Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 11
| Launch site | Cape Canaveral Air Force Station |
|---|---|
| Location | 28°28′32″N 80°32′26″W / 28.47556°N 80.54056°WCoordinates: 28°28′32″N 80°32′26″W / 28.47556°N 80.54056°W |
| Short name | LC-11 |
| Operator | US Air Force |
| Total launches | 33 |
| Launch pad(s) | 1 |
| Launch history | |
| Status | Dismantled |
| First launch |
Atlas B 3B 19 July 1958 |
| Last launch |
Atlas F 137F 1 April 1964 |
| Associated rockets |
Atlas B Atlas D Atlas E Atlas F |
Launch Complex 11 (LC-11) at Cape Canaveral Air 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.
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 November 1958, Atlas 10B launched SCORE, the world's first communications satellite into low Earth orbit. Two on-pad explosions occurred on LC-11, the launches of Atlas missiles 48D in April 1960 and 11F in April 1962, the former causing extensive damage requiring a few months of repair work.
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 Following deactivation, the mobile service tower and support equipment were dismantled, and the site is no longer maintained.
Blue Origin may develop the site for launches.[1]
References
- ↑ Blue Origin could bring long-dormant launchpad to life, 7 Sept 2016