News and views from the World's Spaceports.

Monthly archives for October, 2010

Shuttle Discovery STS-133 launch delayed 24 hours

Oct29
2010 Leave a Comment Written by Mike
Space Shuttle Discovery STS-133 launch delayed 24 hours

Space Shuttle Discovery STS-133 launch delayed 24 hours

A leak was found last night whilst bringing the helium gas up to pressure.  On examination there was some material found in a coupling thought to be fragments of an O ring.

Repairs to the coupling are undergoing at this time and although the repair is expected to take about 2 hours the pressurising of the tanks and lines will take about 16 hours.  This delay will push the launch back at least 24 hours.

The new launch date is 2nd November 2010 at 20:12 GMT (4:12pm EDT).  The weather conditions are predicted to be favourable for the launch with just a 30% chance of a violation.  There are plenty of other opportunities to launch over the next week in case additional time is required.

Posted in Kennedy Space Center, Space Shuttle, STS-133 Discovery - Tagged , , , , , ,

Discovery STS-133 Cleared for Launch 1st Nov 2010

Oct25
2010 Leave a Comment Written by Mike
Discovery STS-133 on launch pad 39A preparing for launch

Discovery STS-133 on launch pad 39A preparing for launch

Today NASA completed the Flight Readiness Review (FRR) for Space Shuttle STS-133 mission to the International Space Station. There were a few concerns about a small leak in a fuel line to the Orbitors manoeuvring rocket motors, but the work to replace seals performed at the weekend was successful and flight directors are happy with the repairs. The repairs took up some of the contingency built into the lead up to launch, but did not adversely affect final preparations of timelines.

Todays decision means that Discovery is now cleared for launch processing and the official launch date is 1st November 2010 at 4:40 Eastern (20:40 GMT).

This will be Discovery’s last flight to the Space Station in a mission planned for 11 days.  The payload being delivered is the Permanent Multipurpose Module.  This used to be the logistics module Leonardo which has been refitted to remain attached to the Space Station.

Discovery has successfully flown 38 previous missions (34 of which were to the International Space Station).

I am packing my bags now ready to fly to Florida to witness the final launch on Monday.  We will be tweeting on @wired4space and will have video, pictures and reports of the launch.

GO DISCOVERY

The official NASA press release follows:
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Posted in Kennedy Space Center, Rocket Launch Companies, Space Shuttle - Tagged , , , , , ,

SLC-46 Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral AFS

Oct25
2010 Leave a Comment Written by Mike
LC-46 Athena II with payload Lunar Prospector (photo credit NASA)

LC-46 Athena II with payload Lunar Prospector (photo credit NASA)

Launch complex 46 is the most eastern of the launch site on Cape Canaveral AFS, located right at the tip of the elbow of Merrit Island.  This is the most recent launch complex to be built, though not the most modern. Other complexes have been repurposed or modernised since.

Originally constructed in the mid 1980s it was built to test the US Navy Trident II ballistic missile program.   This program saw 18 Trident missiles launched between January 15th 1987 and January 26th 1989.

When the Trident program was completed the site was mothballed pending repurposing.  This came in the mid 1990s when Space Florida won a contract to process small commercial space projects.  The launch pad was fitted out with a new launch platform and mobile service structure and was certified for launches again in the late 1990s.

Under the new regime two Athena rockets have launched.  January 1998 saw a lunar probe launched as part of the NASA Ames project. In January 1999 the ROCSAT-1 satellite was launched, the first satellite for Taiwan carrying experimental communications, ocean imagery, and ionospheric studies instruments.

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Posted in Athena, Cape Canaveral AFS, Lunar Prospector, Trident - Tagged , ,

SLC-37A Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral AFS

Oct25
2010 1 Comment Written by Mike
LC-37A Built but never used for launches

LC-37A Built but never used for launches

Launch Pad 37A is a bit of a misnomer.  Originally planned and built in 1962 (along with LC-34) pad 37A was never used.

Looking at the aerial image it is clearly apparent that the design of LC-37 was to include 2 active pads. The blockhouse was constructed at the apex of the triangle between pads and blockhouse, equidistant from both pads.  The orbiting access road is symmetrical around both pads, yet there were never any flights from 37A.

LC-37B however is a very different matter.  It saw 7 Saturn I launches between January 29th 1964 and January 22 1968.  In 1971 it was deactivated with it structures removed in 1972 when it lay dormant until 2002 when it was repurposed for the new Delta IV missions.

For more information about the current status of the launch complex check the entry for SLC-37B.

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Posted in Apollo, Cape Canaveral AFS, Delta IV, Saturn 1 - Tagged , , ,

SLC-36 Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral AFS

Oct25
2010 1 Comment Written by Mike
LC-36 Atlas II launches the GOES-L satellite (picture credit NASA)

LC-36 Atlas II launches the GOES-L satellite (picture credit NASA)

Space Launch Complex 36 was originally designed as a complex with a single launch pad.  It is tucked in at the bottom of ICBM Road just south of LC-11.  The complex was built in 1961 for the Atlas rocket development program. The first rocket launched from LC-36A was an Atlas/Centaur test flight on May 8th 1962.  The flight ended in an explosion due to a failure of the Atlas booster.

Complex 36 was the birthplace of NASA’s planetary launch program and was operated by NASA until the late 1980s when it was taken over by the USAF.

Launch Pad 36B is clearly an unplanned addition to the complex.  LC-36A is directly opposite the blockhouse with the cabling conduits leading straight to the pad.  LC-36B is almost at right angles to the blockhouse with extended cabling leading out to the pad.  LC-36B was built and commissioned in 1963/4 with its first flight on August 11th 1965.

Complex 36 hosted many historic missions over the years including Surveyor that landed on the moon and Mariner that orbited Mars and included one to Mercury. Two of the most historic launches were the Pioneer 10 and 11 space probes that were launched to Jupiter and are now outside of the solar system in interstellar space. Also, the historic Pioneer Venus spacecraft included an orbiter and a set of probes that were dispatched to the surface.

The last launch from Complex 36A was an Atlas IIAS/Centaur carrying a National Reconnaissance Office payload on August 31, 2004. This was followed on February 3, 2005 by the final Atlas V launch from Complex 36B before the pad was deactivated. In all, the complex supported 68 major launches from Pad 36A and 77 from Pad 36B.

“Over nearly five decades, Complex 36 was one of the world’s most important and versatile space launch sites. Its credits include a whole catalog of NASA missions to the moon, Venus, Mars and Jupiter – not to mention vital national security and commercial satellite missions,” said Mark Cleary, 45th Space Wing historian.

The last rocket flown from LC-36 was an Atlas V which is still a current launch vehicle. Current Atlas missions are launched from complex 41 to the north of the AFS.

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Posted in Atlas I, Atlas II, Atlas III, Atlas V, ATS, Cape Canaveral AFS, GOES, Intelsat, Mariner, OAO, Pioneer - Tagged , , ,

SLC-34 Launch Complex 34 at Cape Canaveral AFS

Oct25
2010 Leave a Comment Written by Mike
LC-34 Saturn SA3 on launch pad 34 (photo credit NASA)

LC-34 Saturn SA3 on launch pad 34 (photo credit NASA)

Space Launch Complex 34 together with LC-37 were built to support the launching of Saturn Rockets for the Apollo missions. Started in mid 1959 the construction was completed mid 1961.  LC-14 is located to the north of LC-20 at the end of ICBM road.

SLC-34 is historically important for two reasons: this was the start of the Apollo missions to the moon; and the tragic fire engulfing the command capsule of Apollo 1 killing the 3 man crew.

LC34 consists a blockhouse, circular launch pad, an elevated launch platform, flame deflectors, an umbilical gantry and a service structure mounted on a twin rail system.  The blockhouse was based on the blockhouse structures of the other complexes on ICBM Road.  The control and monitoring cabling was installed in a concrete slab tunnel above ground.

There were 7 launches made from this complex. The most significant flight was Apollo 7 which successfully tested the Saturn/Apollo spacecraft confirming that flight to the Moon was indeed possible.  However it will be remembered more for the tragic fire onboard the command capsule of Apollo 1 during a pre-launch test.

On January 27th Virgil Grissom, Edward White, and Roger Chaffee were shut in the command module executing a checklist when an electrical fault caused a fire.  The crew tried to escape from the capsule, but were hampered by faulty equipment and a difficult door latching system.  The fire was fuelled by the rich oxygen content of the cabin, and although the astronauts suffered sever burns the cause of death was deemed to be asphyxiation.

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Posted in Apollo, Cape Canaveral AFS, Saturn, Saturn 1 - Tagged , , , , , ,

LC-32 Launch Complex 32 at Cape Canaveral AFS

Oct25
2010 Leave a Comment Written by Mike
LC-32 Minuteman missile in silo (photo credit AF Space and Missile museum)

LC-32 Minuteman missile in silo (photo credit AF Space and Missile museum)

Launch Complex 32 was initially built along with LC-32 for the US Air Force to develop the Minuteman missile program. LC-31/32 were built right next to Navaho complex LC-9 .  To make room for this LC-9′s sister complex LC-10 had to be demolished.

Built at the beginning of the 1960s LC 32 consists: Blockhouse; static launch pad; and missile silo. These complexes were the first to feature dual launch pads, one of which was subterranean.

The blockhouse was very different from the previous ones seen on ICBM road. The blockhouses here are bee-hive shaped located 210 yards from the static pad and 330 yards from the silo.

The Minuteman program launched 53 ballistic missiles from the silo of LC32B between August 30th 1961 and December 14th 1970.  There are no records of any launches form the LC-32A launch pad.

Today the entire LC-31/32 complex is surrounded by security fencing.

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Posted in Cape Canaveral AFS, Minuteman - Tagged , , ,

LC-31 Launch Complex 31 at Cape Canaveral AFS

Oct25
2010 Leave a Comment Written by Mike
LC-31 Minuteman missile on launch pad (photo credit USAF)

LC-31 Minuteman missile on launch pad (photo credit USAF)

Launch Complex 31 is a particularly important historical site.  It was initially built along with LC-32 for the US Air Force to develop the Minuteman missile program. Today it entombs the remains of the Space Shuttle Challenger.

LC-31 is built right next to Navaho complex LC-9 .  to make room for this LC-9′s sister complex LC-10 had to be demolished.

Built at the beginning of the 1960s LC 31 consists: Blockhouse; static launch pad; and missile silo.  These complexes were the first to feature dual launch pads, one of which was subterranean.

The blockhouse was very different from the previous ones seen on ICBM road.  The blockhouses here are bee-hive shaped located 210 yards from the static pad and 330 yards from the silo.

The Minuteman program launched 4 Minuteman missiles from LC31A and 35 from the silo LC31B between February 1st 1960 and September 23rd 1969.  After the Minuteman program had flown out LC31A was used by the US Army to test launch 10 Pershing missiles.

After the Challenger disaster  in 1986 the remains of the spaceship where collected and and now are entombed in the silo of LC-31B.

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Posted in Cape Canaveral AFS, Minuteman, Pershing - Tagged , , , ,

LC-30 Launch Complex 30 at Cape Canaveral AFS

Oct25
2010 Leave a Comment Written by Mike
LC-30 Pershing test launch December 12th 1960 (Picture credit US Army)

LC-30 Pershing test launch December 12th 1960 (Picture credit US Army)

Launch complex 30 is a dual pad site that was commissioned by the US Army for testing the Pershing missiles. The site was commissioned in January 1960 and saw its first launch on February 25th 1960.

The Pershing missiles were launched from mobile platforms so required very little infrastructure.  Despite the lack of requirements the complex was built in the same manner as all others with a blockhouse and cable trenches leading off to the pads.  Maybe because the pads were not fully connected to the blockhouse the trenches terminate in storage equipment rooms.

Between 1960 and 1963 there were 49 launches of the Pershing 1 intermediate range ballistic missile from on and around the launch pads.  Most of these will have used a battlefield erector launcher providing test conditions as found in the theatre of war.

The following youtube video shows a US Army movie documenting the Pershing 1A missile.

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Posted in Cape Canaveral AFS, Pershing - Tagged , , ,

LC-29 Launch Complex 29 at Cape Canaveral AFS

Oct25
2010 Leave a Comment Written by Mike
LC-29 Polaris missile ready for launch (photo credit USAF)

LC-29 Polaris missile ready for launch (photo credit USAF)

Launch Complex 29 was used by the US Navy and is adjacent to LC-25.  Both of these complexes are the most southern on Cape Canaveral AFS and consequently are the closest to the US Navy base.

There were supposedly 2 launch pads at LC-29, the placement of the blockhouse with the cable trench running to the pad at 45 degrees seems to support this.  However from arial images and an examination of the ground it would appear as if the second pad was never built.  It is possible that there was never a solid structure and the single reported launch was made from a mobile platform of some description.

The complex was built in the late 1950s with the first launch taking place september 21st 1959.  The last flight was on May 19th 1980 after which the site was dismantled and deactivated.

The last 10 launches from LC-29 were commissioned by the UK Royal Navy testing Polaris A3 missiles with the Chevaline warhead.

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Posted in Cape Canaveral AFS, Polaris - Tagged , , ,

SLC-26 Launch Complex 26 at Cape Canaveral AFS

Oct25
2010 Leave a Comment Written by Mike
LC-26 Launch of Explorer 1 on Jupiter rocket (picture credit NASA)

LC-26 Launch of Explorer 1 on Jupiter rocket (picture credit NASA)

Launch Complex 26 was the site where the USA launched its first satellite Explorer 1 on February 1st 1958.  LC-26 is a dual pad A/B complex that was first active in 1957.  Both pads share the same blockhouse.

Launch pad 26A was used for launching Redstone and Jupiter rockets launching Explorer 1 and Explorer 2.  Explorer 1 was launched and deployed successfully, this Magnetosphere satellite discovered the Van Allen radiation belt around the Earth. Unfortunately Explorer 2 was not such a success with the upper stage failing to fire the mission was a failure.

Launch Pad 26B launched Jupiter and Juno rockets with varying payloads.  Many of these were tagged as “Bioflights” sending various plants and animals into space to study the effects of space travel on life.  This was the precursor to the launch of Alan Shepard in 1961 from the adjacent Launch Complex 5.

Launch Pad 26A launched 14 rockets and pad 26B launched 22 with the first launch August 28th 1957 and the last January 23rd 1963.

After the final launch LC-26 was deactivated and repurposed to become the USAF Space and Missile Museum in 1964. Twenty years later it was declared a national historic landmark, and can be visited by members of the public to this day as part of the Kennedy Space Center “Cape Canaveral: Then & Now Tour”.

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Posted in Cape Canaveral AFS, Explorer, Juno, Jupiter, Redstone - Tagged , , , , ,

SLC-25 Launch Complex 25 at Cape Canaveral AFS

Oct25
2010 1 Comment Written by Mike
LC-25C First Trident launch January 18th 1977 (picture credit USAF)

LC-25C First Trident launch January 18th 1977 (picture credit USAF)

Launch complex 25 is a four launch pad site which was built in two stages.  Launch Pads 25A and 25B were constructed in the late 1950s with launch pads 25C and 25D being added in 1967.

All four launch pads share the same blockhouse. The cabling channels for each pad can be clearly seen on the Google image.

LC-25 was built for the US Navy to test and develop Sea Launched Ballistic Missiles AKA Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles or SLBMs.

Initially the pads 25A and 25B launched a combined total of  68 missiles with the majority from pad 25A.  All of these were variants  of the Polaris launch vehicle.  On launch pad 25B there are 2 pits separated by a distance of about 100 feet.  One of the pits is obviously a subterranean launch facility, the other seems to house equipment rooms.  It is possible that these were designed to simulate a submarine.

Launch Pads 25C and 25D were constructed in 1967.  Connecting to the same blockhouse they were built with more infrastructure.  Pads 25C and 25D were connected by a rail system enabling the use of a retractable service structure.  Indeed this service structure is still in place on pad 25C today.  The pads were built to support the Poseidon and Trident programs.  34 missiles were launched from 25C and just one from 25D.

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Posted in Cape Canaveral AFS, Polaris, Poseidon, Trident - Tagged , , ,

SLC-22 Launch Complex at Cape Canaveral AFS

Oct25
2010 Leave a Comment Written by Mike
LC-22 Bull Goose launch Aug 1957 (picture credit AF Space & Missile Museum)

LC-22 Bull Goose launch Aug 1957 (picture credit AF Space & Missile Museum)

Launch Complex 21 and 22 were built to launch Goose and Mace cruise missiles and shared a common blockhouse. Despite the fact that these sites supported the launching of the same missiles they were very different in nature.

The Goose and Mace  missiles were launched from a horizontal position on a rail guidance system. Launch complex, 22 completed in February 1957, remained an an open site launching the missiles from rails which may have been on temporary or mobile launchers.

In all there were 23 launches from Launch Complex 22, the last being on July 17th 1963.  The complex was eventually deactivated in the early 1970s.

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Posted in Cape Canaveral AFS, Goose, Mace - Tagged , , , ,

SLC-21 Launch Complex 21 at Cape Canaveral AFS

Oct25
2010 Leave a Comment Written by Mike
LC-21 Launch of Mace missile Dec 1962 (picture credit AF Space & Missile Museum)

LC-21 Launch of Mace missile Dec 1962 (picture credit AF Space & Missile Museum)

Launch Complex 21 and 22 were built to launch Goose and Mace cruise missiles and shared a common blockhouse. Despite the fact that these sites supported the launching of the same missiles they were very different in nature.

The Mace and Goose missiles were launched from a horizontal position on a rail guidance system. Launch complex 21, completed in February 1958, originally was an open launch site with a single launch rail. This was restructured in 1960 to have two launch rails. At the time of the restructure the enclosing building was constructed leaving the launch complex as it today.  This launch site was given the nickname “hardsite” in recognition of its enclosing structure.  LC-22 was know as the “softsite” as it did not have any structure around it.

LC-21 saw 38 launches from the original launch rail and only 3 from the second.  The last launch was in 1963 and the complex was deactivated in the early 1970s.

The missiles were delivered to the front of the launchers and then hoisted up onto the loading platform.  From there they were lowered on the launch rails into the launcher.  You can see from the images that the insides of the launchers were pretty simple, mainly infrastructure to move around the missile when it was being prepared for launch.

The most interesting parts of the structure are the flame tubes.  These are about 6 feet in diameter and channel the flames and exhaust from the building.  The southernmost tube runs along the side of the blockhouse prior to turning 90 degrees and venting over a concrete apron.

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Posted in Cape Canaveral AFS, Goose, Mace - Tagged , , ,

SLC-20 Launch Complex 20 at Cape Canaveral AFS

Oct25
2010 Leave a Comment Written by Mike
LC-20 Joust I june 1991 (picture credit AF Space & Missile Museum)

LC-20 Joust I june 1991 (picture credit AF Space & Missile Museum)

Launch complex 20 is another long standing areas of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.  Positioned as the most norther of the Titan launch complexes it was built in the late 1950s and it is still active today, though not as an active launch site.

In the early 1960s it was used to test Titan I rockets, but was upgraded in 1963 to accommodate the Titan III launch vehicle.  The first Titan III flight on September 1st 1964 ended in failure but a further 3 Titan III missions were successful.  The complex was deactivated in 1967, 2 years after the last Titan III launch.

In the late 1980s Launch Complex 20 was selected for the Starbird program and launched the first Starbird rocket launch on December 18th 1990.  since then it saw the launches of Aries, Red Tigress, and Prospector rockets.

In the mid 1995 the launch infrastructure for these rockets was dismantled and removed from the complex making it redundant once again.

In 2000 the complex was once again re-activated and flew a total of 3 Super Loki flights in that year.

The complex is currently active and used by the Advanced Technology Development Center, part of NASA, to provide R&D for testing new spaceport infrastructure.  There is an active perimeter fence around the complex preventing access other than through the main security gate.  Two sets of lightning protection towers can be seen from the blockhouse gate.  One protects the new launch area to the north, the other to the south.

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Posted in Aries, Cape Canaveral AFS, Prospector, Starbird, Super Loki, Titan - Tagged , , ,

SLC-19 Launch Complex 19 at Cape Canaveral AFB

Oct25
2010 Leave a Comment Written by Mike
LC-19 Titan - Gemini 11 launch Sep 12th 1966 (photo credit NASA)

LC-19 Titan - Gemini 11 launch Sep 12th 1966 (photo credit NASA)

Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 19 will be forever remembered as the complex that launched the Gemini Manned Space missions.

The complex was dedicated to Titan launch vehicles specifically the Titan I and Titan II rockets.  With the first launch on August 14th 1959 there were 29 launches from the complex with the last flight on November 11th 1966.

On March 16th 1966 a civilian Mr Neil Alden Armstrong was launched into space aboard Gemini 8 and conducted the first docking in space with an Agena module.  He later transferred to the Apollo missions and became the first man to set foot on the Moon.  Armstrong graduated along with Buzz Aldrin and Mike Collins from the Gemini missions to the Apollo missions to crew the lunar landing flight of Apollo 11.

There were twelve Gemini missions launched from LC-19. The first 2 were unmanned test missions and were followed by 10 manned missions lifting 16 astronauts into space.  Looking at the launch chronography Gemini 7 was launched on December 4th 1965 returning December 18th, creating a record for the longest space flight.  Gemini 6 was originally scheduled to launch first but the Agena spacecraft it was planned to dock with exploded on launch.  Gemini 7 replaced Gemini 6 in the launch sequence.  Gemini 6 eventually launched on December 15th 1965, rendezvoused  with Gemini 7 in space and landed on December 16.

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Posted in Cape Canaveral AFS, Gemini, Titan - Tagged , , , , , , ,

SLC-18 Launch Complex at Cape Canaveral AFS

Oct25
2010 Leave a Comment Written by Mike
LC-18A Vanguard SLV-3 on launch pad sep 1958 (photo credit NASA)

LC-18A Vanguard SLV-3 on launch pad sep 1958 (photo credit NASA)

Launch complex 18 is another dual pad complex supported by a single blockhouse. Built in the mid 1950s it was used mainly for launching the Vanguard satellites along with testing of the Thor rocket (on pad 18B).

Launch pad 18A saw 24 launches, mainly of the Vanguard rocket with Vanguard spacecraft.  The first launch on December 8th 1956 was a Viking rocket with the Vanguard TV0 payload.

This was followed by a second Viking then the launch vehicle switched to the Vanguard for 11 flights. The climax of the Vanguard was an attempt to launch the first US satellite, the Vanguard TV3, on December 6th 1957.  Unfortunately this was a dramatic failure with the rocket losing thrust and exploding after 2 seconds into the flight.

The final launches from Launch Pad 18a were Blue Scout Jr. launch vehicles with mostly magnetospheric satellite payloads.  The final flight being June 9th 1965.

Launch Pad 18B witnessed its first launch on June 4th 1958, clocking up 23 launches before the last flight on April 12 1962.  The main launch vehicle from this pad was the Thor DM-18 a rocket modified from the Thor ICBM to lift spacecraft into orbit.  This was mainly a test phase in the development of the Thor as a viable launch vehicle.  The Thor is a predecessor of the Delta II and Delta IV rockets that are currently in service.

As with launch pad 18A the final 6 flights from pad 18B were Blue Scout rockets with plasma radio astronomy payloads.

Launch complex 18 was deactivated on February 1st 1967.

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Posted in Blue Scout, Cape Canaveral AFS, Thor, Vanguard, Vanguard Spacecraft - Tagged , ,

SLC-17 Launch Complex at Cape Canaveral AFS

Oct25
2010 Leave a Comment Written by Mike
GPS Satellite launch Oct 2007 from LC-17A

GPS Satellite launch Oct 2007 from LC-17A

Launch Complex 17 is the first of the complexes built on Cape Canaveral that has multiple launch pads supported by a single blockhouse where the launch pads are labelled A and B. Previous complexes were assigned individual numbers. Dual pads on a complex became more common after LC-17 was built.

Launch Complex is split into two pads: 17A (LC-17A) and 17B (LC-17B).

LC-17B is half of the United States Air Force Launch Complex 17, built in the mid 1950s for the Thor ballistic missiles. When the Thor program completed in 1965 the Launch Complex was transferred to NASA.

LC-17A is the other half of the Complex and was run by the United States Air Force until August 2009 when the last Delta II was launched.

The Space Shuttle program was intended to launch satellites into low earth orbit, but with the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger and the suspension of Shuttle operations the site was re-assigned to the Delta 2 expendable launch vehicle.

In particular the Air Force transferred all launches of the GPS satellites from the Space Shuttle programme to the Delta 2 rockets. This meant that the Air Force regained ownership of the Launch Complex. All the GPS satellites were launched from this location up until the last of the GPS block 2R modified space ships was launched on the 17th August 2009, marking the end of the Delta 2 program for the USAF. This was the last Launch from LC-17A. The new GPS satellites are now launched from LC-37B onboard the newer Delta IV and LC-41 on the Atlas Rockets.

I was there for the last USAF launch, and along with most of the rest of the press we witnessed the launch from Cocoa Beach, just after dawn.

Since then there have been a few NASA Delta II Launches, but although the complex is still active there is little activity here. As we found out when we visited the AFB we found that security were still very active on LC-17B.

The best off-base viewing locations for LC-17 are the Jetty Park pier in Port Canaveral, though this can often get very busy, or anywhere on the beach at Cocoa Beach. This is about 6 miles south of the launch complex with no full view of the rocket on the pad.

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Posted in Cape Canaveral AFS, DAWN, Delta, Delta I, Delta III, Genesis, GLAST, GOES, GPS, Intelsat, Mars Pathfinder, Mars Polar Lander, Pioneer, Telstar - Tagged , , , ,

SLC-16 Launch Pad at Cape Canaveral AFS

Oct25
2010 Leave a Comment Written by Mike
LC-16 Service structure - Titan II Jan 1962 (photo credit AF Space and Missile Museum)

LC-16 Service structure - Titan II Jan 1962 (photo credit AF Space and Missile Museum)

Launch Complex 16 was very busy during its active life. Initially commissioned to launch the Titan ICBM rockets it was repurposed in 1972 for test firing of Pershing missiles.  During a period of inactivity between 1963 and 1972 the complex was used for Gemini  crew processing and test firing of the Apollo Service Module.

The layout and design of the launch complex is very similar to that of LC-15.  It shares the new blockhouse design and the cabling tunnel.  The ramp loading system for the rocket appears to be the same as well.

There are more images of LC-16 in action in the early years when it was used for 13 Titan I and II test launches.  From these pictures we can make more educated guesses as to the launch process.

The image to the left shows a Titan II in the service structure being elevated into the vertical position on the pad.  To the right of the image is the umbilical gantry.  From the images we can see that the service structure was in the horizontal position and rolled away for launches.  The flames from the launch are channeled away from the ramp by a flame trench ensuring minimal damage to the launch pad infrastructure.

During the phase when the site was used to test Pershing ICBM missiles there were 128 launches.  The Pershing missiles were launched from a mobile launch pad, not the main launch pad. The complex was deactivated and decommissioned in March 1988 under the Intermediate Nuclear Forces treaty.
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Posted in Apollo, Cape Canaveral AFS, Gemini, Pershing, Titan - Tagged , , , ,

SLC-15 Launch Pad at Cape Canaveral AFS

Oct25
2010 Leave a Comment Written by Mike
Titan II launching from LC-15 in 1963 (photo credit AF Space & Missile Museum)

Titan II launching from LC-15 in 1963 (photo credit AF Space & Missile Museum)

Launch Complex 15 is the first of four complexes built to launch the Titan family of ballistic missiles.  It is not unsurprisingly the next complex north of LC-14 on ICBM Road.  These complexes were built around 18 months after LC-11 and the evolution of the Launch Complexes can be observed here too.

LC-14 featured a buried cable system between the blockhouse and the launch pad.  This makes it difficult to replace damaged cabling. LC-15 overcomes this problem by incorporating a concrete tunnel of sufficient size that you could stand up and walk in it. To provide access and safety there were doors at intervals in the tunnel.

Interestingly whereas with LC-11 to LC-14 the blockhouse was placed 270 yards from the launch pad on LC-15, 16, 19 and 20 complexes the distance has dropped to about 250 yards.  The blockhouses remain the same basic conical shape and construction, however the access to the roof is now from the rear of the structure as opposed to the front.

Following on from LC-13, and LC-14 LC-15 incorporated the ramp method for delivering and erecting rockets to the launch pad.  When we visited the complex was padlocked so we were unable to look at the remains of the pad to determine the size and work out the structures that may have been in place there.  However examining historical imagery it would appear as if the Titan Program introduced a service structure that cradled the rocket and moved from horizontal to vertical at the top of the ramp on the pad.  This allowed the structure to be returned to horizontal and moved away for the launch.

The first launch from LC-15 was on February 6th 1959 and completed after 26 flights on April 9th 1964.  The complex was deactivated and dismantled in 1967. READ MORE »

Posted in Cape Canaveral AFS, Titan - Tagged , , ,
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Are you visiting Kennedy Space Center? Do you want to see a rocket launch?

If so then KSC Launch Pad is the only app you will need. Using local knowledge it shows you the best places to watch from and identifies all the major points of interest in and arround Kennedy Space Center.

Available now from the Apple AppStore. Click here for more details...

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