Cape Canaveral and adjacent Merritt Island on Florida's Atlantic coast are home to the USA's Eastern Range, the most active rocket range and spaceport in the country. The Eastern Range hosts two groundside operators: the military Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and the civilian Kennedy Space Center. Between them are dozens of launch pads, with several currently in active service and more in planning for activation.
Kennedy Space Center, operated by NASA, has two launch complexes on Merritt Island comprising four pads—two active, one under lease, and one inactive. From 1967 to 1975, it was the site of 13 Saturn V launches, three crewed Skylab flights and the Apollo–Soyuz; all Space Shuttle flights from 1981 to 2011, and one Ares 1-X flight in 2009. Since 2017, SpaceX uses Launch Complex 39A to launch their launch vehicles.
| Site | Status | Uses | Notable Launches | Coordinates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launch Complex 39A | Active Owned by NASA, Leased to SpaceX | Current: Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy Future: SpaceX Starship Retired: Saturn V, Space Shuttle Cancelled: Ares VThe launch site of all six crewed lunar landing missions of the Apollo Program. | Apollo 8, Apollo 11, Apollo 13, Skylab, STS-1, STS-88, STS-135, Falcon Heavy test flight, Crew Dragon Demo-2, Polaris Dawn | ||
| Launch Complex 39B | Active[1] Owned by NASA | Current: Space Launch System Retired: Saturn V, Saturn IB, Space Shuttle, Ares I-X Cancelled: Ares I, OmegA The launch site of the Challenger disaster. | Apollo 10, Skylab 2, Apollo-Soyuz, STS-51L, STS-34, STS-31, Artemis I | ||
| Launch Complex 48 | Inactive Owned by NASA | LC-48 is designed as a "clean pad" to support multiple launch systems with differing propellant needs. It is awaiting its first customer. | |||
| Launch Complex 49 | Unbuilt | Planned to be used by SpaceX Starship.[2] Plans were suspended in 2024.[3] |
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS), operated by Space Launch Delta 45 of the U.S. Space Force, was the site of all U.S. crewed launches before Apollo 8, as well as many other early Department of Defense (DoD) and NASA launches. For the DoD, it plays a secondary role to Vandenberg SFB in California, but is the launch site for many NASA uncrewed space probes, as those spacecraft are typically launched on United States Space Force launchers. Much of the support activity for CCSFS occurs at Patrick Space Force Base to the south, its reporting base.
Active launch vehicles are in bold.
| width=125 | Site | Status | Uses | Notable Launches | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launch Complex 14 | InactiveLeased to Stoke Space | Future: Nova Retired: Atlas, Mercury-Atlas, Atlas-Agena The site of all four crewed Mercury-Atlas launches used for Project Mercury. | Mercury-Atlas 5, Mercury-Atlas 6, Gemini 8 ATV | ||
| Launch Complex 16 | Undergoing renovationLeased to Relativity Space | Future: Terran R Retired: Titan I, Titan II, Pershing 1a, Pershing II, Terran 1 | 28.5017°N -80.5518°W | ||
| Launch Complex 20 | InactiveLeased to Firefly Aerospace | Future: Alpha, MLV Retired: Titan I, Titan IIIA, Starbird, Prospector, Aries, LCLV, Super Loki |
See main article: Spaceport Florida.
, Air Force Space Command committed to lease Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex 36 to Space Florida for future use by the Athena III launch system.[7] It is not known if the plan was subsequently implemented. Blue Origin leased Complex 36 in 2015, with plans to launch its reusable orbital vehicle from there by 2020 though as of early 2022 the launch is planned for the end of this year.[8]
| Site | Status | Uses | Notable Launches | Coordinates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Space Launch Complex 36A | Awaiting rocket activation Leased to Spaceport Florida, subleased to Blue Origin | Future: New Glenn Retired: Atlas-Centaur,Atlas II[9] | Surveyor 1, Mariner 7, Pioneer 10, Pioneer Venus Orbiter, Pioneer Venus Multiprobe | ||
| Space Launch Complex 36B | Awaiting rocket activation Leased to Spaceport Florida, subleased to Blue Origin | Future: New Glenn Retired: Atlas-Centaur, Atlas I, Atlas II, Atlas III | Surveyor 3, OAO-2, Mariner 6, Mariner 9, Pioneer 11, Mariner 10 | ||
| Space Launch Complex 46 | Active Leased to Spaceport Florida, subleased to Astra Space[10] [11] | Future: Rocket 4/5[12] Retired: Trident II,[13] Athena II, Athena I, Minotaur IV,[14] Rocket 3 | Lunar Prospector, Ascent Abort-2 |
| width=125 | Site | Status | Uses | Notable Launches | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launch Complex A Launch Complex B Launch Complex C Launch Complex D | Demolished | Matador LC-46 now sits on the site. | |||
| Launch Complex 1 | Inactive | Snark, Matador, Aerostat | |||
| Launch Complex 2 | Inactive | Snark, Matador, Aerostat | |||
| Launch Complex 3 | Inactive | Bumper-WAC, BOMARC, Polaris, X-17 | 28.4658°N -80.5369°W | ||
| Launch Complex 4 | Inactive | BOMARC, Redstone, Matador, Jason, Draco | 28.4667°N -80.5357°W | ||
| Launch Complex 4A | Inactive | BOMARC | |||
| Launch Complex 5 | Inactive | Jupiter-C, Redstone, Mercury-Redstone. The site of all six crewed and uncrewed Mercury-Redstone launches used for Project Mercury.Now part of the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum. | Pioneer 4, Mercury-Redstone 3, Mercury Redstone 4 | ||
| Launch Complex 6 | Inactive | Redstone, Jupiter | |||
| Launch Complex 7 Launch Complex 8 | Unbuilt | possibly Snark or Matador (intended) | |||
| Launch Complex 9 | Inactive | Navaho | |||
| Launch Complex 10 | Demolished | Jason, Draco, Nike Tomahawk Demolished to make way for LC-31 and LC-32. | |||
| Launch Complex 15 | Inactive | Retired: Titan I, Titan IICancelled: RS1 | 28.4963°N -80.5493°W | ||
| Launch Complex 17A | Demolished | Thor, Delta II | Pioneer 1, Explorer 6, OSO-1, Ariel 1, Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Climate Orbiter, Stardust, 2001 Mars Odyssey, Mars Exploration Rover Spirit | ||
| Launch Complex 17B | Demolished | Delta II, Delta III, Thor | Courier 1B, Telstar 1, Syncom 2, NEAR Shoemaker, Mars Pathfinder, Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity, MESSENGER, Kepler Space Telescope | ||
| Launch Complex 18 | Inactive | Viking, Vanguard, Thor, Blue Scout Junior, Blue Scout | Vanguard TV-3, Vanguard 1, Vanguard 2, Vanguard 3, Mercury-Scout 1 | 28.4493°N -80.5623°W | |
| Launch Complex 19 | Inactive | Titan I, Titan II GLV. The site of all ten crewed Titan II launches used for Project Gemini. | Gemini 4, Gemini 7, Gemini 6A, Gemini 8, Gemini 11 | 28.5067°N -80.5542°W | |
| Launch Complex 21 | Inactive | Goose, Mace | 28.4606°N -80.54°W | ||
| Launch Complex 22 | Inactive | Goose, Mace | 28.461°N -80.5398°W | ||
| Launch Complex 23 Launch Complex 24 | Inactive | Triton, Snark Intended to have two pads and a single blockhouse, but only one pad was built and the blockhouse was never built. | |||
| Launch Complex 25 | Inactive | Polaris, X-17, Poseidon, Trident I | |||
| Launch Complex 26 | Inactive | Jupiter, Redstone Launch site of Explorer 1 - the first successful U.S. satellite.Now part of the Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum. | Explorer 1 | ||
| Launch Complex 27 | Unbuilt | G-38 Navaho (intended) The Navaho program was cancelled before construction began. | |||
| Launch Complex 28 | Unbuilt | Unknown | |||
| Launch Complex 29 | Inactive | Polaris[15] | 28.4297°N -80.5772°W | ||
| Launch Complex 30A | Inactive | Pershing 1 | 28.4395°N -80.5806°W | ||
| Launch Complex 31 | Inactive | Minuteman, Pershing 1a. Used as a burial vault for the Space Shuttle Challenger. | |||
| Launch Complex 32 | Inactive | Minuteman | |||
| Launch Complex 33 | Unbuilt | Dyna-Soar (intended) LC-37 now sits on the site. | |||
| Launch Complex 34 | Inactive | Saturn I, Saturn IB. Site of the Apollo 1 fire. | SA-1, AS-201, Apollo 7 | ||
| Launch Complex 35 | Unbuilt | Navaho (intended) Not built due to the cancellation of the Navaho program. | |||
| Launch Complex 37A | Demolished | Saturn I, Saturn IB (unused) | 28.532°N -80.5668°W | ||
| Space Launch Complex 37B | Inactive | Retired: Saturn I, Saturn IB, Delta IV,[16] Delta IV Heavy[17] | SA-5, AS-101, AS-105, Apollo 5, Exploration Flight Test-1, Parker Solar Probe | 28.532°N -80.5668°W | |
| Launch Complex 38 | Unbuilt | Unknown | |||
| Launch Complex 42 | Unbuilt | Titan IIIC (intended) Cancelled because it would have been too close to LC-39A. | |||
| Launch Complex 43 | Demolished | Super Loki Demolished to make way for LC-46. | |||
| Launch Complex 44 | Inactive | Dragon | |||
| Launch Complex 45 | Demolished | None Intended for launching the Roland missile, but cancelled before any missiles were launched. LC-46 now sits on the site. | |||
| Launch Complex 47 | Inactive | Sounding Rockets, Super Loki, Super Loki Lite Star, LOFT-1[18] |
| Site | Status | Uses | Coordinates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Missile Range drop zone | Inactive | High Virgo, Bold Orion, Hound Dog, Skybolt | ||
| Grand Turk Auxiliary AFB, Grand Turk Island drop zone | Inactive | Arcas (All-Purpose Rocket for Collecting Atmospheric Soundings) | ||
| Mobile Launch Area | Inactive | Lark, Matador, Snark[19] | ||
| Eastern SLBM Launch Area | Active | Polaris, Poseidon, Trident | ||
| Shuttle Landing Facility | Active | Pegasus, X-37B | 28.615°N -80.6945°W | |
| Cape Canaveral Space Force Station Skid Strip | Active | Navaho, Pegasus, Pegasus XL | 28.468°N -80.567°W | |
| Patrick SFB | Inactive | Matador |