| Launch Complex 31 | |||||||
| Site: | Cape Canaveral Space Force Station | ||||||
| Short: | LC-31 | ||||||
| Utc Offset: | −05:00 | ||||||
| Time Zone: | EST | ||||||
| Utc Offset Dst: | −04:00 | ||||||
| Time Zone Dst: | EDT | ||||||
| Operator: | United States Space Force | ||||||
| Pads: | 2 (incl. silo) | ||||||
| Paddetails: |
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Launch Complex 31 (LC-31) is a former launch complex at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida.
It was built in 1959 with LC-32 for the U.S. Air Force to conduct test launches of the first LGM-30 Minuteman missiles. LC-31 was built next to Navaho complex LC-9, requiring LC-10 to be demolished. These complexes were the first to feature dual launch pads, one of which was subterranean. LC-31 consisted of a blockhouse, static launch pad (31A) and missile silo (31B). The beehive-shaped blockhouse is 210 yards from the static pad and 330 yards from the silo.
Between February 1, 1960 and September 23, 1969 the Air Force launched a total of four Minuteman missiles from pad 31A and 35 from silo 31B. Pad 31A was used later by the U.S. Army to test launch twelve Pershing 1a missiles.
The service tower has since been removed; the silo remains, and contains recovered debris from the Space Shuttle orbiter vehicle Challenger.[1] [2]
In 2015, NASA opened the silo and removed several pieces of Challengers debris, so they could be placed on permanent display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.[3]