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 A multiple exposure photograph of the configuration of Pad 19 up until the launch ofGemini 10. | |||||||||||
 Interactive map of Launch Complex 19 | |||||||||||
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral Space Force Station | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Location | 28°30′24″N80°33′15″W / 28.50667°N 80.55417°W /28.50667; -80.55417 | ||||||||||
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (EST) | ||||||||||
• Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (EDT) | ||||||||||
| Short name | LC-19 | ||||||||||
| Operator | United States Space Force | ||||||||||
| Total launches | 27 | ||||||||||
| Launch pad | 1 | ||||||||||
| Orbital inclination range | 28° - 57° | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Launch Complex 19 (LC-19) is a deactivatedlaunch site onCape Canaveral Space Force Station,Florida. One of the eight pads considered part ofMissile Row, it is most famous for being used as part ofProject Gemini, being the launch site of all ten crewed missions in 1965 and 1966.[1] Additionally, it was used for tests of theHGM-25A Titan I in the late 1950s and early 1960s.[2]
Launch Complex 19 was originally built from 1957 to 1959 for theUnited States Air Force as part of theTitan I missile program, being used for test launches alongsideLC-20 to the north andLC-15 andLC-16 to the south. The first launch out of the complex was made on August 14, 1959, when a Titan I exploded on the pad thanks to a premature engine shutdown after liftoff.[3] This extensively damaged LC-19, which took a few months to repair before the first successful flight occurred on February 2, 1960. Going from 1959 to 1962, the complex saw a total of 15 launches of the Titan I, all of them being suborbital flights and 12 of them being labeled as successes.
On January 29, 1962, the Air Force launched their final Titan I from LC-19, as theICBM was slated to be replaced by thehypergolic fueledLGM-25C Titan II. Unlike the previous era where all four Titan pads were used for missile tests, the military decided to only utilize LC-15 and 16 for that purpose atCape Canaveral. Later in the year,NASA announced that they had chosen LC-19 to be the launch site ofProject Gemini, of which its eponymous spacecraft would make use of ahuman-rated Titan II named theTitan II GLV.
As part of Gemini, the facility underwent various modifications to supportcrewed spaceflight. Most notably, thebooster erector had awhite room installed at the top in order to support the egress ofastronauts. The first launch in this configuration (and the first orbital launch from the complex) occurred on April 8, 1964 forGemini 1, an uncrewed mission that tested both the capsule's structural integrity and the flight-worthiness of the GLV. LC-19 joinedLC-5 andLC-14 as the third pad at the Cape to support a crewed spaceflight with the launch ofGemini 3 on March 23, 1965, which carriedGus Grissom andJohn Young intolow Earth orbit.
Throughout the entirety of the program, LC-19 was the site of all 12 of the 19 launches associated with Project Gemini (the other seven launching fromLC-14), all 12 numbered missions, and all ten missions carrying astronauts.[4] Among the notable flights that started at the facility include the first Americanspacewalk withGemini 4, the first closerendezvous withGemini 7 and6A, and the firstdocking withGemini 8. Also noteworthy wasGemini 11, which set a non-Apollo distance record of 1,374 km (854 mi) from Earth that stood untilPolaris Dawn in 2024. The final mission of the program that launched from the complex wasGemini 12, which launched on November 11, 1966 and carriedJim Lovell andBuzz Aldrin into orbit. Following the liftoff, LC-19 was deactivated from use and has sat dormant in the years since.
On May 30, 1977, the launch tower and umbilical used for supporting the Titan launches were demolished in order to prevent dangers associated with rusting. Additionally, LC-19 alongside the rest of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station was designated as aNational Historic Landmark in April 1984.[4] The booster erector remained in place until its dismantlement in August 2003, though the white room was partially restored and relocated to theAir Force Space and Missile Museum (now Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum) situated at the sites ofLC-26,LC-5, andLC-6.[5]
Currently, LC-19 is the only complex in Missile Row that has not previously been leased to aNewSpace company, and is currently sandwiched betweenFirefly Aerospace's lease of SLC-20 andRelativity Space's presence at LC-16. However, theUnited States Space Force has made intentions of leasing the pad out in the near future.[6]
All Titan I flights operated by theUnited States Air Force. All Titan II flights operated byNASA.
| No. | Date | Time (UTC) | Launch Vehicle | Mission/Payload | Result | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 August 1959 | 16:00 | HGM-25A Titan I | Suborbital test | Failure | First launch from LC-19. Release mechanism failure resulted in earlier than planned liftoff, leading to engines shutting down early and rocket falling back onto pad. |
| 2 | 2 February 1960 | 18:08 | HGM-25A Titan I | Suborbital test | Success | First successful launch from LC-19. |
| 3 | 10 August 1960 | 22:46 | HGM-25A Titan I | Suborbital test | Success | |
| 4 | 28 September 1960 | Unknown | HGM-25A Titan I | Suborbital test | Success | |
| 5 | 24 October 1960 | 23:16 | HGM-25A Titan I | Suborbital test | Success | |
| 6 | 20 January 1961 | 20:53 | HGM-25A Titan I | Suborbital test | Failure | Anomalous disconnect of launch pad umbilical caused failure of second stage ignition. |
| 7 | 20 February 1961 | Unknown | HGM-25A Titan I | Suborbital test | Success | |
| 8 | 28 March 1961 | Unknown | HGM-25A Titan I | Suborbital test | Success | |
| 9 | 24 June 1961 | 03:28 | HGM-25A Titan I | Suborbital test | Failure | Hydraulics failure in second stage led to loss of rocket's control. |
| 10 | 25 July 1961 | 19:05 | HGM-25A Titan I | Suborbital test | Success | |
| 11 | 8 September 1961 | Unknown | HGM-25A Titan I | Suborbital test | Success | |
| 12 | 7 October 1961 | 01:30 | HGM-25A Titan I | Suborbital test | Success | |
| 13 | 19 November 1961 | Unknown | HGM-25A Titan I | Suborbital test | Success | |
| 14 | 15 December 1961 | Unknown | HGM-25A Titan I | Suborbital test | Success | |
| 15 | 29 January 1962 | 23:30 | HGM-25A Titan I | Suborbital test | Success | Final Titan I flight from LC-19. |
| 16 | 8 April 1964 | 16:00 | Titan II GLV | Gemini 1 | Success | First flight ofProject Gemini and maiden flight of the Titan II GLV. First civilian launch from LC-19 and first orbital launch from LC-19. Gemini spacecraft remained attached to second stage, and holes were drilled intoheat shield to ensure breakup onreentry. |
| 17 | 19 January 1965 | 14:04 | Titan II GLV | Gemini 2 | Success | Suborbital launch. First flight of an operational Gemini spacecraft. CapsuleGemini SC-2 was later reused on the onlyManned Orbiting Laboratory mission,OPS-0855. |
| 18 | 23 March 1965 | 14:24 | Titan II GLV | Gemini 3 | Success | First crewed launch of Project Gemini and from LC-19. First American crewed flight with multiple astronauts, withGus Grissom andJohn Young on board. |
| 19 | 3 June 1965 | 15:16 | Titan II GLV | Gemini 4 | Success | Conducted first Americanspacewalk, being done by astronautEd White. First multiday American spaceflight, lasting for four days. |
| 20 | 21 August 1965 | 14:00 | Titan II GLV | Gemini 5 | Success | Set record for crewed duration in space, at 7 days 22 hours. Flight cut short by a day because ofHurricane Betsy. |
| 21 | 4 December 1965 | 19:30 | Titan II GLV | Gemini 7 | Success | Originally intended to fly after Gemini 6. Set record for crewed duration in space, at 13 days 18 hours. Participated in first crewedrendezvous in space with Gemini 6A. |
| 22 | 15 December 1965 | 13:37 | Titan II GLV | Gemini 6A | Success | Originally intended to dock with anAgena Target Vehicle, but plans were changed after ATV launch failed. Participated in first crewed rendezvous in space with Gemini 7. |
| 23 | 16 March 1966 | 16:41 | Titan II GLV | Gemini 8 | Success | Firstdocking in space, docking with an Agena Target Vehicle. First orbital flight of an American civilian, astronautNeil Armstrong. Mission cut short following failure of a thruster, causing spacecraft to dangerously tumble. |
| 24 | 3 June 1966 | 13:39 | Titan II GLV | Gemini 9A | Success | Mission to dock with theAugmented Target Docking Adapter. Originally intended to dock with an Agena Target Vehicle, but plans were changed after ATV launch failed. Flew backup crew after prime crew membersElliot See andCharles Bassett died in a plane crash. Docking called off following discovery of ATDA's fairings failing to separate. |
| 25 | 18 July 1966 | 22:20 | Titan II GLV | Gemini 10 | Success | Mission to dock with an Agena Target Vehcile. First completely successful mission involving an ATV. First double rendezvous, visiting both their and Gemini 8's ATV, and performed first burn of a spacecraft while docked. |
| 26 | 12 September 1966 | 14:42 | Titan II GLV | Gemini 11 | Success | Mission to dock with an Agena Target Vehicle. Performed first direct-ascent rendezvous. First test withartificial gravity in space, using a tether between the Gemini spacecraft and ATV. Set a non-Apollo crewed altitude record of 1,374 km that stood untilPolaris Dawn in 2024. |
| 27 | 11 November 1966 | 20:46 | Titan II GLV | Gemini 12 | Success | Mission to dock with an Agena Target Vehicle. Orbital boost was cancelled due to engine problem after insertion intolow Earth orbit. Final flight of Project Gemini, and final launch of the Titan II GLV. Most recent launch from LC-19. |
This article incorporatespublic domain material from websites or documents of theNational Aeronautics and Space Administration.
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