Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 40

Last updated
Space Launch Complex 40
Falcon 9 NG-20 Launch (8217536).jpg
SLC-40 during launch of NG-20 in January 2024 with the newly constructed tower and access arm for future crewed launches
Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 40
Launch site Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Location 28°33′44″N80°34′38″W / 28.562106°N 80.577180°W / 28.562106; -80.577180
Time zone UTC−05:00 (EST)
• Summer (DST)
 UTC−04:00 (EDT)
Short nameSLC-40
Operator
Total launches277
Orbital inclination
range		28.5–55, 66–145° [1]
Launch history
StatusActive
First launch18 June 1965
Titan IIIC (Transtage)
Last launch8 December 2024
Falcon 9 Block 5 (Starlink G12-5)
Associated
rockets

Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40), sometimes referred to as "Slick Forty," is a launch pad located at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Initially opened as Launch Complex 40 (LC-40) and used by the United States Air Force for 55 launches of rockets from the Titan family between 1965 and 2005. In 2007, SpaceX acquired a lease for SLC-40 and has since transformed the complex into a high-volume launch site for the Falcon 9 rocket. As of November 2024, the pad has hosted over 220 Falcon 9 launches.

Contents

A major setback occurred in 2016 when a catastrophic explosion during a static fire test heavily damaged the facility. After extensive repairs and upgrades, SLC-40 returned to service in December 2017. To further enhance its capabilities, a tower and access arm were added in 2023 to support SpaceX's crewed missions.

Titan

A Titan IV rocket with the Cassini-Huygens payload at LC-40 in 1997 Titan4B on Launch Complex 40.jpg
A Titan IV rocket with the Cassini–Huygens payload at LC-40 in 1997

Originally designated Launch Complex 40, SLC-40 hosted its inaugural launch for the United States Air Force in June 1965, a Titan IIIC rocket equipped with two transtage upper stages for testing purposes.

Notably, the pad served as the launch site for two interplanetary missions: the failed Mars Observer in September 1992 and the successful Cassini–Huygens mission to Saturn in October 1997.

Over its lifetime, SLC-40 supported a total of 55 Titan launches, including 26 Titan IIICs, eight Titan 34Ds, four Commercial Titan IIIs, and 17 Titan IVs. The final Titan launch from SLC-40 was the Lacrosse-5 reconnaissance satellite carried on a Titan IV-B on April 30, 2005. [2]

Following the conclusion of Titan operations, the launch complex underwent significant transformation. The tower was dismantled in early 2008, followed by the controlled demolition of the Mobile Service Structure later that year. [3]

SpaceX / Falcon 9

SLC-40 in February 2010 with Falcon 9 v1.0 rocket carrying Dragon Spacecraft Qualification Unit Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral (aerial).jpg
SLC-40 in February 2010 with Falcon 9 v1.0 rocket carrying Dragon Spacecraft Qualification Unit

SpaceX leased SLC-40 from the U.S. Air Force in April 2007 to launch its Falcon 9 rocket. [4] Ground facility construction began the following year, including a rocket and payload preparation hangar and new fuel tanks. A spherical liquid oxygen tank previously used at LC-34 was purchased from NASA.

The first Falcon 9 arrived in late 2008, with the inaugural launch in June 2010 carrying a dummy payload. A Dragon spacecraft demonstration flight followed in December. Starting in 2012, SLC-40 became the primary launch site for the Dragon cargo vehicle providing provide two-way logistics to and from the International Space Station, a role previously filled by the Space Shuttle until its retirement in 2011. [5]

To accommodate the heavier Falcon 9 v1.1 rocket, the launch pad was modified in 2013. [6] Launch frequency gradually increased from 2014, with a mix of Dragon and satellite missions.

A catastrophic explosion occurred at SLC-40 in September 2016 during a static fire test, destroying a Falcon 9 rocket and its payload, the AMOS-6 satellite. The incident caused significant damage to the launch pad. [7] [8] After a thorough investigation and cleanup, repairs and upgrades began in early 2017. [9] SLC-40 returned to service in December 2017 with the successful launch of CRS-13. [10] [11] [12]

SpaceX had leased Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at the nearby Kennedy Space Center from NASA in April 2014, which allowed launches to continue to from Florida during the reconstruction of SLC-40. In August 2018, LC-39A's crew access tower received an access arm, allowing crew to be loaded onto Crew Dragon 2 capsules along with late payload changes on Cargo Dragon 2 capsules. Because SLC-40 lacked an access tower, Dragon missions were paused after the original Dragon 1 capsule was retired in 2020. [13]

Crew access arm at SLC-40 extended out to Cargo Dragon before CRS SpX-30. SLC-40 access arm.jpg
Crew access arm at SLC-40 extended out to Cargo Dragon before CRS SpX-30.

In the 2020s, SLC-40 would become SpaceX’s "workhorse" launch pad, hosting less complex satellite launch missions as frequently as every week, completing 50 launches of this launch pad alone in 2023. Meanwhile, LC-39A was used less, being reserved for Dragon crew and cargo flights, Falcon Heavy missions, and other complex missions. [13]

To add additional operational flexibility and reduce reliance on LC-39A, in early 2023, SpaceX began constructing an access tower at SLC-40. [13] In February 2024, SpaceX tested its new emergency escape system for future crewed missions, which uses an evacuation slide instead of the slidewire baskets used at LC-39A. [14]

CRS SpX-30 stands tall at SLC-40 with crew access arm extended SLC-40 with access arm.jpg
CRS SpX-30 stands tall at SLC-40 with crew access arm extended

The tower was first used ahead of in early 2024 to accommodate late loading of supplies into cargo spacecraft. [13] [15] SLC-40 was used to launch its first crewed mission in September 2024, SpaceX Crew-9. [16] The mission had been slated to use LC-39A, but was shifted to SLC-40 when the launch was delayed due to issues with the Boeing Starliner Calypso spacecraft that was docked to the ISS. The September launch of Crew-9 was concerningly close to the launch NASA's Europa Clipper mission, which launched from LC-39A on October 14. [17]

Launch history

Statistics

10
20
30
40
50
60
1965
1970
1975
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000

List of launches

As of December 8, 2024

Past launches

Upcoming launches

DateRocket TypeMission / Payload
December 14, 2024Falcon 9 B5 GPS III-10 (RRT-1)
December 18, 2024Falcon 9 B5 Astranis Block 2 Mission
December 21, 2024Falcon 9 B5 Thuraya 4-NGS

Related Research Articles

<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">Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A</span> Historic launch pad operated by NASA and SpaceX

Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) is the first of Launch Complex 39's three launch pads, located at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Merritt Island, Florida. The pad, along with Launch Complex 39B, was first constructed in the 1960s to accommodate the Saturn V launch vehicle, and has been used to support NASA crewed space flight missions, including the historic Apollo 11 moon landing and the Space Shuttle. The site is currently leased by SpaceX and supports launches of the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39</span> Historic Apollo Moonport

Launch Complex 39 (LC-39) is a rocket launch site at the John F. Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island in Florida, United States. The site and its collection of facilities were originally built as the Apollo program's "Moonport" and later modified for the Space Shuttle program. Launch Complex 39 consists of three launch sub-complexes or "pads"—39A, 39B, and 39C—a Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), a Crawlerway used by crawler-transporters to carry mobile launcher platforms between the VAB and the pads, Orbiter Processing Facility buildings, a Launch Control Center which contains the firing rooms, a news facility famous for the iconic countdown clock seen in television coverage and photos, and various logistical and operational support buildings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Falcon 9</span> Orbital launch vehicle by SpaceX

Falcon 9 is a partially reusable, human-rated, two-stage-to-orbit, medium-lift launch vehicle designed and manufactured in the United States by SpaceX. The first Falcon 9 launch was on 4 June 2010, and the first commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS) launched on 8 October 2012. In 2020, it became the first commercial rocket to launch humans to orbit. The Falcon 9 has an exceptional safety record, with 407 successful launches, two in-flight failures, one partial failure and one pre-flight destruction. It is the most-launched American orbital rocket in history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 41</span> American space launch site at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, USA

Space Launch Complex 41 (SLC-41), previously Launch Complex 41 (LC-41), is an active launch site at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. As of 2024, the site is used by United Launch Alliance (ULA) for Atlas V and Vulcan Centaur launches. Previously, it had been used by the United States Air Force for Titan IIIC, Titan IIIE, and Titan IV launches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Missile Row</span> Nickname for eight launch pads at Cape Canaveral

Missile Row was a nickname given in the 1960s to the eight SM-65 Atlas and HGM-25A Titan I launch complexes at the middle area of Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS), historically used by the United States Air Force and NASA. Operated by the 45th Space Wing since 1949, it was the site of all fourteen Mercury-Atlas and Gemini launches, as well as many other early missile tests, Department of Defense (DoD) launches, and NASA launches. For the DoD, it played a secondary role to Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, but was the launch site for many NASA unmanned space probes, as those spacecraft were typically launched on military launchers.

<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">Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 46</span> Launch complex in Florida, US

The Space Launch Complex 46 (SLC-46), previously Launch Complex 46 (LC-46), is a launch complex at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station operated under license by Space Florida previously used for Athena rocket launches. It has been used by Astra, which will continue the use with Rocket 4 and maybe 5 and will be used by ABL Space Systems for the near-term use by RS1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SpaceX facilities</span> Launch facilities used by SpaceX

As of 2023, SpaceX operates four launch facilities: Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40), Vandenberg Space Force Base Space Launch Complex 4E (SLC-4E), Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A), and Brownsville South Texas Launch Site (Starbase). Space Launch Complex 40 was damaged in the AMOS-6 accident in September 2016 and repair work was completed by December 2017. SpaceX believes that they can optimize their launch operations, and reduce launch costs, by dividing their launch missions amongst these four launch facilities: LC-39A for NASA launches, SLC-40 for United States Space Force national security launches, SLC-4E for polar launches, and South Texas Launch Site for commercial launches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SpaceX CRS-9</span> 2016 American resupply spaceflight to the ISS

SpaceX CRS-9, also known as SpX-9, was a Commercial Resupply Service mission to the International Space Station which launched on 18 July 2016. The mission was contracted by NASA and was operated by SpaceX using a Dragon capsule.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SpaceX CRS-10</span> 2017 American resupply spaceflight to the ISS

SpaceX CRS-10, also known as SpX-10, was a Dragon Commercial Resupply Service mission to the International Space Station (ISS) which launched on 19 February 2017. The mission was contracted by NASA as part of its Commercial Resupply Services program and was launched by SpaceX aboard the 30th flight of the Falcon 9 rocket. The mission ended on 19 March 2017 when the Dragon spacecraft left the ISS and safely returned to Earth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SpaceX CRS-12</span> 2017 American resupply spaceflight to the ISS

SpaceX CRS-12, also known as SpX-12, was a Commercial Resupply Services mission to the International Space Station launched on 14 August 2017. The mission was contracted by NASA and was flown by SpaceX using a new Dragon capsule. The Falcon 9 rocket's reusable first stage performed a controlled landing on Landing Zone 1 (LZ1) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. After delivering more than 2,900 kilograms (6,400 lb) of cargo, the Dragon spacecraft returned to Earth on 17 September 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SpaceX CRS-13</span> 2017 American resupply spaceflight to the ISS

SpaceX CRS-13, also known as SpX-13, was a Commercial Resupply Service mission to the International Space Station launched on 15 December 2017. The mission was contracted by NASA and is flown by SpaceX. It was the second mission to successfully reuse a Dragon capsule, previously flown on CRS-6. The first stage of the Falcon 9 Full Thrust rocket was the previously flown, "flight-proven" core from CRS-11. The first stage returned to land at Cape Canaveral's Landing Zone 1 after separation of the first and second stage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SpaceX CRS-15</span> 2018 American resupply spaceflight to the ISS

SpaceX CRS-15, also known as SpX-15, was a Commercial Resupply Service mission to the International Space Station launched 29 June 2018 aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. The mission was contracted by NASA and flown by SpaceX.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crew Dragon In-Flight Abort Test</span> Post-launch abort test of the SpaceX Dragon 2 spacecraft

The Crew Dragon In-Flight Abort Test was a successful test of the SpaceX Dragon 2 abort system, conducted on 19 January 2020. It was the final assessment for the Crew Dragon capsule and Falcon 9 launch system before they would be certified to carry humans into space. Booster B1046.4 and an uncrewed capsule C205 were launched from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) on a suborbital trajectory, followed by an in-flight abort of the capsule at max Q and supersonic speed. The test was carried out successfully: the capsule pulled itself away from the booster after launch control commanded the abort, and landed safely.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Axiom Mission 4</span> Private crewed spaceflight to the International Space Station in 2025

Axiom Mission 4 is a private spaceflight to the International Space Station. The flight will launch no earlier than April 2025 and last about 14 days. It will be operated by Axiom Space and use a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SpaceX Crew-9</span> 2024 American crewed spaceflight to the ISS

SpaceX Crew-9 is the ninth operational NASA Commercial Crew Program flight and the 15th crewed orbital flight of a Crew Dragon spacecraft. Originally scheduled to launch a crew of four to the International Space Station (ISS) in mid-August 2024, the mission was delayed by more than a month due to technical issues with the Boeing Starliner Calypso spacecraft that was docked at the ISS for the Boeing Crew Flight Test. NASA ultimately decided to send the Starliner back to Earth uncrewed, launch Crew-9 with two crew members, and return with four crew members, including the two crew members of the Boeing Crew Flight Test. After that delay and other delays largely due to weather, Crew-9 launched on 28 September at 17:17:21 UTC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SpaceX CRS-30</span> 2024 American resupply spaceflight to the ISS

SpaceX CRS-30, sometimes identified by NASA as SpX-30, was an American cargo spacecraft flight to the International Space Station (ISS), that launched on 21 March 2024. It was operated by SpaceX under a Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract with NASA. The spacecraft is a Cargo Dragon, serial number C209, which made its fourth flight on this mission. This mission was the first Cargo Dragon to launch from Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 40 since the second generation capsule was introduced on the SpaceX CRS-21 mission. In that time, a tower and access arm were added to the pad, allowing late loading of supplies into the spacecraft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Falcon 9 B1058</span> Falcon 9 Block 5 first-stage booster

Falcon 9 booster B1058 was a reusable Falcon 9 Block 5 first-stage booster manufactured by SpaceX. B1058 was the first Falcon 9 booster to fly fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen and nineteen times and broke a turnaround record on its later flights. Its first flight was for Crew Dragon Demo-2, the first crewed orbital spaceflight by a private company. The booster was the first and only Falcon 9 booster to feature NASA's worm logo and meatball insignia, which was reintroduced after last being used in 1992. The booster was destroyed after successfully landing on the autonomous spaceport drone ship, Just Read the Instructions. B1058 toppled over as the drone ship sailed toward Port Canaveral in rough seas.

References

  1. ↑ "Falcon User's Guide" (PDF). SpaceX . September 2021. p. 11.
  2. ↑ "Launch Complex 40". Afspacemuseum.org. Archived from the original on 2014-08-12. Retrieved 2014-08-16.
  3. ↑ Hidalgo Whitesides, Loretta (May 1, 2008). "Launch Pad Demolition Clears Way for SpaceX Rockets". Wired. Retrieved June 5, 2010.
  4. ↑ Kelly, John (April 25, 2007). "SpaceX cleared for Cape launches". Florida Today. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved June 5, 2010.
  5. ↑ "NASA Selects SpaceX's Falcon 9 Booster and Dragon Spacecraft for Cargo Resupply Services to the International Space Station". SpaceX.com. December 23, 2008. Archived from the original on 2009-07-21. Retrieved January 26, 2009.
  6. ↑ "Falcon 9's commercial promise to be tested in 2013". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 17 November 2012.
  7. ↑ "SpaceX Anomaly Update". SpaceX.com. September 2, 2016. Retrieved September 7, 2016.
  8. ↑ Bill Chappell (September 1, 2016). "SpaceX Rocket And Its Cargo Explode On Launch Pad In Florida". NPR. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
  9. ↑ Klotz, Irene (2013-08-02). "SpaceX Appetite for U.S. Launch Sites Grows". Space News. Archived from the original on September 5, 2013. Retrieved 2013-09-05.
  10. ↑ "SpaceX Will Launch Another Used Dragon Capsule to Space Station Soon". Space.com. Retrieved 2017-10-30.
  11. ↑ Bergin, Chris (March 7, 2017). "SpaceX prepares Falcon 9 for EchoStar 23 launch as SLC-40 targets return". NASASpaceFlight.com . Retrieved March 11, 2017. On the West Coast, three missions have set placeholders for launch from Vandenberg, namely Iridium 2 on June 17, the Formosat-5 mission on July 22 and Iridium-3 on August 24.
  12. ↑ "SpaceX launches and lands its first used rocket for NASA". The Verge. 15 December 2017. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Clark, Stephen (2024-03-20). "SpaceX's workhorse launch pad now has the accoutrements for astronauts". Ars Technica. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  14. ↑ Robinson-Smith, Will (2024-02-27). "SpaceX tests new emergency escape system to certify pad 40 at Cape Canaveral for astronaut missions". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 2024-08-07.
  15. ↑ Smith, Martin (2024-03-21). "SpaceX's 30th resupply mission uses new access tower at SLC-40 for the first time". NASASpaceflight. Retrieved 2024-04-28.
  16. ↑ Berger, Eric (6 August 2024). "NASA chief will make the final decision on how Starliner crew flies home". Ars Technica . Retrieved 7 August 2024. The Crew-9 launched from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. This was the first crewed launch from this complex, which SpaceX has built up in addition to its crew tower at Launch Complex 39A at nearby Kennedy Space Center.
  17. ↑ Niles-Carnes, Elyna (6 August 2024). "NASA Adjusts Crew-9 Launch Date for Operational Flexibility". NASA . Retrieved 6 August 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.