List of Merritt Island launch sites
Encyclopedia
Cape Canaveral
and adjacent Merritt Island
on Florida
's Atlantic
coast are home to two American
spaceport
s, one civilian and one military, servicing several active launch sites.
, has one launch complex with two pads on Merritt Island. From 1968–1975, it was the site of 11 Saturn V
launches, three manned Skylab
flights and the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project
; all Space Shuttle
flights from 1981-2011, and 1 Ares 1-X flight in 2009.
(CCAFS), operated by the 45th Space Wing
of the U.S. Air Force, was the site of all pre-Apollo 8
manned launches, as well as many other early Department of Defense
(DoD) and NASA launches. For the DoD, it plays a secondary role to Vandenberg AFB in California
, but is the launch site for many NASA unmanned space probe
s, as those spacecraft are typically launched on Air Force
launchers. Active launch vehicles are in bold.
Much of the support activity for CCAFS occurs at Patrick Air Force Base
to the south, its reporting base.
Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral, from the Spanish Cabo Cañaveral, is a headland in Brevard County, Florida, United States, near the center of the state's Atlantic coast. Known as Cape Kennedy from 1963 to 1973, it lies east of Merritt Island, separated from it by the Banana River.It is part of a region known as the...
and adjacent Merritt Island
Merritt Island, Florida
Merritt Island is a census-designated place in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It is located on the east coast of the state on the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2000 census, the population was 36,090. It is part of the Palm Bay – Melbourne – Titusville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area...
on Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
's Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
coast are home to two American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
spaceport
Spaceport
A spaceport or cosmodrome is a site for launching spacecraft, by analogy with seaport for ships or airport for aircraft. The word spaceport, and even more so cosmodrome, has traditionally been used for sites capable of launching spacecraft into orbit around Earth or on interplanetary trajectories...
s, one civilian and one military, servicing several active launch sites.
John F. Kennedy Space Center
The civilian John F. Kennedy Space Center, operated by NASANASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
, has one launch complex with two pads on Merritt Island. From 1968–1975, it was the site of 11 Saturn V
Saturn V
The Saturn V was an American human-rated expendable rocket used by NASA's Apollo and Skylab programs from 1967 until 1973. A multistage liquid-fueled launch vehicle, NASA launched 13 Saturn Vs from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida with no loss of crew or payload...
launches, three manned Skylab
Skylab
Skylab was a space station launched and operated by NASA, the space agency of the United States. Skylab orbited the Earth from 1973 to 1979, and included a workshop, a solar observatory, and other systems. It was launched unmanned by a modified Saturn V rocket, with a mass of...
flights and the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project
Apollo-Soyuz Test Project
-Backup crew:-Crew notes:Jack Swigert had originally been assigned as the command module pilot for the ASTP prime crew, but prior to the official announcement he was removed as punishment for his involvement in the Apollo 15 postage stamp scandal.-Soyuz crew:...
; all Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...
flights from 1981-2011, and 1 Ares 1-X flight in 2009.
Site | Status | Uses |
---|---|---|
Launch Complex 39A Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 Launch Complex 39 is a rocket launch site at the John F. Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island in Florida, USA. The site and its collection of facilities were originally built for the Apollo program, and later modified to support Space Shuttle operations. NASA began modifying LC-39 in 2007 to... |
Inactive | Prior: Saturn V Saturn V The Saturn V was an American human-rated expendable rocket used by NASA's Apollo and Skylab programs from 1967 until 1973. A multistage liquid-fueled launch vehicle, NASA launched 13 Saturn Vs from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida with no loss of crew or payload... , Space Shuttle Space Shuttle The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons... |
Launch Complex 39B Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 Launch Complex 39 is a rocket launch site at the John F. Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island in Florida, USA. The site and its collection of facilities were originally built for the Apollo program, and later modified to support Space Shuttle operations. NASA began modifying LC-39 in 2007 to... |
Inactive | Prior: Saturn V, Saturn IB Saturn IB The Saturn IB was an American launch vehicle commissioned by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for use in the Apollo program... (Skylab Skylab Skylab was a space station launched and operated by NASA, the space agency of the United States. Skylab orbited the Earth from 1973 to 1979, and included a workshop, a solar observatory, and other systems. It was launched unmanned by a modified Saturn V rocket, with a mass of... and Apollo-Soyuz), Space Shuttle |
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
The military Cape Canaveral Air Force StationCape Canaveral Air Force Station
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is an installation of the United States Air Force Space Command's 45th Space Wing, headquartered at nearby Patrick Air Force Base. Located on Cape Canaveral in the state of Florida, CCAFS is the primary launch head of America's Eastern Range with four launch pads...
(CCAFS), operated by the 45th Space Wing
45th Space Wing
The 45th Space Wing is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the Fourteenth Air Force, stationed at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. It is also the host unit at Patrick AFB.-Overview:...
of the U.S. Air Force, was the site of all pre-Apollo 8
Apollo 8
Apollo 8, the second manned mission in the American Apollo space program, was the first human spaceflight to leave Earth orbit; the first to be captured by and escape from the gravitational field of another celestial body; and the first crewed voyage to return to Earth from another celestial...
manned launches, as well as many other early Department of Defense
United States Department of Defense
The United States Department of Defense is the U.S...
(DoD) and NASA launches. For the DoD, it plays a secondary role to Vandenberg AFB in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, but is the launch site for many NASA unmanned space probe
Space probe
A robotic spacecraft is a spacecraft with no humans on board, that is usually under telerobotic control. A robotic spacecraft designed to make scientific research measurements is often called a space probe. Many space missions are more suited to telerobotic rather than crewed operation, due to...
s, as those spacecraft are typically launched on Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
launchers. Active launch vehicles are in bold.
Much of the support activity for CCAFS occurs at Patrick Air Force Base
Patrick Air Force Base
Patrick Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base located between Satellite Beach and Cocoa Beach, in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It was named in honor of Major General Mason Patrick. An Air Force Space Command base, it is home to the 45th Space Wing...
to the south, its reporting base.
Active sites
Site | Status | Uses |
---|---|---|
Space Launch Complex 40 | Active | Falcon 9 Falcon 9 Falcon 9 is a rocket-powered spaceflight launch system designed and manufactured by SpaceX. Both stages of its two-stage-to-orbit vehicle use liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene propellants... , Titan III Titan III The Titan IIIC was a space booster used by the United States Air Force. It was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL., and Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA. It was planned to be used as a launch vehicle in the cancelled Dyna-Soar and Manned Orbiting Laboratory programs... , Titan IV Titan IV The Titan IV family of space boosters were used by the U.S. Air Force. They were launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. At the time of its introduction, the Titan IV was the "largest unmanned space booster used by the Air Force."The... |
Space Launch Complex 41 | Active | Atlas V, Titan III Titan III The Titan IIIC was a space booster used by the United States Air Force. It was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL., and Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA. It was planned to be used as a launch vehicle in the cancelled Dyna-Soar and Manned Orbiting Laboratory programs... , Titan IV Titan IV The Titan IV family of space boosters were used by the U.S. Air Force. They were launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. At the time of its introduction, the Titan IV was the "largest unmanned space booster used by the Air Force."The... |
Space Launch Complex 37B | Active | Delta IV, Saturn I Saturn I The Saturn I was the United States' first heavy-lift dedicated space launcher, a rocket designed specifically to launch large payloads into low Earth orbit. Most of the rocket's power came from a clustered lower stage consisting of tanks taken from older rocket designs and strapped together to make... , Saturn IB Saturn IB The Saturn IB was an American launch vehicle commissioned by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for use in the Apollo program... |
Inactive sites
Site | Status | Uses |
---|---|---|
Launch Complex 1 Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 1 Launch Complex 1 is a deactivated US Air Force launch site on the eastern tip of Cape Canaveral at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. It was constructed, with launch complexes 2, 3, and 4, in the early 1950s for the Snark missile program.... |
Inactive | Snark SM-62 Snark -External links:** Air Force Magazine article about a Snark that was test-fired and rumored to have been found in Brazil** detailed article on Snark and the USAF school to train personnel for it... , Matador MGM-1 Matador The Martin MGM-1 Matador was the first operational surface-to-surface cruise missile built by the United States. It was similar in concept to the German V-1, but the Matador included a radio link that allowed in-flight course corrections. This allowed accuracy to be maintained over greatly extended... , Aerostat Aerostat An aerostat is a craft that remains aloft primarily through the use of buoyant lighter than air gases, which impart lift to a vehicle with nearly the same overall density as air. Aerostats include free balloons, airships, and moored balloons... |
Launch Complex 2 Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 2 Launch Complex 2 is a deactivated US Air Force launch site on the eastern tip of Cape Canaveral, Florida at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. It was constructed with launch complexes 1, 3, and 4, in the early 1950s, for the Snark missile program.... |
Inactive | Snark SM-62 Snark -External links:** Air Force Magazine article about a Snark that was test-fired and rumored to have been found in Brazil** detailed article on Snark and the USAF school to train personnel for it... , Matador MGM-1 Matador The Martin MGM-1 Matador was the first operational surface-to-surface cruise missile built by the United States. It was similar in concept to the German V-1, but the Matador included a radio link that allowed in-flight course corrections. This allowed accuracy to be maintained over greatly extended... , Aerostat Aerostat An aerostat is a craft that remains aloft primarily through the use of buoyant lighter than air gases, which impart lift to a vehicle with nearly the same overall density as air. Aerostats include free balloons, airships, and moored balloons... |
Launch Complex 3 Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 3 Launch Complex 3 is a deactivated US Air Force launch site southeast of SLC-36 on Cape Canaveral, Florida at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. It was constructed, with launch complexes 1, 2, and 4, in the early 1950s for the Snark missile program.... |
Inactive | Bumper-WAC Bumper (rocket) After a July 1946 suggestion by to combine the V-2 rocket and WAC Corporal, the US Bumper missile program was inaugurated on June 20, 1947:* to investigate launching techniques for a two-stage missile and separation of the two stages at high velocity,... , BOMARC, Polaris UGM-27 Polaris The Polaris missile was a two-stage solid-fuel nuclear-armed submarine-launched ballistic missile built during the Cold War by Lockheed Corporation of California for the United States Navy.... , X-17 Lockheed X-17 The Lockheed X-17 was a three stage solid-fuel research rocket to test the effects of high mach atmospheric reentry. The first stage of the X-17 carried the rocket to a height of before burning out. The rocket would then coast on momentum to about before nosing down for reentry. The second stage... |
Launch Complex 4 Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 4 Launch Complex 4 was one of the first series of launch complexes to be built at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Cape Canaveral, Florida... |
Inactive | BOMARC, Redstone Redstone (rocket) The PGM-11 Redstone was the first large American ballistic missile. A short-range surface-to-surface rocket, it was in active service with the U.S. Army in West Germany from June 1958 to June 1964 as part of NATO's Cold War defense of Western Europe... , Matador MGM-1 Matador The Martin MGM-1 Matador was the first operational surface-to-surface cruise missile built by the United States. It was similar in concept to the German V-1, but the Matador included a radio link that allowed in-flight course corrections. This allowed accuracy to be maintained over greatly extended... , Jason Jason (rocket) Jason was an American sounding rocket with 5 stages. The Jason was launched 22 times in 1958. The Jason could carry a payload of 125 pounds to an altitude of 500 mi... , Draco |
Launch Complex 4A Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 4 Launch Complex 4 was one of the first series of launch complexes to be built at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Cape Canaveral, Florida... |
Inactive | BOMARC |
Launch Complex 5 Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 5 Launch Complex 5 was a launch site at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida used for various Redstone and Jupiter launches.It is most well known as the launch site for NASA's 1961 suborbital Mercury-Redstone 3 flight, which made Alan Shepard the first American in space. It was also the launch... |
Inactive | Jupiter Jupiter-C The Jupiter-C was an American sounding rocket used for three sub-orbital spaceflights in 1956 and 1957 to test re-entry nosecones that were later to be deployed on the more advanced PGM-19 Jupiter mobile missile.... , Redstone Redstone (rocket) The PGM-11 Redstone was the first large American ballistic missile. A short-range surface-to-surface rocket, it was in active service with the U.S. Army in West Germany from June 1958 to June 1964 as part of NATO's Cold War defense of Western Europe... , Mercury Project Mercury In January 1960 NASA awarded Western Electric Company a contract for the Mercury tracking network. The value of the contract was over $33 million. Also in January, McDonnell delivered the first production-type Mercury spacecraft, less than a year after award of the formal contract. On February 12,... /Redstone. The site of all six manned and unmanned Mercury/Redstone launches. |
Launch Complex 6 Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 6 Launch Complex 6 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida is a launch site used by Redstone and Jupiter series rockets and missiles. It is on the south end of Cape Canaveral, close to Launch Complex 5, with which it shared a blockhouse. With LC-5, it was the location of the first tests of the... |
Inactive | Redstone Redstone (rocket) The PGM-11 Redstone was the first large American ballistic missile. A short-range surface-to-surface rocket, it was in active service with the U.S. Army in West Germany from June 1958 to June 1964 as part of NATO's Cold War defense of Western Europe... , Jupiter |
Launch Complex 9 Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 9 Launch Complex 9 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is a launch pad on Cape Canaveral in Florida. It is north of Launch Complex 17. It is a small concrete structure consisting of an elevated launch pedestal and flame trench, centered on a small oval-shaped concrete pad.It was used for ten test... |
Inactive | Navaho SM-64 Navaho The North American SM-64 Navaho was a supersonic intercontinental cruise missile project built by North American Aviation. The program ran from 1946 to 1958 when it was cancelled in favor of intercontinental ballistic missiles... |
Launch Complex 10 Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 10 Launch Complex 10 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida was a launch pad used by SM-64 Navaho missiles, and later Jason and Draco sounding rockets. It was located north of Launch Complex 17, where Launch Complexes 31 and 32 are now located... |
Inactive | Jason Jason (rocket) Jason was an American sounding rocket with 5 stages. The Jason was launched 22 times in 1958. The Jason could carry a payload of 125 pounds to an altitude of 500 mi... , Draco, Nike Tomahawk Nike Tomahawk The Nike Tomahawk was a two stage American sounding rocket. The first stage was a Nike rocket, the second a Tomahawk rocket.The Nike Tomahawk has a ceiling of 230 statute miles , a payload capacity of 100 pounds , a launch thrust of 49,000 pounds of force , a launch weight of 2,200 pounds , a... |
Launch Complex 11 Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 11 Launch Complex 11 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, is a launch complex used by Atlas missiles between 1958 and 1964. It is the southernmost of the launch pads known as missile row... |
Inactive | Atlas Atlas (missile) The SM-65 Atlas was the first intercontinental ballistic missile developed and deployed by the United States. It was built for the U.S. Air Force by Convair Division of General Dynamics at the Kearny Mesa assembly plant north of San Diego, California... |
Launch Complex 12 Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 12 Launch Complex 12 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida is a launch pad used by Atlas rockets and missiles between 1958 and 1967. It is the second-most southern of the pads known as missile row, between LC-11 to the south and LC-13 to the north... |
Inactive | Atlas Atlas (missile) The SM-65 Atlas was the first intercontinental ballistic missile developed and deployed by the United States. It was built for the U.S. Air Force by Convair Division of General Dynamics at the Kearny Mesa assembly plant north of San Diego, California... , Atlas Agena Atlas-Agena The Atlas-Agena was an American expendable launch system derived from the SM-65 Atlas missile. It was a member of the Atlas family of rockets, and was used for 119 orbital launches between 1960 and 1978.... |
Launch Complex 13 Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 13 Launch Complex 13 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida is a deactivated launch complex used by Atlas rockets and missiles between 1958 and 1978. It is the third-most southern of the complexes known as missile row, between LC-12 and LC-14... |
Inactive | Atlas Atlas (missile) The SM-65 Atlas was the first intercontinental ballistic missile developed and deployed by the United States. It was built for the U.S. Air Force by Convair Division of General Dynamics at the Kearny Mesa assembly plant north of San Diego, California... , Atlas Agena Atlas-Agena The Atlas-Agena was an American expendable launch system derived from the SM-65 Atlas missile. It was a member of the Atlas family of rockets, and was used for 119 orbital launches between 1960 and 1978.... |
Launch Complex 14 Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 14 Launch Complex 14 is a launch site at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. LC-14 was used for various manned and unmanned Atlas launches, including the Friendship 7 flight aboard which John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth.... |
Inactive | Atlas Atlas (missile) The SM-65 Atlas was the first intercontinental ballistic missile developed and deployed by the United States. It was built for the U.S. Air Force by Convair Division of General Dynamics at the Kearny Mesa assembly plant north of San Diego, California... , Mercury Project Mercury In January 1960 NASA awarded Western Electric Company a contract for the Mercury tracking network. The value of the contract was over $33 million. Also in January, McDonnell delivered the first production-type Mercury spacecraft, less than a year after award of the formal contract. On February 12,... /Atlas D, Atlas Agena Atlas-Agena The Atlas-Agena was an American expendable launch system derived from the SM-65 Atlas missile. It was a member of the Atlas family of rockets, and was used for 119 orbital launches between 1960 and 1978.... . The site of all four manned Mercury/Atlas launches. |
Launch Complex 15 Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 15 Launch Complex 15 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida is a deactivated launch complex used by LGM-25 Titan missiles between 1959 and 1964. It was originally built for conducting test flights of the Titan I, which made its maiden flight from LC-15 on 6 February 1959... |
Inactive | Titan I Titan I The Martin Marietta SM-68A/HGM-25A Titan I was the United States' first multistage ICBM . Incorporating the latest design technology when designed and manufactured, the Titan I provided an additional nuclear deterrent to complement the U.S. Air Force's SM-65 Atlas missile... , Titan II |
Launch Complex 16 Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 16 Launch Complex 16 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida is a launch complex built for use by LGM-25 Titan missiles, and later used for NASA operations before being transferred back to the US military and used for tests of MGM-31 Pershing missiles. Six Titan I missiles were launched from the... |
Inactive | Titan I Titan I The Martin Marietta SM-68A/HGM-25A Titan I was the United States' first multistage ICBM . Incorporating the latest design technology when designed and manufactured, the Titan I provided an additional nuclear deterrent to complement the U.S. Air Force's SM-65 Atlas missile... , Titan II, Pershing Pershing missile Pershing was a family of solid-fueled two-stage medium-range ballistic missiles designed and built by Martin Marietta to replace the PGM-11 Redstone missile as the United States Army's primary nuclear-capable theater-level weapon. The Pershing systems lasted over 30 years from the first test... |
Launch Complex 17A | Inactive | Thor PGM-17 Thor Thor was the first operational ballistic missile of the U.S. Air Force . Named after the Norse god of thunder, it was deployed in the United Kingdom between 1959 and September 1963 as an intermediate range ballistic missile with thermonuclear warheads. Thor was in height and in diameter. It was... , Delta II Delta II Delta II was an American space launch system, originally designed and built by McDonnell Douglas. Delta II is part of the Delta rocket family and was in service from 1989 until November 1, 2011... |
Space Launch Complex 17B | Inactive | Delta II Delta II Delta II was an American space launch system, originally designed and built by McDonnell Douglas. Delta II is part of the Delta rocket family and was in service from 1989 until November 1, 2011... , Delta III, Thor PGM-17 Thor Thor was the first operational ballistic missile of the U.S. Air Force . Named after the Norse god of thunder, it was deployed in the United Kingdom between 1959 and September 1963 as an intermediate range ballistic missile with thermonuclear warheads. Thor was in height and in diameter. It was... |
Launch Complex 18 Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 18 Launch Complex 18 is a launch complex at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida that was active during the late 1950s and early 1960s. It was used by Viking, Vanguard, Thor and Scout rockets... |
Inactive | Viking Viking rocket The Viking rocket series of sounding rockets were designed and built by the Glenn L. Martin Company under the direction of the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory . Twelve Viking rockets flew from 1949 to 1955.- Origins :... , Vanguard, Thor PGM-17 Thor Thor was the first operational ballistic missile of the U.S. Air Force . Named after the Norse god of thunder, it was deployed in the United Kingdom between 1959 and September 1963 as an intermediate range ballistic missile with thermonuclear warheads. Thor was in height and in diameter. It was... , Blue Scout Junior Scout (rocket) The Scout family of rockets were launch vehicles designed to place small satellites into orbit around the Earth. The Scout multistage rocket was the first orbital launch vehicle to be entirely composed of solid fuel stages.... , Blue Scout Scout (rocket) The Scout family of rockets were launch vehicles designed to place small satellites into orbit around the Earth. The Scout multistage rocket was the first orbital launch vehicle to be entirely composed of solid fuel stages.... |
Launch Complex 19 Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 19 Launch Complex 19 is a deactivated launch site on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida used by NASA to launch all of the Gemini manned spaceflights. It was also used by unmanned Titan I and Titan II launch vehicles.... |
Inactive | Titan I Titan I The Martin Marietta SM-68A/HGM-25A Titan I was the United States' first multistage ICBM . Incorporating the latest design technology when designed and manufactured, the Titan I provided an additional nuclear deterrent to complement the U.S. Air Force's SM-65 Atlas missile... , Gemini Project Gemini Project Gemini was the second human spaceflight program of NASA, the civilian space agency of the United States government. Project Gemini was conducted between projects Mercury and Apollo, with ten manned flights occurring in 1965 and 1966.... /Titan II Titan II GLV The Titan II GLV or Gemini-Titan was an American expendable launch system derived from the Titan II missile, which was used to launch twelve Gemini missions for NASA between 1964 and 1966... . The site of all ten manned Gemini/Titan II launches. |
Launch Complex 20 Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 20 Space Launch Complex 20 , previously designated Launch Complex 20 , is a launch site at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida... |
Inactive | Titan I Titan I The Martin Marietta SM-68A/HGM-25A Titan I was the United States' first multistage ICBM . Incorporating the latest design technology when designed and manufactured, the Titan I provided an additional nuclear deterrent to complement the U.S. Air Force's SM-65 Atlas missile... , Titan III Titan III The Titan IIIC was a space booster used by the United States Air Force. It was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, FL., and Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA. It was planned to be used as a launch vehicle in the cancelled Dyna-Soar and Manned Orbiting Laboratory programs... , Starbird, Prospector, Aries Aries (rocket) Aries is the designation of an United States rocket derived from the LGM-30 Minuteman missile which is used for the testing of anti-missile defense systems. The Aries has a length of 9.20 meters, a diameter of 1.16 meters, a launch weight of 6.3 tons, a launch thrust of 200 kN and a ceiling of... , LCLV, Super Loki |
Launch Complex 21 Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 21 Launch Complex 21 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida is a launch complex that was used for horizontal launches of cruise missiles between 1958 and 1963. It initially consisted of a single launch rail, from which XSM-73 Bull Goose missiles were tested... |
Inactive | Goose, Mace MGM-13 Mace -See also:-External links:* * * * * * *... |
Launch Complex 22 Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 22 Launch Complex 22 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida is a launch complex that was used for horizontal launches of cruise missiles between 1957 and 1960. It consisted of two launch rails, from which XSM-73 Bull Goose and MGM-13 Mace missiles were tested... |
Inactive | Goose, Mace MGM-13 Mace -See also:-External links:* * * * * * *... |
Launch Complex 25 Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 25 Launch Complex 25 was a four-pad launch site at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida built for test flights of the US Navy's submarine-launched ballistic missiles Polaris, Posidon and Trident from 1958–1979.... |
Inactive | Polaris UGM-27 Polaris The Polaris missile was a two-stage solid-fuel nuclear-armed submarine-launched ballistic missile built during the Cold War by Lockheed Corporation of California for the United States Navy.... , X-17 Lockheed X-17 The Lockheed X-17 was a three stage solid-fuel research rocket to test the effects of high mach atmospheric reentry. The first stage of the X-17 carried the rocket to a height of before burning out. The rocket would then coast on momentum to about before nosing down for reentry. The second stage... , Poseidon UGM-73 Poseidon The Poseidon missile was the second US Navy ballistic missile system, powered by a two-stage solid fuel rocket. It succeeded the Polaris missile beginning in 1972, bringing major advances in warheads and accuracy... , Trident I Trident missile The Trident missile is a submarine-launched ballistic missile equipped with multiple independently-targetable reentry vehicles . The Fleet Ballistic Missile is armed with nuclear warheads and is launched from nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines . Trident missiles are carried by fourteen... |
Launch Complex 26 Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 26 Launch Complex 26 is a deactivated launch site at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. LC-26 consisted of two pads, A and B. Pad A was used for the Jupiter-C and Juno I rockets, and was the launch site for Explorer 1, the United States' first satellite, in 1958. Pad B was used for Juno II... |
Inactive | Jupiter, Redstone Redstone (rocket) The PGM-11 Redstone was the first large American ballistic missile. A short-range surface-to-surface rocket, it was in active service with the U.S. Army in West Germany from June 1958 to June 1964 as part of NATO's Cold War defense of Western Europe... Launch site of Explorer 1 - the first successful U.S. satellite |
Launch Complex 29 | Inactive | Polaris UGM-27 Polaris The Polaris missile was a two-stage solid-fuel nuclear-armed submarine-launched ballistic missile built during the Cold War by Lockheed Corporation of California for the United States Navy.... |
Launch Complex 30 | Inactive | Pershing Pershing missile Pershing was a family of solid-fueled two-stage medium-range ballistic missiles designed and built by Martin Marietta to replace the PGM-11 Redstone missile as the United States Army's primary nuclear-capable theater-level weapon. The Pershing systems lasted over 30 years from the first test... |
Launch Complex 31 Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 31 Launch Complex 31 is a former launch complex at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.It was built in 1959 with LC-32 for the U.S. Air Force to conduct test launches of the first LGM-30 Minuteman missiles. LC-31 was built next to Navaho complex LC-9, requiring LC-10 to be demolished... |
Inactive | Minuteman, Pershing Pershing missile Pershing was a family of solid-fueled two-stage medium-range ballistic missiles designed and built by Martin Marietta to replace the PGM-11 Redstone missile as the United States Army's primary nuclear-capable theater-level weapon. The Pershing systems lasted over 30 years from the first test... . Used as a burial vault for the Space Shuttle Challenger Space Shuttle Challenger Space Shuttle Challenger was NASA's second Space Shuttle orbiter to be put into service, Columbia having been the first. The shuttle was built by Rockwell International's Space Transportation Systems Division in Downey, California... |
Launch Complex 32 Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 32 Launch Complex 32 is a former launch complex at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.It was built in 1959 with LC-31 for the U.S. Air Force to comduct test launches of the first LGM-30 Minuteman missiles. These complexes were the first to feature dual launch pads, one of which was subterranean... |
Inactive | Minuteman |
Launch Complex 34 Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 34 Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 34 is a launch site on Cape Canaveral, Florida. LC-34 and its twin to the north, LC-37, were used by NASA as part of the Apollo Program to launch Saturn I and IB rockets from 1961 through 1968... |
Inactive | Saturn I Saturn I The Saturn I was the United States' first heavy-lift dedicated space launcher, a rocket designed specifically to launch large payloads into low Earth orbit. Most of the rocket's power came from a clustered lower stage consisting of tanks taken from older rocket designs and strapped together to make... , Saturn IB Saturn IB The Saturn IB was an American launch vehicle commissioned by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for use in the Apollo program... . Site of Apollo 1 Apollo 1 Apollo 1 was scheduled to be the first manned mission of the Apollo manned lunar landing program, with a target launch date of February 21, 1967. A cabin fire during a launch pad test on January 27 at Launch Pad 34 at Cape Canaveral killed all three crew members: Command Pilot Virgil "Gus"... fire |
Launch Complex 37A | Inactive | Saturn I Saturn I The Saturn I was the United States' first heavy-lift dedicated space launcher, a rocket designed specifically to launch large payloads into low Earth orbit. Most of the rocket's power came from a clustered lower stage consisting of tanks taken from older rocket designs and strapped together to make... , Saturn IB Saturn IB The Saturn IB was an American launch vehicle commissioned by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration for use in the Apollo program... (unused) |
Launch Complex 43 Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 43 Launch Complex 43 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida was a launch complex used by American sounding rockets between 1962 and 1984. It supported 2,038 sounding rocket launches. In 1984, sounding rocket launches moved to LC-47, and LC-43 was demolished to make way for Launch Complex 46,... |
Demolished | Super Loki |
Launch Complex 45 | Inactive | Roland Roland (air defence) The Roland is a Franco-German mobile short-range surface-to-air missile system. The Roland was also purchased by the U.S. Army as one of very few foreign SAM systems.... (unused) |
Spaceport Florida
, the U.S. Air Force committed to lease Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Space Launch Complex 36 to Space Florida for future use by the Athena III launch system. It is not known if the plan was subsequently implemented.Site | Status | Uses |
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Space Launch Complex 36A | Currently Inactive | Atlas Atlas (missile) The SM-65 Atlas was the first intercontinental ballistic missile developed and deployed by the United States. It was built for the U.S. Air Force by Convair Division of General Dynamics at the Kearny Mesa assembly plant north of San Diego, California... /Centaur Centaur (rocket stage) Centaur is a rocket stage designed for use as the upper stage of space launch vehicles. Centaur boosts its satellite payload to geosynchronous orbit or, in the case of an interplanetary space probe, to or near to escape velocity... , Atlas II Atlas II Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s. Atlas II was the last Atlas to use a three engine, "stage-and-a-half" design: two of its three engines were jettisoned during ascent, but its fuel tanks and other... |
Space Launch Complex 36B | Currently Inactive | Atlas Atlas (missile) The SM-65 Atlas was the first intercontinental ballistic missile developed and deployed by the United States. It was built for the U.S. Air Force by Convair Division of General Dynamics at the Kearny Mesa assembly plant north of San Diego, California... , Atlas II Atlas II Atlas II was a member of the Atlas family of launch vehicles, which evolved from the successful Atlas missile program of the 1950s. Atlas II was the last Atlas to use a three engine, "stage-and-a-half" design: two of its three engines were jettisoned during ascent, but its fuel tanks and other... , Atlas III Atlas III The Lockheed Martin Atlas III was an American orbital launch vehicle, used between 2000 and 2005. It was the first member of the Atlas family since the Atlas A to feature a "normal" staging method, compared to the previous Atlas family members, which were equipped with jettisonable engines on the... |
Space Launch Complex 46 | Pending Reactivation | Athena (previous and future), Trident II |
Other
Site | Status | Uses |
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Atlantic Missle Range drop zone | Inactive | High Virgo High Virgo High Virgo, also known as Weapons System 199C , was a prototype air-launched ballistic missile jointly developed by Lockheed and the Convair division of General Dynamics during the late 1950s... , Bold Orion Bold Orion The Bold Orion missile, also known as Weapons System 199B , was a prototype air-launched ballistic missile developed by Martin Aircraft during the 1950s. Developed in both one- and two-stage designs, the missile was moderately successful in testing, and helped pave the way for development of the... , Hound Dog AGM-28 Hound Dog The North American Aviation Corporation AGM-28 Hound Dog was a supersonic, jet propelled, air-launched cruise missile. The Hound Dog missile was first given the designation B-77, then redesignated the GAM-77, and finally designated the AGM-28, permanently... , Skybolt |
Grand Turk Island Grand Turk Island Grand Turk Island is an island in the Turks and Caicos Islands. It is the largest island in the Turks Islands with . It contains the territory's capital, Cockburn Town and the JAGS McCartney International Airport... drop zone |
Inactive | |
Mobile Launch Area | Inactive | Lark, Matador MGM-1 Matador The Martin MGM-1 Matador was the first operational surface-to-surface cruise missile built by the United States. It was similar in concept to the German V-1, but the Matador included a radio link that allowed in-flight course corrections. This allowed accuracy to be maintained over greatly extended... , MX-775, Snark SM-62 Snark -External links:** Air Force Magazine article about a Snark that was test-fired and rumored to have been found in Brazil** detailed article on Snark and the USAF school to train personnel for it... |
SLBM Launch Area | Inactive | Polaris UGM-27 Polaris The Polaris missile was a two-stage solid-fuel nuclear-armed submarine-launched ballistic missile built during the Cold War by Lockheed Corporation of California for the United States Navy.... , Poseidon UGM-73 Poseidon The Poseidon missile was the second US Navy ballistic missile system, powered by a two-stage solid fuel rocket. It succeeded the Polaris missile beginning in 1972, bringing major advances in warheads and accuracy... , Trident |
Shuttle Landing Facility | Active | Pegasus |
Cape Canaveral AFS Skid Strip Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Skid Strip Cape Canaveral AFS Skid Strip is a military airport on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station , 7 miles northeast of Cocoa Beach, in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It has an asphalt paved runway designated 13/31 and measuring 10,000 x 200 ft. . The facility is owned by the United States... |
Active | Navaho SM-64 Navaho The North American SM-64 Navaho was a supersonic intercontinental cruise missile project built by North American Aviation. The program ran from 1946 to 1958 when it was cancelled in favor of intercontinental ballistic missiles... , Pegasus, Pegasus XL |
Patrick AFB Patrick Air Force Base Patrick Air Force Base is a United States Air Force Base located between Satellite Beach and Cocoa Beach, in Brevard County, Florida, United States. It was named in honor of Major General Mason Patrick. An Air Force Space Command base, it is home to the 45th Space Wing... |
Inactive | Matador MGM-1 Matador The Martin MGM-1 Matador was the first operational surface-to-surface cruise missile built by the United States. It was similar in concept to the German V-1, but the Matador included a radio link that allowed in-flight course corrections. This allowed accuracy to be maintained over greatly extended... |