A 20 Year Lifecycle Cost Comparison for Coatings on the Launch Pads and Mobile Launch Platforms at the Kennedy Space Center

The lifecycle analysis was based on corrosion costs for the Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complexes and Mobile Launch Platforms. The first step in the study involved identifying the relevant assets that would be included. Secondly, the identification and collection of the corrosion control cost data for the selected assets was completed. Corrosion control costs were separated into four categories. The sources of cost included the NASA labor for civil servant personnel directly involved in overseeing and managing corrosion control of the assets, United Space Alliance contractual requirements for performing planned corrosion control tasks, United Space Alliance performance of unplanned corrosion control tasks, and Testing and Development.  Corrosion control operations performed under United Space Alliance contractual requirements were the most significant contributors to the total cost of corrosion.  The operations include the inspection of the pad, routine maintenance of the pad, medium and large scale blasting and repainting activities, and the repair and replacement of structural metal elements that have seriously corroded.  Cost data was collected from the years between 2001 and 2007.  These costs were then extrapolated to future years to calculate the 20 year life cycle costs.