Cape Canaveral and adjacent Merritt Island on Florida's Atlantic coast are home to the USA's Eastern Range, the most active rocket range and spaceport in the country. The Eastern Range hosts two groundside operators: the military Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and the civilian Kennedy Space Center. Between them are dozens of launch pads, with several currently in active service and more in planning for activation.
Kennedy Space Center, operated by NASA, has two launch complexes on Merritt Island comprising four pads—two active, one under lease, and one inactive. From 1967 to 1975, it was the site of 13 Saturn V launches, three crewed Skylab flights and the Apollo–Soyuz; all Space Shuttle flights from 1981 to 2011, and one Ares 1-X flight in 2009. Since 2017, SpaceX uses Launch Complex 39A to launch their launch vehicles.
| Site | Status | Uses | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launch Complex 39A | Active Owned by NASA, Leased to SpaceX | Current: Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy Future: SpaceX Starship Prior: Saturn V, Space Shuttle | 28°36′30.2″N80°36′15.6″W / 28.608389°N 80.604333°W |
| Launch Complex 39B | Active [1] Owned by NASA | Current: Space Launch System Prior: Saturn V, Saturn IB (Skylab and Apollo–Soyuz), Space Shuttle, Ares 1-X | 28°37′38″N80°37′15″W / 28.62722°N 80.62083°W |
| Launch Complex 48 | Inactive Owned by NASA | LC-48 is designed as a "clean pad" to support multiple launch systems with differing propellant needs. It is awaiting its first customer. | 28°35′55″N80°35′20.8″W / 28.59861°N 80.589111°W |
| Launch Complex 49 (Planned) [2] | Planned Owned by NASA Requested for lease by SpaceX | Planned launch use by SpaceX Starship |
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS), operated by Space Launch Delta 45 of the U.S. Space Force, was the site of all U.S. crewed launches before Apollo 8, as well as many other early Department of Defense (DoD) and NASA launches. For the DoD, it plays a secondary role to Vandenberg SFB in California, but is the launch site for many NASA uncrewed space probes, as those spacecraft are typically launched on United States Space Force launchers. Much of the support activity for CCSFS occurs at Patrick Space Force Base to the south, its reporting base.
Active launch vehicles are in bold.
| Site | Status | Uses | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launch Complex 13 (Landing Zone 1 and 2) | Active - Leased to SpaceX | Current: Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy first stage landing site [3] Prior: Atlas, Atlas Agena Future: Phantom Space, Vaya Space. [4] | 28°29′09″N80°32′40″W / 28.4859°N 80.5444°W |
| Space Launch Complex 37B | Active - Used by United Launch Alliance | Prior: Saturn I, Saturn IB, Delta IV Medium, Delta IV Heavy Future: Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy , SpaceX Starship | 28°31′55″N80°34′01″W / 28.531986°N 80.566821°W |
| Space Launch Complex 40 | Active - Leased to SpaceX | Current: Falcon 9 Prior: Titan III, Titan IV, Falcon 9 v1.0, Falcon 9 1.1 | 28°33′44″N80°34′38″W / 28.562106°N 80.577180°W |
| Space Launch Complex 41 | Active - Used by United Launch Alliance | Current: Atlas V , Vulcan Prior: Titan III, Titan IV | 28°35′00″N80°34′59″W / 28.58333°N 80.58306°W |
| Launch Complex 47 | Active (has not been used for some time) | Current: Rocketsonde Sounding Rocket and Super Loki | 28°32′57″N80°34′03″W / 28.549123°N 80.5674339°W |
As of 2008 [update] , Air Force Space Command committed to lease Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 36 to Space Florida for future use by the Athena III launch system. [5] It is not known if the plan was subsequently implemented.[ needs update ] Blue Origin leased Complex 36 in 2015, with plans to launch its reusable orbital vehicle from there by 2020 though as of early 2022 the launch is planned for the end of this year. [6]
| Site | Status | Uses | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Space Launch Complex 36A | Undergoing renovation Leased to Spaceport Florida, subleased to Blue Origin [6] | Future: New Glenn [6] Previous: Atlas/Centaur, [5] Atlas II [7] | 28°28′14″N80°32′24″W / 28.47056°N 80.54000°W |
| Space Launch Complex 36B | Undergoing renovation Leased to Spaceport Florida, subleased to Blue Origin [6] | Future: New Glenn [6] Previous: Atlas, Atlas II, Atlas III | |
| Space Launch Complex 46 | Active Leased to Spaceport Florida, subleased to Astra [8] [9] | Future: Rocket 4/5 [10] Previous: Athena, Trident II, [11] Minotaur IV, [12] Rocket 3 | 28°27′30″N80°31′42″W / 28.45833°N 80.52833°W |
| Site | Status | Uses | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Missile Range drop zone | Inactive | High Virgo, Bold Orion, Hound Dog, Skybolt | |
| Grand Turk Auxiliary AFB, Grand Turk Island drop zone | Inactive | Arcas (All-Purpose Rocket for Collecting Atmospheric Soundings) | |
| Mobile Launch Area | Inactive | Lark, Matador, Snark [14] | |
| Eastern SLBM Launch Area | Active | Polaris, Poseidon, Trident | |
| Shuttle Landing Facility | Active | Pegasus, X-37B | 28°36′54″N80°41′40″W / 28.615°N 80.6945°W |
| Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Skid Strip | Active | Navaho, Pegasus, Pegasus XL | 28°28′05″N80°34′01″W / 28.468°N 80.567°W |
| Patrick SFB | Inactive | Matador |
The John F. Kennedy Space Center, located on Merritt Island, Florida, is one of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) ten field centers. Since December 1968, KSC has been NASA's primary launch center of American spaceflight, research, and technology. Launch operations for the Apollo, Skylab and Space Shuttle programs were carried out from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 and managed by KSC. Located on the east coast of Florida, KSC is adjacent to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS). The management of the two entities work very closely together, share resources and operate facilities on each other's property.
Vandenberg Space Force Base, previously Vandenberg Air Force Base, is a United States Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, California. Established in 1941, Vandenberg Space Force Base is a space launch base, launching spacecraft from the Western Range, and also performs missile testing. The United States Space Force's Space Launch Delta 30 serves as the host delta for the base. In addition to its military space launch mission, Vandenberg Space Force Base also hosts space launches for civil and commercial space entities, such as NASA and SpaceX.
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) is an installation of the United States Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45, located on Cape Canaveral in Brevard County, Florida.
Gemini 2 was the second spaceflight of the American human spaceflight program Project Gemini, and was launched and recovered on January 19, 1965. Gemini 2, like Gemini 1, was an uncrewed mission intended as a test flight of the Gemini spacecraft. Unlike Gemini 1, which was placed into orbit, Gemini 2 made a suborbital flight, primarily intended to test the spacecraft's heat shield. It was launched on a Titan II GLV rocket. The spacecraft used for the Gemini 2 mission was later refurbished into the Gemini B configuration, and was subsequently launched on another suborbital flight, along with OPS 0855, as a test for the US Air Force Manned Orbital Laboratory. Gemini spacecraft no. 2 was the first craft to make more than one spaceflight since the X-15, and the only one until Space Shuttle Columbia flew its second mission in 1981; it would also be the only space capsule to be reused until Crew Dragon Endeavour was launched a second time in 2021.
Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) is the first of Launch Complex 39's three launch pads, located at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Merritt Island, Florida. The pad, along with Launch Complex 39B, was first designed to accommodate the Saturn V launch vehicle. Typically used to launch NASA's crewed spaceflight missions since the late 1960s, the pad was leased by SpaceX and has been modified to support their launch vehicles.
Launch Complex 39 (LC-39) is a rocket launch site at the John F. Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island in Florida, United States. The site and its collection of facilities were originally built as the Apollo program's "Moonport" and later modified for the Space Shuttle program.
Space Launch Complex 3 (SLC-3) is a launch site at Vandenberg Space Force Base that consists of two separate launch pads. SLC-3E (East) was used by the Atlas V launch vehicle before it was decommissioned in August 2021 with the final launch taking place on November 10, 2022 at 09:49, while SLC-3W (West) has been demolished.
Space Launch Complex 6 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California is a launch pad and support area. The site was originally developed starting in 1966, but no launches occurred until 1995, as it was repurposed sequentially for three programs that were subsequently cancelled. Initially to be used for Titan IIIM rockets and the Manned Orbiting Laboratory, these were cancelled before construction of SLC-6 was complete. The complex was later rebuilt to serve as the west coast launch site for the Space Shuttle, but went unused due to budget, safety and political considerations. The pad was subsequently used for four Athena rocket launches before being modified to support the Delta IV launch vehicle family, which used the pad for ten launches from 2006 until 2022. The last Delta IV launched in September 2022, and SpaceX leased SLC-6 in 2023 to convert it to launch Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy starting in 2025.
Space Launch Complex 37 (SLC-37), previously Launch Complex 37 (LC-37), is a launch complex on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. Construction began in 1959 and the site was accepted by NASA to support the Saturn I program in 1963. The complex consists of two launch pads. LC-37A has never been used, but LC-37B launched uncrewed Saturn I flights and was modified and launched Saturn IB flights, including the first (uncrewed) test of the Apollo Lunar Module in space. It was deactivated in 1972. In 2001 it was modified as the launch site for Delta IV, a launch system operated by United Launch Alliance.
Space Launch Complex 17 (SLC-17), previously designated Launch Complex 17 (LC-17), was a launch site at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS), Florida used for Thor and Delta launch vehicles launches between 1958 and 2011.
Space Launch Complex 41 (SLC-41), previously Launch Complex 41 (LC-41), is an active launch site at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. As of 2024, the site is used by United Launch Alliance (ULA) for Atlas V and Vulcan Centaur launches. Previously, it had been used by the USAF for Titan III and Titan IV launches.
Launch Complex 36 (LC-36)—formerly known as Space Launch Complex 36 (SLC-36) from 1997 to 2010—is a launch complex at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Brevard County, Florida. It was used for Atlas launches by NASA and the U.S. Air Force from 1962 until 2005.
Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40), sometimes pronounced Slick Forty and previously Launch Complex 40 (LC-40) is a launch pad for rockets located at the north end of Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.
Launch Complex 39B (LC-39B) is the second of Launch Complex 39's three launch pads, located at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Merritt Island, Florida. The pad, along with Launch Complex 39A, was first designed for the Saturn V launch vehicle, which at the time was the United States' most powerful rocket. Typically used to launch NASA's crewed spaceflight missions since the late 1960s, the pad is currently configured for use by the agency's Space Launch System rocket, a Shuttle-derived launch vehicle which is currently used in the Artemis program and subsequent Moon to Mars campaigns. The pad had also been leased by NASA to aerospace company Northrop Grumman, for use as a launch site for their Shuttle-derived OmegA launch vehicle, for National Security Space Launch flights and commercial launches, before the OmegA program was cancelled.
Missile Row was a nickname given in the 1960s to the United States Space Force and NASA launch complexes at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS). Operated by the 45th Space Wing since 1949, it 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 probes, as those spacecraft are typically launched on United States Space Force launchers. Active launch vehicles are in bold.
Space Launch Complex 4 (SLC-4) is a launch and landing site at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, U.S. It has two pads, both of which are used by SpaceX for Falcon 9, one for launch operations, and the other as Landing Zone 4 (LZ-4) for SpaceX landings. The Vanderberg base is also featured in William Pierces Novel "The Turner Diaries".
Launch Complex 13 (LC-13) was a launch complex at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, the third-most southerly of the original launch complexes known as Missile Row, lying between LC-12 and LC-14. In 2015, the LC-13 site was leased by SpaceX and was renovated for use as Landing Zone 1 and Landing Zone 2, the company's East Coast landing location for returning Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launch vehicle booster stages. It is leased by US Space Force to Phantom Space and Vaya Space who will operate this launch complex after the termination of SpaceX's lease in future.
The Space Launch Complex 46 (SLC-46), previously Launch Complex 46 (LC-46), is a launch complex at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station operated under license by Space Florida previously used for Athena rocket launches. It has been used by Astra, which will continue the use with Rocket 4 and maybe 5 and will be used by ABL Space Systems for the near-term use by RS1.
The 6555th Aerospace Test Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Eastern Space and Missile Center and stationed at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. It was inactivated on 1 October 1990.
Landing Zone 1 and Landing Zone 2, also known as LZ-1 and LZ-2 respectively, are landing facilities on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station for recovering components of SpaceX's VTVL reusable launch vehicles. LZ-1 and LZ-2 were built on land leased in February 2015, on the site of the former Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 13. SpaceX built Landing Zone 2 at the facility to have a second landing pad, allowing two Falcon Heavy boosters to land simultaneously.