There is also a Visitor Complex open to the public on site. ==Formation== The military had been performing launch operations since 1949 at what would become Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
From the 1950s to 1978, KSC chose the rocket and payload processing facilities for all robotic missions launching in the U.S., overseeing their near launch processing and checkout.
The shuttle was retired from service in July 2011 after 135 launches. ===Constellation=== On October 28, 2009, the Ares I-X launch from Pad 39B was the first uncrewed launch from KSC since the Skylab workshop in 1973. ===Expendable launch vehicles (ELVs)=== Beginning in 1958, NASA and military worked side by side on robotic mission launches (previously referred to as unmanned), cooperating as they broke ground in the field.
In December 1959, the Department of Defense transferred 5,000 personnel and the Missile Firing Laboratory to NASA to become the Launch Operations Directorate under NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. President John F.
In the early 1960s, NASA had as many as two robotic mission launches a month.
National Register of Historic Places dating back to the 1960s and was used to receive, process, and integrate payloads for the Gemini and Apollo programs, the Skylab program in the 1970s, and for initial segments of the International Space Station through the 1990s.
Kennedy's 1961 goal of a crewed lunar landing by 1970 required an expansion of launch operations.
On July 1, 1962, the Launch Operations Directorate was separated from MSFC to become the Launch Operations Center (LOC).
Therefore, the decision was made to build a new LOC site located adjacent to Cape Canaveral on Merritt Island. NASA began land acquisition in 1962, buying title to and negotiating with the state of Florida for an additional .
Construction began in November 1962, and Kennedy visited the site twice in 1962, and again just a week before his assassination on November 22, 1963. On November 29, 1963, the facility was given its current name by President Lyndon B.
Construction of the $800 million project began in November 1962.
Construction began in November 1962, and Kennedy visited the site twice in 1962, and again just a week before his assassination on November 22, 1963. On November 29, 1963, the facility was given its current name by President Lyndon B.
However, in 1965, the library moved into three separate sections in the newly opened NASA headquarters before eventually becoming a single unit in 1970.
LC-39 pads A and B were completed by October 1965 (planned Pads C, D and E were canceled), the VAB was completed in June 1965, and the infrastructure by late 1966. The complex includes: the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), a hangar capable of holding four Saturn Vs.
The VAB was the largest structure in the world by volume when completed in 1965. a transporter capable of carrying 5,440 tons along a crawlerway to either of two launch pads; a mobile service structure, with three Mobile Launcher Platforms, each containing a fixed launch umbilical tower; the Launch Control Center; and a news media facility. ===Launch Complex 48=== Launch Complex 48 (LC-48) is a multi-user launch site under construction for small launchers and spacecraft.
LC-39 pads A and B were completed by October 1965 (planned Pads C, D and E were canceled), the VAB was completed in June 1965, and the infrastructure by late 1966. The complex includes: the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), a hangar capable of holding four Saturn Vs.
Center workers can encounter bald eagles, American alligators, wild boars, eastern diamondback rattlesnakes, the endangered Florida panther and Florida manatees. ==Historical programs== ===Apollo program=== From 1967 through 1973, there were 13 Saturn V launches, including the ten remaining Apollo missions after Apollo 7.
The first of two uncrewed flights, Apollo 4 (Apollo-Saturn 501) on November 9, 1967, was also the first rocket launch from KSC.
Since December 1968, KSC has been NASA's primary launch center of human spaceflight.
The Saturn V's first crewed launch on December 21, 1968, was Apollo 8's lunar orbiting mission.
Since the end of the Apollo program in 1972, LC-39 has been used to launch every NASA human space flight, including Skylab (1973), the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (1975), and the Space Shuttle program (1981–2011). Since December 1968, all launch operations have been conducted from launch pads A and B at LC-39.
The peak number of persons working at the center was 26,000 in 1968 (3,000 were civil servants).
Apollo 11, launched from Pad A on July 16, 1969, made the first Moon landing on July 20.
From 1969 to 1972, LC-39 was the "Moonport" for all six Apollo crewed Moon landing missions using the Saturn V, and was used from 1981 to 2011 for all Space Shuttle launches. Human missions to the Moon required the large three-stage Saturn V rocket, which was tall and in diameter.
The clock was originally built and installed in 1969 and listed with the flagpole in the National Register of Historic Places in January 2000.
On November 14, 1969, Apollo 12 was struck by lightning just after lift-off from Pad 39A, but the flight continued safely.
Kennedy's 1961 goal of a crewed lunar landing by 1970 required an expansion of launch operations.
From 1970 to 1972, the Apollo program concluded at KSC with the launches of missions 13 through 17. ===Skylab=== On May 14, 1973, the last Saturn V launch put the Skylab space station in orbit from Pad 39A.
During the late 1970s, LC-39 was reconfigured to support the Space Shuttle.
However, in 1965, the library moved into three separate sections in the newly opened NASA headquarters before eventually becoming a single unit in 1970.
National Register of Historic Places dating back to the 1960s and was used to receive, process, and integrate payloads for the Gemini and Apollo programs, the Skylab program in the 1970s, and for initial segments of the International Space Station through the 1990s.
In 1970, President Nixon announced intent to reduce the cost of space operations and major cuts occurred at KSC.
From 1970 to 1972, the Apollo program concluded at KSC with the launches of missions 13 through 17. ===Skylab=== On May 14, 1973, the last Saturn V launch put the Skylab space station in orbit from Pad 39A.
Although building a new site at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico was seriously considered, NASA announced its decision in April 1972 to use KSC for the shuttle.
Since the end of the Apollo program in 1972, LC-39 has been used to launch every NASA human space flight, including Skylab (1973), the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (1975), and the Space Shuttle program (1981–2011). Since December 1968, all launch operations have been conducted from launch pads A and B at LC-39.
From 1969 to 1972, LC-39 was the "Moonport" for all six Apollo crewed Moon landing missions using the Saturn V, and was used from 1981 to 2011 for all Space Shuttle launches. Human missions to the Moon required the large three-stage Saturn V rocket, which was tall and in diameter.
The average annual salary for an on-site worker in 2008 was $77,235. The end of the Space Shuttle program in 2011, preceded by the cancellation of Constellation Program in 2010, produced a significant downsizing of the KSC workforce similar to that experienced at the end of the Apollo program in 1972.
Center workers can encounter bald eagles, American alligators, wild boars, eastern diamondback rattlesnakes, the endangered Florida panther and Florida manatees. ==Historical programs== ===Apollo program=== From 1967 through 1973, there were 13 Saturn V launches, including the ten remaining Apollo missions after Apollo 7.
From 1970 to 1972, the Apollo program concluded at KSC with the launches of missions 13 through 17. ===Skylab=== On May 14, 1973, the last Saturn V launch put the Skylab space station in orbit from Pad 39A.
The shuttle was retired from service in July 2011 after 135 launches. ===Constellation=== On October 28, 2009, the Ares I-X launch from Pad 39B was the first uncrewed launch from KSC since the Skylab workshop in 1973. ===Expendable launch vehicles (ELVs)=== Beginning in 1958, NASA and military worked side by side on robotic mission launches (previously referred to as unmanned), cooperating as they broke ground in the field.
By 1974, KSC's workforce was down to 10,000 employees (2,408 civil servants). A total of 13,100 people worked at the center as of 2011.
By this time, the Cape Kennedy pads 34 and 37 used for the Saturn IB were decommissioned, so Pad 39B was modified to accommodate the Saturn IB, and used to launch three crewed missions to Skylab that year, as well as the final Apollo spacecraft for the Apollo–Soyuz Test Project in 1975. ===Space Shuttle=== As the Space Shuttle was being designed, NASA received proposals for building alternative launch-and-landing sites at locations other than KSC, which demanded study.
Since the Shuttle could not be landed automatically or by remote control, the launch of Columbia on April 12, 1981 for its first orbital mission STS-1, was NASA's first crewed launch of a vehicle that had not been tested in prior uncrewed launches. In 1976, the VAB's south parking area was the site of Third Century America, a science and technology display commemorating the U.S.
From the 1950s to 1978, KSC chose the rocket and payload processing facilities for all robotic missions launching in the U.S., overseeing their near launch processing and checkout.
Two Orbiter Processing Facilities were built near the VAB as hangars with a third added in the 1980s. KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) was the orbiters' primary end-of-mission landing site, although the first KSC landing did not take place until the tenth flight, when Challenger completed STS-41-B on February 11, 1984; the primary landing site until then was Edwards Air Force Base in California, subsequently used as a backup landing site.
Since the Shuttle could not be landed automatically or by remote control, the launch of Columbia on April 12, 1981 for its first orbital mission STS-1, was NASA's first crewed launch of a vehicle that had not been tested in prior uncrewed launches. In 1976, the VAB's south parking area was the site of Third Century America, a science and technology display commemorating the U.S.
From 1969 to 1972, LC-39 was the "Moonport" for all six Apollo crewed Moon landing missions using the Saturn V, and was used from 1981 to 2011 for all Space Shuttle launches. Human missions to the Moon required the large three-stage Saturn V rocket, which was tall and in diameter.
Two Orbiter Processing Facilities were built near the VAB as hangars with a third added in the 1980s. KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) was the orbiters' primary end-of-mission landing site, although the first KSC landing did not take place until the tenth flight, when Challenger completed STS-41-B on February 11, 1984; the primary landing site until then was Edwards Air Force Base in California, subsequently used as a backup landing site.
NASA also funded Cape Canaveral Space Force Station launch pad maintenance and launch vehicle improvements. All this changed with the Commercial Space Launch Act of 1984, after which NASA only coordinated its own and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ELV launches.
The RPSF was built in 1984 to perform SRB operations that had previously been conducted in high bays 2 and 4 of the VAB at the beginning of the Space Shuttle program.
Like the Challenger disaster, the resulting investigation and modifications interrupted shuttle flight operations at KSC for more than two years until the STS-114 launch on July 26, 2005. The shuttle program experienced five main engine shutdowns at LC-39, all within four seconds before launch; and one Abort to Orbit, STS-51-F on July 29, 1985.
The SLF is among the longest runways in the world. After 24 successful shuttle flights, Challenger was torn apart 73 seconds after the launch of STS-51-L on January 28, 1986; the first shuttle launch from Pad 39B and the first U.S.
Flights resumed on September 29, 1988, with STS-26 after modifications to many aspects of the shuttle program. On February 1, 2003, Columbia and her crew of seven were lost during re-entry over Texas during the STS-107 mission (the 113th shuttle flight); a vehicle breakup triggered by damage sustained during launch from Pad 39A on January 16, when a piece of foam insulation from the orbiter's external fuel tank struck the orbiter's left-wing.
Reagan's 1988 space policy furthered the movement of this work from KSC to commercial companies.
That same year, launch complexes on Cape Canaveral Air Force Force Station started transferring from NASA to Air Force Space Command management. In the 1990s, though KSC was not performing the hands-on ELV work, engineers still maintained an understanding of ELVs and had contracts allowing them insight into the vehicles so they could provide knowledgeable oversight.
LSP payloads such as the Mars Science Laboratory have been processed at KSC before being transferred to a launch pad on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. ===Space station processing=== As the International Space Station modules design began in the early 1990s, KSC began to work with other NASA centers and international partners to prepare for processing before launch onboard the Space Shuttles.
National Register of Historic Places dating back to the 1960s and was used to receive, process, and integrate payloads for the Gemini and Apollo programs, the Skylab program in the 1970s, and for initial segments of the International Space Station through the 1990s.
These experiences were incorporated into the design of the Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF), which began construction in 1991.
Opened in 1994, it is the largest factory building in the KSC industrial area. The Vertical Processing Facility (VPF) features a door where payloads that are processed in the vertical position are brought in and manipulated with two overhead cranes and a hoist capable of lifting up to . The Hypergolic Maintenance and Checkout Area (HMCA) comprises three buildings that are isolated from the rest of the industrial area because of the hazardous materials handled there.
The Space Station Directorate formed in 1996.
KSC personnel were embedded at station module factories for insight into their processes. From 1997 to 2007, KSC planned and performed on the ground integration tests and checkouts of station modules: three Multi-Element Integration Testing (MEIT) sessions and the Integration Systems Test (IST).
rockets against the global market. In 1998, the Launch Services Program (LSP) formed at KSC, pulling together programs (and personnel) that already existed at KSC, GRC, Goddard Space Flight Center, and more to manage the launch of NASA and NOAA robotic missions.
The clock was originally built and installed in 1969 and listed with the flagpole in the National Register of Historic Places in January 2000.
Flights resumed on September 29, 1988, with STS-26 after modifications to many aspects of the shuttle program. On February 1, 2003, Columbia and her crew of seven were lost during re-entry over Texas during the STS-107 mission (the 113th shuttle flight); a vehicle breakup triggered by damage sustained during launch from Pad 39A on January 16, when a piece of foam insulation from the orbiter's external fuel tank struck the orbiter's left-wing.
NASA managers were initially concerned that the lightning strike caused damage to Atlantis, but none was found. On September 7, 2004, Hurricane Frances directly hit the area with sustained winds of and gusts up to , the most damaging storm to date.
Like the Challenger disaster, the resulting investigation and modifications interrupted shuttle flight operations at KSC for more than two years until the STS-114 launch on July 26, 2005. The shuttle program experienced five main engine shutdowns at LC-39, all within four seconds before launch; and one Abort to Orbit, STS-51-F on July 29, 1985.
Further damage to KSC was caused by Hurricane Wilma in October 2005. The conservative estimate by NASA is that the Space Center will experience 5 to 8 inches of sea level rise by the 2050s.
The most powerful lightning strike recorded at KSC occurred at LC-39B on August 25, 2006, while shuttle Atlantis was being prepared for STS-115.
KSC personnel were embedded at station module factories for insight into their processes. From 1997 to 2007, KSC planned and performed on the ground integration tests and checkouts of station modules: three Multi-Element Integration Testing (MEIT) sessions and the Integration Systems Test (IST).
The average annual salary for an on-site worker in 2008 was $77,235. The end of the Space Shuttle program in 2011, preceded by the cancellation of Constellation Program in 2010, produced a significant downsizing of the KSC workforce similar to that experienced at the end of the Apollo program in 1972.
"Space Rush: Local Impact of Federal Aerospace Programs on Brevard and Surrounding Counties," Florida Historical Quarterly, Fall 2008, Vol.
The shuttle was retired from service in July 2011 after 135 launches. ===Constellation=== On October 28, 2009, the Ares I-X launch from Pad 39B was the first uncrewed launch from KSC since the Skylab workshop in 1973. ===Expendable launch vehicles (ELVs)=== Beginning in 1958, NASA and military worked side by side on robotic mission launches (previously referred to as unmanned), cooperating as they broke ground in the field.
There were 1.5 million visitors in 2009.
Since 2010, the center has worked to become a multi-user spaceport through industry partnerships, even adding a new launch pad (LC-39C) in 2015. There are about 700 facilities and buildings grouped across the center's .
The average annual salary for an on-site worker in 2008 was $77,235. The end of the Space Shuttle program in 2011, preceded by the cancellation of Constellation Program in 2010, produced a significant downsizing of the KSC workforce similar to that experienced at the end of the Apollo program in 1972.
As part of this downsizing, 6,000 contractors lost their jobs at the center during 2010 and 2011. ==In popular culture== In addition to being frequently featured in documentaries, Kennedy Space Center has been portrayed on film many times.
The shuttle was retired from service in July 2011 after 135 launches. ===Constellation=== On October 28, 2009, the Ares I-X launch from Pad 39B was the first uncrewed launch from KSC since the Skylab workshop in 1973. ===Expendable launch vehicles (ELVs)=== Beginning in 1958, NASA and military worked side by side on robotic mission launches (previously referred to as unmanned), cooperating as they broke ground in the field.
From 1969 to 1972, LC-39 was the "Moonport" for all six Apollo crewed Moon landing missions using the Saturn V, and was used from 1981 to 2011 for all Space Shuttle launches. Human missions to the Moon required the large three-stage Saturn V rocket, which was tall and in diameter.
By 1974, KSC's workforce was down to 10,000 employees (2,408 civil servants). A total of 13,100 people worked at the center as of 2011.
The average annual salary for an on-site worker in 2008 was $77,235. The end of the Space Shuttle program in 2011, preceded by the cancellation of Constellation Program in 2010, produced a significant downsizing of the KSC workforce similar to that experienced at the end of the Apollo program in 1972.
As part of this downsizing, 6,000 contractors lost their jobs at the center during 2010 and 2011. ==In popular culture== In addition to being frequently featured in documentaries, Kennedy Space Center has been portrayed on film many times.
Groundbreaking began in 2014. The center operated its own short-line railroad.
Since 2010, the center has worked to become a multi-user spaceport through industry partnerships, even adding a new launch pad (LC-39C) in 2015. There are about 700 facilities and buildings grouped across the center's .
This operation was discontinued in 2015, with the sale of its final two locomotives.
It had some 700 employees. It was announced on May 29, 2015, that the Astronaut Hall of Fame exhibit would be moved from its current location to another location within the Visitor Complex to make room for an upcoming high-tech attraction entitled "Heroes and Legends".
The attraction, designed by Orlando-based design firm Falcon's Treehouse, opened November 11, 2016. In March 2016, the visitor center unveiled the new location of the iconic countdown clock at the complex's entrance; previously, the clock was located with a flagpole at the press site.
Many of the media items from the collection are digitized and available through NASA's KSC Media Gallery or through their more up-to-date Flickr gallery. A new Headquarters Building was completed in 2019 as part of the Central Campus consolidation.
Completed in 2019, it serves as the company's factory for the manufacture of New Glenn orbital rockets. ===Launch Complex 39=== Launch Complex 39 (LC-39) was originally built for the Saturn V, the largest and most powerful operational launch vehicle in history, for the Apollo crewed Moon landing program.
In 2019, NASA celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Apollo program, and the launch of Apollo 10 on May 18.
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