Astronomy:Missile Row
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.
Much of the support activity for Cape Canaveral Space Force Station occurs at Patrick Space Force Base to the south, its reporting base.
Inactive sites
| Site | Status | Uses |
|---|---|---|
| Launch Complex 1 | Inactive | Snark, Matador, Aerostat |
| Launch Complex 2 | Inactive | Snark, Matador, Aerostat |
| Launch Complex 3 | Inactive | Bumper-WAC, BOMARC, Polaris, X-17 |
| Launch Complex 4 | Inactive | BOMARC, Redstone, Matador, Jason, Draco |
| Launch Complex 4A | Inactive | BOMARC |
| Launch Complex 5 | Inactive | Jupiter, Redstone, Mercury/Redstone. The site of all six manned and unmanned Mercury/Redstone launches. |
| Launch Complex 6 | Inactive | Redstone, Jupiter |
| Launch Complex 9 | Inactive | Navaho |
| Launch Complex 10 | Inactive | Jason, Draco, Nike Tomahawk |
| Launch Complex 11 | Inactive | Atlas |
| Launch Complex 12 | Inactive | Atlas, Atlas-Able, Atlas Agena |
| Launch Complex 14 | Inactive | Atlas, Mercury/Atlas D, Atlas-Able, Atlas Agena
|
| Launch Complex 15 | Inactive | Titan I, Titan II |
| Launch Complex 16 | Inactive | Titan I, Titan II, Pershing 1a |
| Launch Complex 17A | Inactive | Thor, Delta II |
| Launch Complex 17B | Inactive | Delta II, Delta III, Thor |
| Launch Complex 18 | Inactive | Viking, Vanguard, Thor, Blue Scout Junior, Blue Scout |
| Launch Complex 19 | Inactive | Titan I, Gemini/Titan II. The site of all ten manned Gemini/Titan II launches. |
| Launch Complex 20 | Inactive | Titan I, Titan III, Starbird, Prospector, Aries, LCLV, Super Loki |
| Launch Complex 21 | Inactive | Goose, Mace |
| Launch Complex 22 | Inactive | Goose, Mace |
| Launch Complex 25 | Inactive | Polaris, X-17, Poseidon, Trident I |
| Launch Complex 26 | Inactive | Jupiter, Redstone Launch site of Explorer 1 - the first successful U.S. satellite |
| Launch Complex 29 | Inactive | Polaris[1] |
| Launch Complex 30A | Inactive | Pershing 1 |
| Launch Complex 31 | Inactive | Minuteman, Pershing 1a. Used as a burial vault for the Space Shuttle Challenger |
| Launch Complex 32 | Inactive | Minuteman |
| Launch Complex 34 | Inactive | Saturn I, Saturn IB. Site of Apollo 1 fire & Apollo 7 launch |
| Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 37 | Inactive | Saturn I, Saturn IB |
| Launch Complex 43 | Demolished | Super Loki |
Active sites
Some of the launch complexes have been recommissioned for modern space vehicle launches.
| Site | Status | Uses |
|---|---|---|
| Space Launch Complex 13 | Active | Current: SpaceX Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy first stage landing site[2] Formerly: Atlas, Atlas Agena |
| Space Launch Complex 40 | Active | Current: Falcon 9 cargo and satellite missions Formerly: Titan III, Titan IV |
| Space Launch Complex 41 | Active | Current: Atlas V Formerly: Titan III, Titan IV |
| Space Launch Complex 37B | Active | Current: Delta IV Formerly: Saturn I, Saturn IB |
Other
| Site | Status | Uses |
|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Missile Range drop zone | Inactive | High Virgo, Bold Orion, Hound Dog, Skybolt |
| Grand Turk Island drop zone | Inactive | |
| Mobile Launch Area | Inactive | Lark, Matador, MX-775, Snark[citation needed] |
| SLBM Launch Area | Inactive | Polaris, Poseidon, Trident |
| Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Skid Strip | Active | Navaho, Pegasus, Pegasus XL |
References
- ↑ "Launch Complex 29". Air Force Space & Missile Museum. Archived from the original on 2012-04-07. https://web.archive.org/web/20120407022019/http://www.afspacemuseum.org/CCAFS/CX29/. Retrieved 2011-12-15.
- ↑ Gruss, Mike. "SpaceX Leases Florida Launch Pad for Falcon Landings". http://spacenews.com/spacex-leases-cape-canaveral-launch-pad-for-falcon-landings/. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
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