Definition
A 65-foot tall spherical liquid oxygen (LOX) storage tank at SpaceX’s SLC-40, famously scrounged from an abandoned Apollo-era launch pad (LC-37) for a fraction of the cost of a new tank.
Why It Matters
The LOX ball is a physical monument to the danger of liquid oxygen. In aerospace engineering, it serves as a ‘visceral’ reminder that the substances we use for power are inherently violent and require absolute, unwavering respect to manage safely.
Core Concepts
- The Scrounge: SpaceX purchased the tank from the Air Force’s “scrap list” for \sim $3M$ price of a new tank.
- “Sanford and Son”: Nickname for the SpaceX team (Wagner & Policht) who prospect abandoned sites for hardware.
- Technical Certification: While Boeing/ULA deemed the tank too complex to recertify, SpaceX interns (Grinnell & Wallden) were lowered inside to visually inspect and clean it, enabling its reuse.
- Logistics: Moved two miles down the road on a specialized transporter; its absence became a “lost landmark” for local commuters.