| Cape Canaveral Space Force Station | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part ofPatrick Space Force Base | |||||||
| NearCocoa Beach, Florida in theUnited States | |||||||
 Emblem ofSpace Launch Delta 45 | |||||||
| Site information | |||||||
| Type | U.S. Space Force Station | ||||||
| Owner | Department of Defense | ||||||
| Operator | United States Space Force | ||||||
| Controlled by | Space Launch Delta 45 | ||||||
| Condition | Operational | ||||||
| Website | www | ||||||
| Location | |||||||
  Cape Canaveral SFS Location in the United States | |||||||
| Coordinates | 28°29′20″N80°34′40″W / 28.48889°N 80.57778°W /28.48889; -80.57778 | ||||||
| Area | 1,325 acres (5 km2)[1] | ||||||
| Site history | |||||||
| Built | 1949 (1949) (as the Joint Long Range Proving Ground) | ||||||
| In use | 1949 – present | ||||||
| Garrison information | |||||||
| Garrison | Space Launch Delta 45 | ||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||
| Identifiers | ICAO: KXMR,FAA LID: XMR | ||||||
| Elevation | 3 metres (10 ft)AMSL | ||||||
| |||||||
| Source:Federal Aviation Administration[2] | |||||||
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station | |||||||
| Location | Cape Canaveral, Florida, United States | ||||||
| Built | 1950+[3] | ||||||
| Visitation | Not open to the public | ||||||
| NRHP reference No. | 84003872[1] | ||||||
| Significant dates | |||||||
| Added to NRHP | April 16, 1984 | ||||||
| Designated NHLD | April 16, 1984[4] | ||||||
| Part ofa series on the |
| United States space program |
|---|
  |
National security space |
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) is an installation of theUnited States Space Force'sSpace Launch Delta 45, located onCape Canaveral inBrevard County, Florida.
Headquartered at the nearbyPatrick Space Force Base, the station is the primary launch site for the Space Force'sEastern Range[5] with threelaunch pads currently active (Space Launch Complexes40,41 and46). The facility is south-southeast ofNASA'sKennedy Space Center on adjacentMerritt Island, with the two linked by bridges and causeways. The Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Skid Strip provides a 10,000-foot (3,000 m) runway[6] close to the launch complexes for military airlift aircraft delivering heavy and outsized payloads to the Cape.
A number of American space exploration pioneers were launched from CCSFS, includingthe first U.S. Earth satellite (1958),first U.S. astronaut (1961),first U.S. astronaut in orbit (1962),first two-man U.S. spacecraft (1965),first U.S. uncrewed lunar landing (1966), andfirst three-man U.S. spacecraft (1968). It was also the launch site for all of the first spacecraft to (separately)fly past each of the planets in the Solar System (1962–1977), thefirst spacecraft to orbit Mars (1971) androam its surface (1996), the firstAmerican spacecraft to orbit and land on Venus (1978), thefirst spacecraft to orbit Saturn (2004), andto orbit Mercury (2011), andthe first spacecraft to leave the Solar System (1977). Portions of the base have been designated aNational Historic Landmark for their association with the early years of the American space program.[7]
Cape Canaveral was known asCape Canaveral Launch Area upon its foundation in 1949, but renamed toLRPG Launching Area in 1950. It was known asCape Canaveral Auxiliary Air Force Base from 1951 to 1955, andCape Canaveral Missile Test Annex from 1955 to 1964. The facility was later known asCape Kennedy Air Force Station from 1964 to 1974, and asCape Canaveral Air Force Station from 1974 to 1994 and from 2000 to 2020, taking the designationCape Canaveral Air Station from 1994 to 2000.[8][9][10] The facility was renamed "Cape Canaveral Space Force Station" in December 2020.[11][12]
The CCSFS area had been used by the United States government to test missiles since 1949, when PresidentHarry S. Truman established theJoint Long Range Proving Ground at Cape Canaveral.[13] The location was among the best in the continental United States for this purpose, as it allowed for launches out over the Atlantic Ocean, and is closer to theequator than most other parts of the United States, allowing rockets to get a boost from the Earth's rotation.[14]
On June 1, 1948, theUnited States Navy transferred the formerBanana River Naval Air Station to theUnited States Air Force, with the Air Force renaming the facility the Joint Long Range Proving Ground (JLRPG) Base on June 10, 1949. On October 1, 1949, the Joint Long Range Proving Ground Base was transferred from the Air Materiel Command to the Air Force Division of the Joint Long Range Proving Ground. On May 17, 1950, the base was renamed the Long Range Proving Ground Base but three months later was renamedPatrick Air Force Base, in honor of Major GeneralMason Patrick of the U.S. Army.[15] In 1951, the Air Force established theAir Force Missile Test Center.[16]
Early Americansub-orbital rocket flights were achieved at Cape Canaveral in 1956.[17] These flights occurred shortly after sub-orbital flights launched fromWhite Sands Missile Range, such as theViking 12 sounding rocket on February 4, 1955.[18]
Following the Soviet Union's successfulSputnik 1 (launched on October 4, 1957), the United States attempted its first launch of an artificial satellite from Cape Canaveral on December 6, 1957. However, the rocket carryingVanguard TV3 exploded on the launch pad.[19]
NASA was founded in 1958, and Air Force crews launched missiles for NASA from the Cape, known then as Cape Canaveral Missile Annex.Redstone,Jupiter,Pershing 1,Pershing 1a,Pershing II,Polaris,Thor,Atlas,Titan andMinuteman missiles were all tested from the site, the Thor becoming the basis for theexpendable launch vehicle (ELV)Delta rocket, which launchedTelstar 1 in July 1962. The row of Titan (LC-15, 16,19, 20) and Atlas (LC-11, 12, 13,14) launch pads along the coast came to be known asMissile Row in the 1960s.
NASA's first crewed spaceflight program was prepared for launch from Canaveral by U.S. Air Force crews. Mercury's objectives were to place a crewed spacecraft into Earth's orbit, investigate human performance and ability to function in space, and safely recover the astronaut and spacecraft.Suborbital flights were launched byderivatives of the Army's Redstone missile fromLC-5; two such flights were manned byAlan Shepard on May 5, 1961, andGus Grissom on July 21. Orbital flights were launched byderivatives of the Air Force's larger Atlas D missile fromLC-14. The first American in orbit wasJohn Glenn on February 20, 1962. Three more orbital flights followed through May 1963.
Flight control for all Mercury missions was provided at theMercury Control Center located at Canaveral near LC-14.
On November 29, 1963, following the death of PresidentJohn F. Kennedy, his successorLyndon B. Johnson issuedExecutive Order 11129 renaming both NASA'sMerritt Island Launch Operations Center and "the facilities of Station No. 1 of the Atlantic Missile Range" (a reference to the Cape Canaveral Missile Test Annex) as the "John F. Kennedy Space Center". He had also convinced GovernorC. Farris Bryant (D-Fla.) to change the name ofCape Canaveral toCape Kennedy. This resulted in some confusion in public perception, whichconflated the two.NASA AdministratorJames E. Webb clarified this by issuing a directive stating theKennedy Space Center name applied only to Merritt Island, while the Air Force issued a general order renaming the Air Force launch siteCape Kennedy Air Force Station.[20] This name was used through theProject Gemini and earlyApollo program.
However, the geographical name change proved to be unpopular, owing to the historical longevity of Cape Canaveral (one of the oldest place-names in the United States, dating to the early 1500s). In 1973 and 1974 respectively, both the geographical and the Air Force Station Cape names were reverted to Canaveral after theFlorida legislature passed a bill changing the name back that was signed into law by Florida governorReubin Askew (D-Fla.).[21][22]
On August 7, 2020, U.S. military contracts referred to the installation as Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.[23] The installation was formally renamed on December 9, 2020.[11]
The two-man Gemini spacecraft was launched into orbit by aderivative of theAir Force Titan II missile. Twelve Gemini flights were launched fromLC-19, ten of which were crewed. The first crewed flight,Gemini 3, took place on March 23, 1965. Later Gemini flights were supported by seven uncrewed launches of theAgena Target Vehicle on theAtlas-Agena fromLC-14, to developrendezvous anddocking, critical for Apollo. Two of the Atlas-Agena vehicles failed to reach orbit onGemini 6 and Gemini 9, and a mis-rigging of the nosecone on a third caused it to fail to eject in orbit, preventing docking onGemini 9A. The final flight,Gemini 12, launched on November 11, 1966.
The capabilities of the Mercury Control Center were inadequate for the flight control needs of Gemini and Apollo, so NASA built an improvedMission Control Center in 1963, which it decided to locate at the newly builtManned Spacecraft Center in Houston, Texas, rather than at Canaveral or at theGoddard Space Flight Center in Maryland.[24]
The Apollo program's goal of landing a man on the Moon required development of theSaturn family of rockets. The largeSaturn V rocket necessary to take men to the Moon required a larger launch facility than Cape Canaveral could provide, so NASA built theKennedy Space Center located west and north of Canaveral on Merritt Island. But the earlierSaturn I andIB could be launched from the Cape'sLaunch Complexes 34 and37. The first four Saturn I development launches were made from LC-34 between October 27, 1961, and March 28, 1963. These were followed by the final test launch and five operational launches from LC-37 between January 29, 1964, and July 30, 1965.
The Saturn IB uprated the capability of the Saturn I, so that it could be used for Earth orbital tests of the Apollo spacecraft. Two uncrewed test launches of theApollo command and service module (CSM),AS-201 andAS-202, were made from LC-34, and an uncrewed flight (AS-203) to test the behavior of upper stageliquid hydrogen fuel in orbit from LC-37, between February 26 and August 25, 1966. The first crewed CSM flight, AS-204 orApollo 1, was planned to launch from LC-34 on February 21, 1967, but the entire crew ofGus Grissom,Ed White andRoger Chaffee were killed in a cabin fire during a spacecraft test on pad 34 on January 27, 1967. The AS-204 rocket was used to launch the uncrewed, Earth orbital first test flight of theApollo Lunar Module,Apollo 5, from LC-37 on January 22, 1968. After significant safety improvements were made to the Command Module,Apollo 7 was launched from LC-34 to fulfill Apollo 1's mission, using Saturn IB AS-205 on October 11, 1968.
In 1972, NASA deactivated both LC-34 and LC-37. It briefly considered reactivating both forApollo Applications Program launches after the end of Apollo, but instead modified the Kennedy Space Center launch complex to handle the Saturn IB for theSkylab andApollo-Soyuz Test Project launches. The LC-34 service structure and umbilical tower were razed, leaving only the concrete launch pedestal as a monument to the Apollo 1 crew. In 2001, LC-37 was recommissioned and converted to serviceDelta IV launch vehicles.
The Air Force chose to expand the capabilities of the Titan launch vehicles for its heavy lift capabilities. The Air Force constructed Launch Complexes40 and41 to launch Titan III and Titan IV rockets just south ofKennedy Space Center. A Titan III has about the same payload capacity as theSaturn IB at a considerable cost savings.[citation needed]
Launch Complex 40 and 41 have been used to launch defense reconnaissance, communications and weather satellites and NASA planetary missions. The Air Force also planned to launch two Air Force crewed space projects from LC 40 and 41. They were theDyna-Soar, a crewed orbital rocket plane (canceled in 1963) and the USAFManned Orbital Laboratory (MOL), a crewed reconnaissance space station (canceled in 1969).[citation needed]
From 1974 to 1977 the powerful Titan-Centaur became the new heavy lift vehicle for NASA, launching theViking andVoyager series of spacecraft from Launch Complex 41. Complex 41 later became the launch site for the most powerful uncrewed U.S. rocket, theTitan IV, developed by the Air Force.[citation needed]
With increased use of aleased launch pad byprivate companySpaceX, the Air Force launch support operations at the Cape planned for 21 launches in 2014, a fifty percent increase over the 2013 launch rate. SpaceX had reservations for a total of ten of those launches in 2014, with an option for an eleventh.[25]
The first United States satellite launch,Explorer 1, was made by theArmy Ballistic Missile Agency on February 1, 1958 (UTC) from Canaveral'sLC-26A using aJuno I RS-29 missile. NASA's first launch,Pioneer 1, came on October 11 of the same year fromLC-17A using aThor-Able rocket.
Besides Project Gemini, theAtlas-Agena launch complexesLC-12 andLC-13 were used during the 1960s for the uncrewedRanger andLunar Orbiter programs and the first fiveMariner interplanetary probes. TheAtlas-Centaur launch complexLC-36 was used for the 1960sSurveyor uncrewed lunar landing program and the last five Mariner probes through 1973.
NASA has also launched communications and weather satellites from Launch Complexes40 and41, built at the north end of the Cape in 1964 by the Air Force for itsTitan IIIC andTitan IV rockets. From 1974 to 1977 the powerfulTitan IIIE served as the heavy-lift vehicle for NASA, launching theViking andVoyager series of planetary spacecraft and theCassini–Huygens Saturn probe from LC-41.
Three Cape Canaveral pads are currently operated by private industry for military and civilian launches:SLC-41 forUnited Launch Alliance'sAtlas V andVulcan Centaur;LC-36 forBlue Origin'sNew Glenn andSLC-40 for theSpaceXFalcon 9.
TheBoeing X-37B, a reusable uncrewed spacecraft operated byUSSF, which is also known as theOrbital Test Vehicle (OTV), has been successfully launched four times from Cape Canaveral.[26] The first four X-37B missions have been launched withAtlas V rockets. Past launch dates for the X-37Bspaceplane include April 22, 2010, March 5, 2011, December 11, 2012, and May 20, 2015. The fourth X-37B mission landed at theKennedy Space Center on May 7, 2017, after 718 days in orbit. The first three X-37B missions all made successful autonomous landings from space to a 15,000 foot (4,600 m) runway located atVandenberg Space Force Base in California which was originally designed forSpace Shuttle return from orbit operations.
Of the launch complexes built since 1950, several have been leased and modified for use by private aerospace companies. Launch ComplexSLC-17 was used for theDelta II Heavy variant, through 2011.[27] Launch ComplexesSLC-37 andSLC-41 were modified to launchEELVDelta IV andAtlas V launch vehicles, respectively.[28] These launch vehicles replaced all earlier Delta, Atlas, and Titan rockets. Launch ComplexSLC-47 is used to launch weather sounding rockets. Launch ComplexSLC-46 is reserved for use bySpace Florida.[29]
SLC-40hosted the first launch of theSpaceXFalcon 9 in June 2010.[30] Falcon 9 launches continued from this complex through 2015, consisting of uncrewedCommercial Resupply Services missions for NASA to theInternational Space Station as well as commercial satellite flights. On September 30th, 2024, SpaceX launched thefirst crewed flight from SLC-40. SpaceX has also leasedLaunch Complex 39A from NASA and has completed modifying it to accommodateFalcon Heavy andCommercial Crew crewed spaceflights to the ISS with theirCrew Dragon spacecraft in 2019.[31] SpaceXLanding Zone 1 and 2, used to land first stages of the Falcon 9 and the side boosters of the Falcon Heavy, are located at the site of the formerLC-13.
On September 16, 2015, NASA announced thatBlue Origin has leased Launch Complex 36 and will modify it as a launch site for their next-generation launch vehicles.[32][needs update]
In the case of low-inclination (geostationary) launches the location of the area at 28°27'N put it at a slight disadvantage against other launch facilities situated nearer the equator. The boost eastward from the Earth's rotation is about 406 m/s (908 miles per hour) at Cape Canaveral, but 463 m/s (1,035 miles per hour) at the EuropeanGuiana Space Centre in French Guiana.[33]
In the case of high-inclination (polar) launches, the latitude does not matter, but the Cape Canaveral area is not suitable, because inhabited areas underlie these trajectories;Vandenberg Space Force Base, Cape Canaveral'sWest Coast counterpart, or the smallerPacific Spaceport Complex – Alaska (PSCA) are used instead.
TheCape Canaveral Space Force Museum is located atLC-26.[34]Hangar AE, located in the CCAFS Industrial Area, collects telemetry from launches all over the United States. NASA'sLaunch Services Program has three Launch Vehicle Data Centers (LVDC) within that display telemetry real-time for engineers.
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Skid Strip (ICAO:KXMR,FAALID:XMR) is a militaryairport at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS), 7 nautical miles (13 km; 8.1 mi) northeast ofCocoa Beach, Florida. It has anasphalt-pavedrunway designated 13/31 and measuring 10,000 by 200 ft (3,048 by 61 m). The facility is owned by theUnited States Space Force (USSF).
This airport is assigned a three-letterlocation identifier ofXMR by theFederal Aviation Administration, but it does not have anInternational Air Transport Association (IATA) airport code.[35][36]
The runway was first called the Skid Strip becauseSM-62 Snark cruise missiles (which lacked wheels) returning from test flights were supposed to skid to a halt on it.[37]
In the 1960s theDouglas C-133 Cargomaster was a frequent visitor, carrying modifiedAtlas andTitan missiles, used as launch vehicles for crewed and uncrewed space programs leading to the Apollo Moon landings. The Skid Strip was used byNASA'sPregnant Guppy andSuper Guppy transport aircraft carrying theS-IVB upper stage for theSaturn IB andSaturn V rockets used inApollo program.
Today, it is predominantly used by USAFC-130 Hercules,C-17 Globemaster III andC-5 Galaxy aircraft transporting satellite payloads to CCSFS for mating with launch vehicles.
The CCSFS Skid Strip is sometimes confused with the NASAShuttle Landing Facility, but that runway, specially constructed for theSpace Shuttle, is located on Merritt Island at the adjacentKennedy Space Center.
A tenant command located at Cape Canaveral SFS is theU.S. Navy's Naval Ordnance Test Unit (NOTU). As a major shore command led by a Navycaptain, NOTU was created in 1950 and initially directed almost all of its efforts towards the development and subsequent support of the submarine-launched Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) program. This resulted in NOTU being assigned to the director of special projects (now strategic systems programs) with a mission to support the development of thePolaris missile and later thePoseidon missile programs.[38]
NOTU's mission is the support and testing of sea-based weapons systems for theUnited States Navy and theRoyal Navy in a safe environment utilizing the airspace and waterspace of the Eastern Range. The command directly supports the mission capability and readiness of the United States Navy's Trident Submarines as well as the Fleet Ballistic Missile program of the United Kingdom. NOTU operates the Navy Port at Port Canaveral, supporting submarines and surface ships of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet, NATO, Allied and other foreign navies, and assets of theMilitary Sealift Command. NOTU is composed of over 100 active duty U.S. Navy personnel and over 70 defense contractors.[38][39]
Listed below in this article are less notable launch complexes at the Cape. For a complete list of all launch complexes, see the below table.
Launch Complex 1 (LC-1) is located on the eastern tip of Cape Canaveral. It was constructed in the early 1950s for theSnark missile program.[40]
The first launch from this site was conducted on January 13, 1955. The complex was used for Snark missions until 1960, and then was utilized as ahelicopter pad duringProject Mercury. The final use of the site was from 1983 to 1989 fortethered aerostat balloon radar missions.[citation needed] It is now deactivated.
Launch Complex 2 (LC-2) is a deactivated launch site on the eastern tip of Cape Canaveral. It was constructed with launch complexes 1, 3, and 4, in the early 1950s, for theSnark missile program.
The first launch from this site was a Snark test conducted on February 18, 1954. The complex was used for Snark missions until 1960, and then was utilized as ahelicopter pad duringProject Mercury. The final use of the site was during the 1980s fortethered aerostat balloon radar missions.[citation needed]
Launch Complex 3 (LC-3) is a deactivated launch site southeast ofSLC-36 at Cape Canaveral. It was constructed, with launch complexes 1, 2, and 4, in the early 1950s for theSnark missile program.[40]
It was formerly used to launchBumper,BOMARC,UGM-27 Polaris, andLockheed X-17 missiles. The pad was also the site of the first launch fromCape Canaveral, aBumper rocket on July 24, 1950. The site also served as a medical support facility duringProject Mercury.[citation needed]
In 2023, after weeks of searching, students from theUniversity of Central Florida, working with archaeologists, discovered the site of the original blockhouse supporting the first Bumper launch just north of the pad at LC-3, including the slab foundation and some of the surroundingMarston mat, all long-buried under heavy scrub.[41]
| LC-4 Launches | |||
| Date/Time (UTC) | Type | Mission | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 September 1952 | Bomarc | Bomarc 621–1 | Failed |
| 20 August 1953, 14:37[42] | Redstone | Redstone RS-1 | Failed |
| 27 January 1954, 15:20 | Redstone | Redstone RS-2 | |
| 5 May 1954, 17:28 | Redstone | Redstone RS-3 | Failed |
| 18 August 1954, 14:04 | Redstone | Redstone RS-4 | Failed |
| 17 November 1954, 18:12 | Redstone | Redstone RS-6 | Failed |
| 9 February 1955, 20:15 | Redstone | Redstone RS-8 | Failed |
| 6 May 1955 | Matador | Matador GM-52-1895 | |
| 2 February 1956[43] | Bomarc | Bomarc 623–13 | |
| 21 May 1956 | Bomarc | Bomarc 623–16 | Failed |
| 17 April 1957 | Bomarc | Bomarc 624–1 | |
| 22 July 1957 | Bomarc | Bomarc 624–7 | |
| 1 May 1958 | Bomarc | Bomarc 624–19 | |
| 7 August 1958 | Bomarc | Bomarc 624-XY1 | |
| 24 September 1958 | Bomarc | Bomarc 624-XY4 | |
| 21 October 1958 | Bomarc | Bomarc 624-XY6 | |
| 21 November 1958 | Bomarc | Bomarc 624-XY7 | |
| 13 December 1958 | Bomarc | Bomarc 624-XY8 | |
| 27 January 1959 | Bomarc | Bomarc 624-XY16 | |
| 21 April 1959 | Bomarc | Bomarc 624-XY15 | |
| 27 May 1959 | Bomarc | Bomarc 631–1 | |
| 2 September 1959 | Bomarc | Bomarc 631–4 | |
| 28 October 1959 | Bomarc | Bomarc 631–5 | |
| 29 January 1960 | Bomarc | Bomarc 631–6 | |
| 15 April 1960 | Bomarc | Bomarc 631–8 | |
Launch Complex 4 (LC-4) was one of the first launch complexes to be built at Cape Canaveral. It consisted of two pads: LC-4, which was used for 25 launches ofBomarc,Matador andRedstone missiles between 1952 and 1960; and LC-4A, which was used for three Bomarc launches between 1958 and 1959.
Following its deactivation in 1960, the original structures at the complex were dismantled. New facilities were built at the site in the 1980s, and it was used forTARS aerostat operations between 1983 and 1989.[44] Following this, the aerostat launch facilities were also removed, and the complex is currently not accessible to the public.
Launch Complex 9 (LC-9) is a small concrete structure consisting of an elevated launch pedestal and flame trench, centered on a small oval-shaped concrete pad.. It is north of Launch Complex 17.
It was used for ten test launches ofSM-64 Navahosupersonicnuclear-armedcruise missiles. In addition to LC-9, Navaho tests were also conducted atLC-10 andEdwards Air Force Base. The Navaho was canceled after poor performance in testing: eight of the eleven test launches of the final prototype failed. All of the failed launches were conducted from LC-9.
As of 2023[update], the concrete launch structure is still standing, but is not maintained; and the launch support equipment has been removed. The site is not accessible to the general public.
Launch Complex 10 (LC-10) was used for oneSM-64 Navaho missile launch, and laterJasonsounding rockets and theAlpha Draco research missile. It was located north ofLaunch Complex 17, whereLaunch Complexes 31 and32 are now located.
A single Navaho missile was test-launched from LC-10, on August 12, 1957,[45] and was one of only three Navahos to complete a successful flight. Following the cancellation of the Navaho, LC-10 was reused for launches of Jason and Draco sounding rockets during 1958 and 1959. The last launch to use the site was of a Draco on April 27, 1959.
LC-10 was subsequently demolished during the construction of Launch Complexes 31 and 32, which were built on the same site.
Launch Complex 15 (LC-15) was used byLGM-25 Titan missiles between 1959 and 1964. It was originally built for conducting test flights of theTitan I, which made its maiden flight from LC-15 on February 6, 1959. LC-15 is the southernmost of the four original Titan launch complexes onMissile Row.
The last of ten Titan I launches from LC-15 occurred in September 1960. Following this, it was converted for use by theTitan II, which made the first of 16 flights from the complex in June 1962. The last launch from LC-15 occurred on April 9, 1964.
Following the last launch, LC-15 remained active until its retirement from service. Much of the complex, including the tower, launch stand and erector was demolished in June 1967. The blockhouse, cable tunnel, and parts of the launch table and ramp were abandoned in place, and were all still standing until the demolition of the blockhouse in 2011.
On March 7, 2023, the Space Force allocated the complex, which was renamed SLC-15, toABL Space Systems. ABL plans to build a launch installation for their RS1 small class launch vehicle.
_on_pad_LC-25A_CCAFS_-_1958-09-24.jpg)
Launch Complex 25 (LC-25) was a four-pad site built for test flights of theUS Navy'ssubmarine-launchedballistic missiles Polaris, Poseidon and Trident[46] It was active from 1958 to 1979.
Pads 25A and 25B were built in 1957. Pad 25B was initially built with an underground launch mechanism known as a ship motion simulator to simulate the roll and pitch of a submarine. It was first used August 14, 1959, and was mothballed in October 1961.[46] Pads 25C and 25D were added in May 1968 for the larger Poseidon. One blockhouse served all four pads; it was extensively reinforced when the Poseidon pads were added.
The complex was dismantled in 1979.
In November 2012, ground was broken for a new $185-million Navy missile test facility to be built over the underground structures at LC-25 and LC-29 called the Strategic Weapon System Ashore. The facility will allow the testing of fire control, launch systems and navigation for submarine-fired missiles to be conducted at one facility instead of being done by contractors in different locations around the country.[47]
Launch Complex 26 (LC-26) consisted of two pads,A andB. Pad A was used for theJupiter-C andJuno I rockets, and was the launch site forExplorer 1, theUnited States' first satellite, on February 1, 1958 (January 31 local time). Pad B was used forJuno II.Jupiter IRBMs were launched from both pads.
It was deactivated and is now the home of theCape Canaveral Space Force Museum.
_on_pad_LC-29A_at_CCSFS_-_1962-08-07.jpg)
Launch Complex 29 (LC-29) was a one-pad launch site at Cape Canaveral built for test flights of theUS Navy'ssubmarine-launched Polarisballistic missiles from 1958 to 1980. It also launched Chevaline missiles, which were British Polaris A-3 missiles.[48]
The complex was designed to contain two launch pads, 29A and 29B, but only 29A was built. The launch complex was dismantled in 1980.
In November 2012, ground was broken for a new $185-million Navy missile test facility to be built over the underground structures at LC-25 and LC-29 called the Strategic Weapons System Ashore. The facility will allow the testing of fire control, launch systems and navigation for submarine-fired missiles to be conducted at one facility instead of being done by contractors in different locations around the country.[47]
Launch Complex 43 (LC-43) was used by Americansounding rockets between 1962 and 1984, supporting 2,038 launches. These launches were moved to moved toLC-47 in 1984, and LC-43 was demolished to make way forLaunch Complex 46, which was built near the site.
Units marked GSU are Air Force Geographically Separate Units which, although based at Cape Canaveral SFS, are subordinate to Space Launch Delta 45 headquarters atPatrick SFB.[49][50]
Space Operations Command (SpOC)
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Media related toCape Canaveral Space Force Station at Wikimedia Commons
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