Launch Control Center

Launch Control Center
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
LC-39 Launch Control Center
Nearest city	Titusville, Florida
Coordinates	28°35′7″N 80°38′59″W / 28.58528°N 80.64972°WCoordinates: 28°35′7″N 80°38′59″W / 28.58528°N 80.64972°W
MPS	John F. Kennedy Space Center MPS
NRHP Reference #	99001645[1]
Added to NRHP	January 21, 2000

The Launch Control Center (LCC) is a four-story building located at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, Florida used for the supervision of launches from Launch Complex 39. In practice, this means that the LCC handles all American manned space flights. Attached to the southeast corner of the Vehicle Assembly Building, the LCC contains offices; telemetry, tracking and instrumentation equipment; the automated Launch Processing System; and four firing rooms.

Launches have been conducted from the LCC since the unmanned Apollo 4 (Apollo-Saturn 501) launch on November 9, 1967; its first manned launch was Apollo 8 on December 21, 1968.

Firing room

Firing Room 1 configured for space shuttle launches

Firing Room 2 as it appeared in the Apollo era

A Saturn I-B control panel from an Apollo-era Firing Room

Launch operations are supervised and controlled from the firing room. Responsibility for the booster and spacecraft remains with the LCC until the booster has cleared the launch tower, when responsibility is handed over to the Mission Control Center at Johnson Space Center.

Extensive renovation of Firing Room 4 was finished in 2006.

Key personnel

Launch Director (LD)

The Launch Director is the head of the launch team, and is responsible for making the final "go" or "no go" decision for launch after polling the relevant team members.

Flow Director (FD)

The Flow Director is responsible for the preparation of the spacecraft for launch, and remains in the LCC in an advisory capacity.

NASA Test Director (NTD)

The NASA Test Director is responsible for all pre-launch testing, whether involving the flight crew, the orbiter, the external tank/solid rocket booster, or ground support equipment. The NTD is also responsible for the safety of all personnel on the pad after fuelling has occurred. Reports to the Launch Director.

Orbiter Test Conductor (OTC)

The Orbiter Test Conductor is in charge of all pre-flight checkout and testing of the orbiter, and manages the engineers in the firing room who monitor the orbiter's systems. OTC is an employee of a contractor rather than of NASA.

Payload Test Conductor (PTC)

The Payload Test Conductor is responsible for the pre-flight test and checkout of payloads carried by the orbiter and manages the engineering and test teams responsible for monitoring and controlling payload ground operations. PTC is a contractor member of the Space Shuttle Team.

Launch Processing System Coordinator (LPS)

The LPS Coordinator monitors and oversees the LPS System; specifically, the desired launch rate, Space Shuttle stacking (assembly), and all safety requirements. This is made possible by the Launch Processing System, or LPS — a highly automated, computer-controlled system that oversees the entire checkout and launch process.^[2]

Superintendent of Range Operations (SRO)

The Superintendent of Range Operations ensures that all tracking and communications systems are ready to support the launch operation as well as ensuring that downrange airspace and splashdown areas remain clear for launch, and monitors weather near the launch site.

Ground Launch Sequencer Engineer (CGLS)

The Ground Launch Sequencer Engineer is responsible for monitoring the operation of the automated Ground Launch Sequencer system, which controls the countdown from T-9 minutes until launch. After this point through to T-31 seconds, they are in charge of implementing a manual hold if necessary. After T-31 seconds only an automatic cutoff is available. The automatic cutoff recycles the countdown clock to T-20 minutes. Usually this will extend the launch time beyond the launch window causing a scrub and a 24-hour turnaround.

See also

• Ground station
• Launch status check
• Mission control center

References

1. National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
2. NASA: KSC Launch Control Center

Sources

• Launch Control Center
• Launch Control Center Main page.
• Launch Team

External links

• Firing Room Tour
• New Launch Control Room Ready for STS-121 Liftoff
• KSC Launch Processing System