Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 21

Last updated
Launch Complex 21
MACE B.jpg
Mace launch from LC-21
Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 21
Launch site Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Location 28°27′38″N80°32′24″W / 28.46056°N 80.54000°W / 28.46056; -80.54000
Time zone UTC−05:00 (EST)
 Summer (DST)
UTC−04:00 (EDT)
Operator United States Space Force
Total launches41
Launch pad(s)2
LC-21/1 launch history
StatusInactive
Launches38
First launch24 July 1958
Last launch17 July 1963
Associated
rockets
LC-21/2 launch history
StatusInactive
Launches3
First launch4 December 1962
Last launch28 June 1963
Associated
rockets
MGM-13 Mace

Launch Complex 21 (LC-21) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida is a launch complex that was used for horizontal launches of cruise missiles between 1958 and 1963. It initially consisted of a single launch rail, from which XSM-73 Bull Goose missiles were tested. Between 1959 and 1960, the complex was rebuilt for the MGM-13 Mace, with a second rail added, and a large concrete structure erected around the launch rails, earning the pad the nickname of "the hardsite".

It shared a blockhouse with Launch Complex 22 was also used for Bull Goose and Mace launches. Unusual for a U.S. launch site, the individual pads in the complex have numerical designations, similar to those used by the Soviet Union, rather than alphabetical designations as used on most other U.S. complexes.

History

Construction at LC-21 started in 1956, leading to acceptance into military service on 26 February 1957, with Launch Complex 22. The first test of a Bull Goose rocket from LC-21 occurred on 24 July 1958. All Bull Goose launches from LC-21 used rail 1. The last Bull Goose launch from LC-21 was conducted on 5 December 1958.

Following the end of Bull Goose test flights, Complex 21 was renovated for the Mace rocket. This involved the addition of the second launch rail, and the construction of a concrete structure surrounding the complex. The first Mace launch from LC-21/1 occurred on 11 July 1960. This was followed on 4 December 1962 with the first launch from LC-21/2. LC-21/1 was used for 34 Mace launches, whilst LC-21/2 was used for three. The last launch from rail 2 occurred on 28 June 1963, followed by the final launch from the complex, using rail 21, on 17 July 1963.

After the last launch, the complex was retained as a backup site until the 1970s, in case a future missile needed to use it. As of 2009, the complex was still standing.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plesetsk Cosmodrome</span> Spaceport in Mirny, Arkhangelsk Oblast, northwestern Russia

Plesetsk Cosmodrome is a Russian spaceport located in Mirny, Arkhangelsk Oblast, about 800 km north of Moscow and approximately 200 km south of Arkhangelsk. As of 2024, it is Europe's only operational orbital spaceport and the northernmost spaceport in the world. Originally developed as an ICBM site for the R-7 missile, it also served for numerous satellite launches using the R-7 and other rockets. Its high latitude makes it useful only for certain types of launches, especially the Molniya orbits, so for much of the site's history it functioned as a secondary location, with most orbital launches taking place from Baikonur, in the Kazakh SSR. With the end of the Soviet Union, Baikonur became a foreign territory, and Kazakhstan charged $115 million usage fees annually. Consequently, Plesetsk has seen considerably more activity since the 2000s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape Canaveral Space Force Station</span> Military rocket launch site in Florida

Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) is an installation of the United States Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45, located on Cape Canaveral in Brevard County, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">XSM-73 Goose</span> Cruise Missile

The Fairchild SM-73 was a planned sub-sonic, jet-powered, long-range, ground-launched decoy cruise missile. XSM-73 was the designation for the development version. Development began in 1952 with conceptual studies and ended when the program was canceled in 1958 after 15 test flights but before any operational deployment. The operational concept was to base squadrons of XM-73s at various locations in the United States and if necessary launch the aircraft as part of a strategic bomber attack. The aircraft would fly autonomously under inertial guidance towards the target area, using radar reflectors and electronic countermeasures to imitate American bombers and thus confuse and saturate enemy air defenses. The program was cancelled because the missile was not able to simulate a B-52 bomber on radar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 2</span> Rocket launch site at Vandenberg Space Force Base in the USA

Space Launch Complex 2 (SLC-2) is an active rocket launch site at Vandenberg Space Force Base, in California, USA. It consists of two launch pads. The East pad was used for Delta, Thor-Agena and Thorad launches between 1966 and 1972 and has been demolished. The West pad was used for Delta, Thor-Agena and Delta II launches from 1966 until 2018, when the Delta II performed its last flight.

Strela is a Russian orbital carrier rocket, derived from the Soviet/Russian UR-100NU missile. It conducted its maiden test launch on 5 December 2003, carried its first functional payload on 27 June 2013, and a second one on 19 December 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Launch Pad 0</span> Rocket launch complex on Wallops Island, Virginia, U.S.

Launch Pad 0 (LP-0), also known as Launch Complex 0 (LC-0), or Launch Area 0 (LA-0), is a launch complex at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) on Wallops Island, Virginia, in the United States. MARS is located right next to the NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF), which had run the launch complex until 2003. WFF still provides support services to MARS launches under a contract with the Commonwealth of Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vandenberg Launch Complex 576</span>

Launch Complex 576 is a group of rocket launch pads at Vandenberg Space Force Base. The pads were used from 1959 until 1971 to launch SM-65 Atlas missiles. The site was also known as Complex ABRES. Pads in Area 576 include 576A-1, 576A-2 and 576A-3, 576B-1, 576B-2 and 576B-3, 576-C, 576-D, 576-E, OSTF-1 and OSTF-2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 11</span> Former missile test launch site in Florida, US

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 12</span> Launch pad used by Atlas rockets and missiles

Launch Complex 12 (LC-12) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida was a launch pad used by Atlas rockets and missiles between 1958 and 1967. It was the second-most southern of the pads known as Missile Row, between LC-11 to the south and LC-13 to the north. Along with Complexes 11, 13 and 14, LC-12 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 means of a ramp on the southwest side of the launch pedestal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 13</span> Former rocket launch site in Florida, USA

Launch Complex 13 (LC-13) was a launch complex at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCAS), the third-most southerly of the original launch complexes known as Missile Row, lying between LC-12 and LC-14. In 2015, the LC-13 site was leased by SpaceX and was renovated for use as Landing Zone 1 and Landing Zone 2, the company's East Coast landing location for returning Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launch vehicle booster stages. It is leased by US Space Force to Phantom Space and Vaya Space who will operate this launch complex after the termination of SpaceX's lease in future.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plesetsk Cosmodrome Site 43</span> Rocket launching complex of the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northwestern Russia

Site 43, also known as SK-3 and SK-4, is a launch complex at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in Russia. It consists of a two pads, Sites 43/3 and 43/4, and has been used by R-7 derived rockets since the early 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 18</span>

Launch Complex 18 (LC-18) is a launch complex at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida that was active during the late 1950s and early 1960s. It was used by Viking, Vanguard, Thor and Scout rockets. The complex consists of two launch pads, LC-18A, which was originally built by the US Navy for the Vanguard rocket, and LC-18B, which was originally by the US Air Force used for tests of the PGM-17 Thor missile.

Probe Launch Complex C or PLC-C at the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, United States, is a launch complex which was used for six sounding rocket launches between 1971 and 1975. It was originally built as Launch Complex C or LC-C at the Point Arguello Naval Air Station, however no launches were made from the site whilst it was part of Point Arguello. Following the merger of Point Arguello into Vandenberg in 1964, it was briefly designated PALC-C, and subsequently Probe Launch Complex C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NOTS-EV-2 Caleb</span> U.S. military expendable launch system

The NOTS-EV-2 Caleb, also known as NOTS-500, Hi-Hoe and SIP was an expendable launch system, which was later used as a sounding rocket and prototype anti-satellite weapon. It was developed by the United States Navy's Naval Ordnance Test Station (NOTS) as a follow-up to the NOTS-EV-1 Pilot, which had been abandoned following ten launches officially classified as failed missions. Two were launched in July and October 1960, before the cancellation of the project. Following cancellation, two leftover Calebs were used in the Satellite Interceptor Program (SIP), while three more were used as sounding rockets, under the designation Hi-Hoe. These derivatives flew until July 1962, when the Hi-Hoe made its final flight.

Launch Complex 22 (LC-22) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, United States, is a launch complex that was used for horizontal launches of cruise missiles between 1957 and 1960. It consisted of two launch rails, from which XSM-73 Bull Goose and MGM-13 Mace missiles were tested. Unlike the other Mace launch site, Launch Complex 21, no concrete structure was built to enclose the launch rails when it was converted to launch the Mace in 1959. This earned the pad the nickname of "the softsite".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">RM-90 Blue Scout II</span> U.S. sounding rocket, 1961

The RM-90 Blue Scout II was an American sounding rocket and expendable launch system which was flown three times during 1961. It was used for two HETS test flights, and the launch of the Mercury-Scout 1 satellite for NASA. It was a member of the Scout family of rockets.

Launch Complex 1, also known as Pad 1, is a Long March launch complex at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre. It consists of a single launch pad, which has been used by Long March 2C, Long March 4A, Long March 4B and Long March 4C carrier rockets. Until the activation of Launch Complex 2 in 2008, it was the only launch site for Long March 4 rockets. Long March 4 launches have since also occurred from Jiuquan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 110</span>

Site 110 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome is a launch facility which was used by the N1 rocket during the late 1960s and early 1970s, and by the Energia rocket during the 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pershing missile launches</span>

From 1960 to 1988 there were Pershing missile launches for testing from various sites in the US. The systems included the Pershing 1 Field Artillery Missile System, the Pershing 1a Field Artillery Missile System and the Pershing II Weapon System. Initial launches were from what is now the Eastern Range at Cape Canaveral, Florida using Launch Complex 30A using the dismounted erector launcher. Later launches were from the full transporter erector launcher (TEL). Further launches were conducted at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) using tactical equipment. The Pershing 1 and 1a had a range of 740 kilometres (460 mi), thus launches were from various subinstallations into WSMR. The two-stage Pershing II had a range of 1,770 kilometres (1,100 mi), thus launches at WSMR used a single-stage missile with two-stage launches at Cape Canaveral.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 47</span> Sounding rocket launch complex at Cape Canaveral, Florida

Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 47 is a launch pad for sounding rockets located at the north end of Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. It is the smallest launch complex at the Space Force Station. The complex features a small blockhouse a few yards from the pad, containing vehicle-specific hardware. Between 1984 and 2008, 531 sounding rockets were launched from pad 47. All weather rocket operations were relocated here from Launch Complex 43 in 1984 in order to make room for the construction of Launch Complex 46.

References