Historical programs Kennedy Space Center

1 historical programs

1.1 apollo program
1.2 skylab
1.3 space shuttle
1.4 constellation
1.5 expendable launch vehicles (elvs)
1.6 space station processing

historical programs
apollo program


a saturn v carrying apollo 15 rolls out pad 39a in 1971 on mobile launch platform 1.

from 1967 through 1973, there 13 saturn v launches, including ten remaining apollo missions after apollo 7. first of 2 unmanned flights, apollo 4 (apollo-saturn 501) on november 9, 1967, first rocket launch ksc. saturn v s first manned launch on december 21, 1968 apollo 8 s lunar orbiting mission. next 2 missions tested lunar module: apollo 9 (earth orbit) , apollo 10 (lunar orbit). apollo 11, launched pad on july 16, 1969, made first moon landing on july 20. apollo 12 followed 4 months later. 1970–1972, apollo program concluded @ ksc launches of missions 13 through 17.

skylab

on may 14, 1973, last saturn v launch put skylab space station in orbit pad 39a. time, cape kennedy pads 34 , 37 used saturn ib decommissioned, , pad b modified launch 3 manned missions skylab year, final apollo spacecraft apollo–soyuz test project in 1975.

space shuttle


shuttle discovery launching pad 39a on sts-60, february 3, 1994

as space shuttle being designed, nasa received proposals building alternative launch-and-landing sites @ locations other ksc, demanded study. ksc had important advantages, including: existing facilities; location on intracoastal waterway; , southern latitude, gives velocity advantage missions launched in easterly near-equatorial orbits. disadvantages included: inability safely launch military missions polar orbit, since spent boosters fall on carolinas or cuba; corrosion salt air; , frequent cloudy or stormy weather. although building new site @ white sands missile range in new mexico considered, nasa announced decision in april 1972 use ksc shuttle. since shuttle not landed automatically or remote control, launch of columbia on april 12, 1981 first orbital mission sts-1, nasa s first manned launch of vehicle had not been tested in prior unmanned launches.

shuttle atlantis moved pad 39a 1990 launch of sts-36.

in 1976, vab s south parking area site of third century america, science , technology display commemorating u.s. bicentennial. concurrent event, u.s. flag painted on south side of vab. during late 1970s, lc-39 reconfigured support space shuttle. 2 orbiter processing facilities built near vab hangars third added in 1980s.

ksc s 2.9-mile (4.7 km) shuttle landing facility (slf) orbiters primary end-of-mission landing site, although first ksc landing did not take place until tenth flight, when challenger completed sts-41-b on february 11, 1984; primary landing site until edwards air force base in california, subsequently used backup landing site. slf provided return-to-launch-site (rtls) abort option, not utilized. slf among longest runways in world.

after 24 successful shuttle flights, challenger torn apart 73 seconds after launch of sts-51-l on january 28, 1986; first shuttle launch pad 39b , first u.s. manned launch failure, killing 7 crew members. o-ring seal in right booster rocket failed @ liftoff, leading subsequent structural failures. flights resumed on september 29, 1988 sts-26 after modifications many aspects of shuttle program.

on february 1, 2003, columbia , crew of 7 lost during re-entry on texas during sts-107 mission (the 113th shuttle flight); vehicle breakup triggered damage sustained during launch pad 39a on january 16, when piece of foam insulation orbiter s external fuel tank struck orbiter s left wing. during reentry, damage created hole allowing hot gases melt wing structure. challenger disaster, resulting investigation , modifications interrupted shuttle flight operations @ ksc more 2 years until sts-114 launch on july 26, 2005.

the shuttle program experienced 5 main engine shutdowns @ lc-39, within 4 seconds before launch; , 1 abort orbit, sts-51-f on july 29, 1985. shuttle missions during 30 years of operations included deploying satellites , interplanetary probes, conducting space science , technology experiments, visits russian mir space station, construction , servicing of international space station, deployment , servicing of hubble space telescope , serving space laboratory. shuttle retired service in july 2011 after 135 launches.

constellation

on october 28, 2009, ares i-x launch pad 39b first unmanned launch ksc since skylab workshop in 1973.

expendable launch vehicles (elvs)

beginning in 1958, nasa , military worked side side on robotic mission launches (previously referred unmanned), cooperating broke ground in field. in 1960s, nasa had many 2 robotic mission launches month. frequent number of flights allowed quick evolution of vehicles, engineers gathered data, learned anomalies , implemented upgrades. in 1963, intent of ksc elv work focusing on ground support equipment , facilities, separate atlas/centaur organization formed under nasa s lewis center (now glenn research center (grc)), taking responsibility launch operations center (aka ksc).

though robotics missions launched cape canaveral air force station (ccafs), ksc oversaw final assembly , testing of rockets arrived @ cape. in 1965, ksc s unmanned launch operations directorate became responsible nasa unmanned launch operations, including @ vandenberg air force base. 1950s 1978, ksc chose rocket , payload processing facilities robotic missions launching in u.s., overseeing near launch processing , checkout. in addition government missions, ksc performed service commercial , foreign missions also, though non-u.s. government entities provided reimbursement. nasa funded ccafs launch pad maintenance , launch vehicle improvements.

all changed commercial space launch act of 1984, after nasa coordinated own , national oceanic , atmospheric administration (noaa) elv launches. companies able operate own launch vehicles , utilize nasa s launch facilities. payload processing handled private firms started occur outside of ksc. reagan s 1988 space policy furthered movement of work ksc commercial companies. same year, launch complexes on ccafs started transferring nasa air force management.

in 1990s, though ksc not performing hands-on elv work, engineers still maintained understanding of elvs , had contracts allowing them insight in vehicles provide knowledgeable oversight. ksc worked on elv research , analysis , contractors able utilize ksc personnel resource technical issues. ksc, payload , launch vehicle industries, developed advances in automation of elv launch , ground operations purpose of enabling competitiveness of u.s. rockets against global market.

in 1998, launch services program (lsp) formed @ ksc, pulling programs (and personnel) existed @ ksc, grc, goddard space flight center, , more manage launch of nasa , noaa robotic missions. ccafs , vafb primary launch sites lsp missions, though other sites used. lsp payloads such mars science laboratory have been processed @ ksc before being transferred launch pad on ccafs.

space station processing

as international space station modules design began in 1990s, ksc began work other nasa centers , international partners prepare processing prior launch on board space shuttles. ksc utilized hands-on experience processing 22 spacelab missions in operations , checkout building gather expectations of iss processing. these experiences incorporated design of space station processing facility (sspf), began construction in 1993. space station directorate formed in 1996. ksc personnel embedded @ station module factories insight processes.

from 1997 2007, ksc planned , performed on ground integration tests , checkouts of station modules: 3 multi-element integration testing (meit) sessions , integration systems test (ist). numerous issues found , corrected have been difficult impossible on-orbit.

today ksc continues process iss payloads across world prior launch along developing own experiments on orbit.