Sierra Lobo provides real time support to Kennedy Space Center (KSC) launch operations.  Sierra Lobo personnel operate the High Purity Liquid Oxygen (LO2) and Liquid Hydrogen (LH2) tankers for direct loading of the Shuttle Fuel Cell Dewars.  Our staff ensures the availability and delivery of LH₂ and LO₂ for launch operations.

KSC ISC Propellants North Hydrogen Storage area.  Sierra Lobo personnel coordinate with launch customers to plan, receive, store, and deliver LH2 for all launches at KSC and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

Propellants North has a zero-boil-off Liquid Oxygen system which maintains LO2 for use in the shuttle on-board fuel cells.

We manage the gaseous nitrogen pipeline to Launch Pads 39A and 39B, and also operate the gaseous helium Converter Compressor Facility (CCF), which compresses gaseous helium for pipeline delivery to Pads 39A, 39B, and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS).

The CCF converts liquid helium into gas and then compresses it to nearly 6,000 psi to support operations.  These pipelines provide up to 1.7 billion scf of gaseous nitrogen and 70 million scf of gaseous helium per year to the KSC and CCAFS launch facilities. 

GSPN Pad 39A Walkdown – Tracing nitrogen flow paths.

CCF Valve Yard - The blue piping is 150 psig gaseous nitrogen.  The green piping is 5,660 psig gaseous nitrogen.  The orange pipes are "un-regulated" high pressure nitrogen direct from the offsite air liquid compressor plant.

Sierra Lobo also provides mobile-fleet operations, delivering cryogenics and high-pressure gases.  We use rechargers to pump up fixed systems for high-pressure nitrogen, helium, oxygen, hydrogen, and Breathing Air (BAIR).  We also provide specialty fluids, such as:

·         Ammonia

·         Refrigerant 21

·         Solvent 113

·         Halo 1301

We provide up to 14,000 of these operations per year, and deliver 7,000 K-bottles per year as well. 

The Dewar Fill Facility can fill 14 liquid dewars at one time.  The dewars do not have to be unloaded from the delivery truck.  Cold gas can be seen venting from the dewars as they are filled.

K-bottle fill facility.  GN2, GHe, and Air K-bottles are prepped, maintained, and filled here.

To aid in evaluating a wide range of specific propellants and pressures, Sierra Lobo has designed, fabricated, and assembled two types of propellant conditioning systems.  Called the PCFS, the Propellant Conditioning Feed System was initially designed for the Propulsion and Cryogenic Advanced Development (PCAD) effort at NASA.

These two systems, one for Liquid Methane and the other for Liquid Oxygen, provides NASA with the ability to test their 100 lbf Reaction Control Engine (RCE) to evaluate its performance over a wide range of specific propellant temperatures and pressures.  The same systems can also be used to supply other rocket engines up to 1,000 lbf.  Each skid-mounted system contains:

·         A supply tank

·         A conditioning system (bath and heater)

·         A run tank

·         All supporting gas pressurization and purge systems

·         All required instrumentation and data acquisition

·         A complete control system for remote operation of both systems

A recirculation pumping system is also included in the methane system to recondition the methane with minimal propellant losses.  These skids will condition Liquid Oxygen and Liquid Methane from a densified condition to several hundreds of PSI saturated condition prior to delivery into the respective run tank.  A feed line from the run tank will be connected to the facility engine shutoff valve that feeds the engine.

These turnkey systems can be fully integrated into customers’ facilities and interface mechanically and electronically with the existing facility equipment. 

PCFS Rig enables Engineers to evaluate temperature performance over a wide range of specific propellant temperatures and pressures.

PCFS Rig integrated into NASA GRC.

Sierra Lobo not only manages hazardous fuels and propellant environments, we also help measure cryogenic fuels via our patented product called the Cryo-Tracker^® . The Cryo-Tracker^® was developed to measure cryogenic propellant levels.  Click below to see a short video on how Sierra Lobo partnered with NASA to produce this innovative tool:  Cryo-Tracker^® Video

Sierra Lobo’s Testing Facility (SLTF) in Milan, OH also handles propellants and performs high energy testing.  Click here to see more on the SLTF.

Learn More:  Hydrocarbons    Hypergols