Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 11

Last updated
Launch Complex 11
Atlas-B with Score payload.jpg
Atlas-B with SCORE on LC-11
Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 11
Launch site Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Location 28°28′32″N80°32′26″W / 28.47556°N 80.54056°W / 28.47556; -80.54056
Time zone UTC−05:00 (EST)
 Summer (DST)
UTC−04:00 (EDT)
Short nameLC-11
Operator United States Space Force (owner)
Blue Origin (tenant)
Total launches31
Launch pad(s)1
Launch history
StatusActive, test stand
First launch19 July 1958
Atlas B
Last launch1 April 1964
Atlas F
Associated
rockets
Current: New Glenn (for BE-4 engine test stand)
Retired: SM-65 Atlas
Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 11
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4km
2.5miles
28
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27
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26
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25
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24
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23
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22
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21
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20
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19
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18
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17
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16
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15
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14
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13
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12
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11
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10
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9
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8
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7
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6
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5
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4
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3
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2
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  Active pads
  Active pads not used for launches
  Inactive leased pads
  Inactive unleased pads
1
LC-39B
2
LC-39A
3
LC-48
4
SLC-41
5
SLC-40
6
LC-47
7
SLC-37
8
LC-34
9
SLC-20
10
LC-19
11
LC-16
12
LC-15
13
LC-14
14
LC-13 (LZ-1 & LZ-2)
15
LC-12
16
LC-11
17
LC-36
18
LC-1, LC-2, LC-3, and LC-4
19
SLC-46
20
LC-21 and LC-22
21
LC-31 and LC-32
22
LC-18
23
SLC-17
24
LC-26
25
LC-5 and LC-6
26
LC-30
27
LC-25
28
LC-29

Launch Complex 11 (LC-11) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, is a launch complex used by Atlas missiles between 1958 and 1964. It is the southernmost of the launch pads known as Missile Row. When it was built, it, along with complexes 12, 13 and 14, featured a more robust design than many contemporary pads, due to the greater power of the Atlas compared to other rockets of the time. It was larger, and featured a concrete launch pedestal that was 6 metres (20 ft) tall and a reinforced blockhouse. The rockets were delivered to the launch pad by a ramp on the southwest side of the launch pedestal.

Contents

Thirty-two Atlas B, D, E and F missiles were launched on suborbital test flights from LC-11. The first launch to use the complex was Atlas 3B, the first flight of a complete Atlas, which was launched on 19 July 1958. In addition to the suborbital tests, one orbital launch was conducted from the complex. On 18 December 1958, Atlas 10B launched SCORE, the world's first communications satellite, into low Earth orbit.

The area of LC-11 is currently leased to Blue Origin. [1]

History

Explosions

Two on-pad explosions occurred on LC-11. The first was Missile 48D in April 1960, which suffered combustion instability and exploded on the pad. Although no specific cause for the combustion instability could be determined, the separate duct for the booster turbine exhaust had been removed from the Atlas pads at CCAS earlier in the year since it was considered unnecessary and complicated ground testing of the missiles. The failure occurred slightly under a month after Missile 51D had exploded on LC-13 due to combustion instability, and after these back-to-back failures, it was decided to put the exhaust duct back on the pads. Although there was no evidence indicating that the lack of the exhaust ducts caused the failures, program officials decided to play it safe, and in any case wanted the pads to conform with Atlas D silo configurations.

The second explosion on LC-11 was when Missile 11F blew up one second after liftoff in April 9, 1962 due to a turbopump failure. In both causes, pad damage was relatively light and LC-11 restored to use in two months.

Later history

Following the end of Atlas testing at Cape Canaveral, LC-11 was the only one of the four Atlas pads to not be used for space launches, and hence was first of the four pads to be deactivated. Following deactivation, the mobile service tower and support equipment were dismantled, and the site was unmaintained for over 50 years.

Blue Origin use

Blue Origin has leased the site to redevelop it for their use. [2] On March 29, 2017, it was reported that Blue Origin has chosen LC-11 to conduct test firings of the BE-4 engine. LC-11 is located near Spaceport Florida Launch Complex 36, which will support launches of Blue Origin's New Glenn Launch Vehicle, currently scheduled for a launch no-earlier then 2020. [3] Throughout 2017, aerial / satellite imagery from Planet Explorer showed that construction of a new facility was underway there. [4] Blue Origin renders showed a pair of test stands to be constructed, but in 2019 aerial photos showed no construction had occurred. [5]

Launch statistics

1
2
3
4
5
6
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964

All launches operated by the United States Air Force.

No.DateTime (UTC)Launch vehicleConfigurationPayloadResultRemarks
119 July 195817:36 SM-65 Atlas Atlas B Suborbital testFailureMaiden flight of the Atlas B and first launch from LC-11. Gyro failure led to loss of control and self-destruction 43 seconds after launch.
229 August 195804:30 SM-65 Atlas Atlas B Suborbital testSuccess
318 November 195804:00 SM-65 Atlas Atlas B Suborbital testPartial failureMismatch in turbopumps led to excessive fuel consumption and premature sustainer engine cutoff, leading to shorter than expected trajectory.
418 December 195823:02 SM-65 Atlas Atlas B SCORE SuccessFirst ever communications satellite, transmitting a message recorded by President Dwight D. Eisenhower from orbit. First orbital launch of an Atlas rocket, and only one so far from LC-11.
54 February 195908:01 SM-65 Atlas Atlas B Suborbital testSuccessFinal flight of the Atlas B.
629 July 195904:10 SM-65 Atlas Atlas D Suborbital testSuccess
76 October 195905:55 SM-65 Atlas Atlas D Suborbital testSuccess
829 October 195907:20 SM-65 Atlas Atlas D Suborbital testPartial failureRuptured liquid oxygen duct led to failure of one vernier engine, leading to loss of roll control and shorter than expected trajectory.
98 March 196013:10 SM-65 Atlas Atlas D Suborbital testSuccess
108 April 196013:10 SM-65 Atlas Atlas D Suborbital testFailureCombustion instability in booster engine led to missile exploding on pad.
1111 June 196006:30 SM-65 Atlas Atlas D Suborbital testSuccess
122 July 196006:58 SM-65 Atlas Atlas D Suborbital testPartial failureShort in relay box caused decrease in performance, leading to shorter than expected trajectory.
1317 September 196000:50 SM-65 Atlas Atlas D Suborbital testSuccess
1413 October 196009:34 SM-65 Atlas Atlas D Suborbital testSuccessCarried biological nose cone, consisting of three mice.
1513 May 196102:00 SM-65 Atlas Atlas E Suborbital testSuccess
1631 July 196121:32 SM-65 Atlas Atlas E Suborbital testSuccess
172 October 196118:23 SM-65 Atlas Atlas E Suborbital testSuccess
1822 November 196121:04 SM-65 Atlas Atlas F Suborbital testSuccess
1912 December 196120:16 SM-65 Atlas Atlas F Suborbital testPartial failureGuidance system issue led to premature propulsion cutoff, leading to shorter than planned trajectory.
2021 December 196103:35 SM-65 Atlas Atlas F Suborbital testFailureCarried biological nose cone with a rhesus monkey. Hydraulic system led to engine shutdown during staging. Nose cone successfully separated, but was failed to be recovered.
219 April 196220:50 SM-65 Atlas Atlas F Suborbital testFailure Liquid oxygen turbopump failure led to missile exploding 1 second after launch.
2213 August 196222:00 SM-65 Atlas Atlas F Suborbital testSuccess
2319 September 196218:15 SM-65 Atlas Atlas F Suborbital testSuccess
2419 October 196218:15 SM-65 Atlas Atlas F Suborbital testSuccess
257 November 196219:43 SM-65 Atlas Atlas F Suborbital testSuccess
265 December 196221:25 SM-65 Atlas Atlas F Suborbital testSuccess
271 March 196322:00 SM-65 Atlas Atlas F Suborbital testSuccess
2827 April 196302:03 SM-65 Atlas Atlas F Suborbital testSuccess
2928 October 196321:00 SM-65 Atlas Atlas F Suborbital testFailureHydraulic line ruptured during staging, leading to loss of control 140 seconds after launch.
3025 February 196420:22 SM-65 Atlas Atlas E Suborbital testSuccess
311 April 196420:22 SM-65 Atlas Atlas F Suborbital testSuccessFinal suborbital Atlas test from Cape Canaveral. Last flight from LC-11 prior to Blue Origin's incorporation of the pad into LC-36.

References

  1. Blue Origin could bring long-dormant launchpad to life, 7 Sept 2016
  2. Blue Origin could bring long-dormant launchpad to life, 7 Sept 2016
  3. NASASpaceFlight.com (29 March 2017). "Blue Origin working towards making the Cape its Orbital Launch Site". www.nasaspaceflight.com. Archived from the original on 2017-03-29. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
  4. "Blue Origin Rocket Pad". YouTube . 28 October 2017. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  5. NASASpaceFlight.com (2019-09-11). "Blue Origin continuing work on New Glenn launch complex, support facilities". NASASpaceFlight.com. Archived from the original on 2019-09-20. Retrieved 2020-06-04.