NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC)

NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC)

KSC (Kennedy Space Center) is one of 10 NASA field centers, is a premier multiuser spaceport with more than 90 private-sector partners and nearly 250 partnership agreements. Once known as Cape Kennedy, opened 1968. KSC is adjacent to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS). Location: Merritt Island, Florida.

Weather

Launch Complex (LC), Space Launch Complex (SLC) and pad (A, B or C)

Status: Active

LC-13 and Landing Zone LZ-1 and LZ-2

  • SpaceX.
  • Prior: Atlas, Atlas Agena.
  • Current: Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy first stage landing site.
  • Future: Phantom Space, Vaya Space.

LC-16

  • Relativity Space. 
  • Prior: Titan I, Titan II, Pershing 1a, Pershing II, Terran 1.
  • Current: 
  • Future: Terran R.

LC-36A

  • Blue Origin.
  • Prior: Atlas-Centaur, Atlas I, II and III.
  • Current: 
  • Future: New Glenn, New Armstrong.

LC-36B

  • Blue Origin.
  • Prior: Atlas LV, Surveyor D, Atlas-Centaur, Atlas I, II and III.
  • Current: 
  • Future: New Glenn, New Armstrong.

LC-37

  • ULA.
  • Prior: Saturn I, Saturn IB, Delta IV Medium, Delta IV Heavy.
  • Current: Delta IV Heavy.
  • Future: 

LC-39A

  • SpaceX.
  • Prior: Saturn V, Space Shuttle.
  • Current: Falcon Heavy, Falcon 9 Block 5.
  • Future: SpaceX Starship.

LC-39B

  • NASA.
  • Prior: Saturn V, Saturn IB (Skylab and Apollo–Soyuz), Space Shuttle, Ares 1-X.
  • Current: Space Launch System.
  • Future: 

SLC-40

  • SpaceX.
  • Prior: Titan III, Titan IV, Falcon 9 v1.0, Falcon 9 v1.1.
  • Current: Falcon 9 Block 5.
  • Future: 

SLC-41

  • ULA.
  • Prior: Titan III, Titan IV.
  • Current: Atlas V, Vulcan Centaur. Peregrine Lunar Lander.
  • Future: 

LC-46

  • Spaceport Florida and Astra.
  • Prior: Athena, Trident II, Minotaur IV, Rocket 3.
  • Current: 
  • Future: Rocket 4, Rocket 5.

Launch Pad Facilities

  • Flame trench is directed to the ocean.
  • The launch pads are on an elevation to make room for the flame trenches. This volume would otherwise be below sea level.
  • Water deluge to protect the pad and dampen the sound vibrations.
  • A catenary system is designed to intercept a direct lightning strike and convey it to ground immediately adjacent to the protected facility.
KSC Map
KSC Map
KSC Launch pads
KSC Launch pads
LC-39B
LC-39B

Orbit

Facilities

  • BFF: Booster Fabrication Facility.
  • Blue Origin launch vehicle factory.
  • Hangar AE. Used by the Launch Services Program (LSP) and other customers as a communications center, receiving and monitoring telemetry data from launch vehicles and spacecraft on the ground and during flight.
  • Hangar X. Roberts Road Facility (SpaceX).
  • LASF: Launch Abort System Facility.
  • LCC: Launch Control Center. See NASA mission management.
  • LVDC: Launch Vehicle Data Center.
  • MDC: Mission Director’s Center. Senior management.
  • OCB: Operations and Checkout Building (O&C Neil Armstrong). Suit-up area near LC-39. Orion (Lockheed Martin).
  • OPF: Orbiter Processing Facility. Starliner CST-100 (Boeing).
  • PHSF: Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility.
  • RPSF: Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility. Solid rocket boosters.
  • SSF: Space Station Factory.
  • VAB: Vehicle Assembly Building.
  • Runway landing facility 15/33. Space plane X-37 by Boeing, Shuttle Carrier aircraft, Space Shuttle (prime landing site). Single 15,000-foot (4,600 m) concrete runway.
LC-39B
LC-39B

Footnote