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This is the standard way the russian operate. Rockets as the Soyuz or the Proton are assembled and transported horizontally to the launching site and then erected on the launch pad. There are a lot of interesting photos of trains moving these large rockets

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This is the way all rockets are built. I think the OP is confusing construction and integration.

Rockets are fabricated and transported horizontally. The distinction is whether the rocket is vertical or horizontal when the payload is attached.

Thanks, didn't know the distinction!

"All" is taking things a little far -- the Apollo Saturn V stack was assembled vertically (as were the smaller Saturn IB rockets when launched from LC 39).

Yeah, I was a little ambiguous with the term "rocket". "Rocket stages" would have been more accurate. Most rockets that use vertical integration use it to assemble the various stages (i.e. the upper stage and payload are both mated to the booster in the vertical integration facility)

There's a really good scene in Apollo 13 that shows this. Jim Lovell is giving a tour of the VAB and in the background you've got two of the stages coming together with a thud.

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