrying the air to the southwest pedestal.

The ductwork around the stand is visible in the Google Maps link.

Also see my info page on the blower facility.