Facilities Kennedy Space Center

1 facilities

1.1 payload processing
1.2 launch complex 39
1.3 commercial leasing
1.4 visitor complex
1.5 historic locations

facilities

the ksc industrial area, many of center s support facilities located, 5 miles (8 km) south of lc-39. includes headquarters building, operations , checkout building , central instrumentation facility. astronaut crew quarters in o&c; before completed, astronaut crew quarters located in hangar s @ cape canaveral missile test annex (now ccafs). located ksc merritt island spaceflight tracking , data network station (mila), key radio communications , spacecraft tracking complex.

official visitor map of ksc industrial area

facilities @ kennedy space center directly related mission launch and, in cases, recover missions. facilities available prepare , maintain spacecraft , payloads flight. headquarters (hq) building houses offices center director, library, film , photo archives, print shop , security. new headquarters building under construction part of central campus consolidation , first phase expected complete in 2017.

the center operated own 17-mile (27 km) short-line railroad. operation discontinued in 2015, sale of final 2 locomotives. third had been donated museum. line costing $1.3 million annually maintain.

payload processing

payloads received, processed , integrated in operations , checkout building (o&c) dating 1960s gemini , apollo programs, 70s skylab program , 80s , 90s initial segments of international space station.
the three-story, 457,000 square feet (42,500 m) space station processing facility (sspf) consists of 2 processing bays, airlock, operational control rooms, laboratories, logistics areas , office space support of non-hazardous station , shuttle payloads iso 14644-1 class 5 standards.
the vertical processing facility (vpf) features 71 feet (22 m) x 38 feet (12 m) door payloads processed in vertical position brought in , manipulated 2 overhead cranes , hoist capable of lifting 35 short tons (32 t).
the hypergolic maintenance , checkout area (hmca) comprises 3 buildings isolated rest of industrial area because of hazardous materials handled there. hypergolic-fueled modules made space shuttle orbiter s reaction control system, orbital maneuvering system , auxiliary power units stored , serviced in hmcf.

launch complex 39


the vehicle assembly building (center) in 1999, launch control center jutting out right, , pads , b in distance

launch complex 39 (lc-39) built saturn v, largest , powerful operational launch vehicle in history, apollo manned moon landing program. since end of apollo program in 1972, lc-39 has been used launch every nasa human space flight, including skylab (1973), apollo-soyuz test project (1975), , space shuttle program (1981-2011).

since december 1968, launch operations have been conducted launch pads , b @ lc-39. both pads on ocean, 3 miles (4.8 km) east of vab. 1969–1972, lc-39 departure point 6 apollo manned moon landing missions using saturn v, , used 1981–2011 space shuttle launches.

human missions moon required large three-stage saturn v rocket, 363 feet (111 meters) tall , 33 feet (10 meters) in diameter. @ ksc, launch complex 39 (lc-39) built on merritt island accommodate new rocket. construction of $800 million project began in november 1962. lc-39 pads , b completed october 1965 (planned pads c, d , e canceled), vab completed in june 1965, , infrastructure late 1966.

the complex includes:

the vehicle assembly building (vab), 130,000,000 cubic feet (3,700,000 m) hangar capable of holding 4 saturn vs. vab fourth-largest structure in world volume, , largest when completed in 1965.
a transporter capable of carrying 5,440 tons along crawlerway either of 2 launch pads;
a 446-foot (136 m) mobile service structure, 3 mobile launcher platforms, each containing fixed launch umbilical tower;
the launch control center; and
a news media facility.

commercial leasing

as part of promoting commercial space industry growth in area , overall center multi-user spaceport, ksc leases of properties. here major examples:

exploration park multiple users (partnership space florida)
shuttle landing facility space florida (who contracts use private companies)
orbiter processing facility (opf)-3 boeing (for cst-100 starliner)
lc-39a spacex
o&c high bay lockheed martin (for orion processing)
land fpl’s space coast next generation solar energy center florida power , light (fpl)
hypergolic maintenance facility (hmf) united paradyne corporation (upc)

visitor complex


gate ksc visitor complex in 2006; explorer, space shuttle mock-up, in background

the kennedy space center visitor complex, operated delaware north since 1995, has variety of exhibits, artifacts, displays , attractions on history , future of human , robotic spaceflight. bus tours of ksc originate here. complex includes separate apollo/saturn v center, north of vab , united states astronaut hall of fame, 6 miles west near titusville. there 1.5 million visitors in 2009. had 700 employees.

it announced on may 29, 2015 astronaut hall of fame exhibit moved current location location within visitor complex make room upcoming high-tech attraction entitled heroes , legends . attraction, designed orlando-based design firm falcon s treehouse, slated open sometime late 2016.

in march 2016, visitor center unveiled new location of iconic countdown clock @ complex s entrance; previously, clock located flagpole @ press site. clock built , installed in 1969 , listed flagpole in national register of historic places in january 2000.

historic locations

nasa lists following historic districts @ ksc; each district has multiple associated facilities:

launch complex 39: pad historic district
launch complex 39: pad b historic district
shuttle landing facility (slf) area historic district
orbiter processing historic district
solid rocket booster (srb) disassembly , refurbishment complex historic district
nasa ksc railroad system historic district
nasa-owned cape canaveral air force station industrial area historic district

there 24 historic properties outside of these historic districts, including space shuttle atlantis, vehicle assembly building, crawlerway, , operations , checkout building. ksc has 1 national historic landmark, 78 national register of historic places (nrhp) listed or eligible sites, , 100 archaeological sites.