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Author
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Topic: Cape Canaveral launch complexes and facilities
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LM-12
Member Posts: 757
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 10-24-2011 03:07 PM
  
NASA photo KSC-64PC-0082 is a classic shot of Missile Row at Cape Canaveral as it looked back in 1964. You can even see the VAB under construction in the background. What would that same view look like now? Are any of those original launch towers still standing today? |
hlbjr
Member Posts: 316
From: Delray Beach Florida USA
Registered: Mar 2006
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posted 10-24-2011 04:05 PM
No, none of the towers are left. The last ones standing were the two at Complex 36. They were demolished four years ago. Complex 13 also outlasted all but Pad 36 and Pad 13 was also demolished (it's been six or seven years ago). What's weird is some of the pads have been removed completely with all traces of the ground concrete pad, skimming (runoff) pond etc removed. I think it may have been a pollution issue. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 757
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 10-24-2011 04:38 PM
Photo shows the towers for Complexes 36, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19, 20, 34, 37 - LC-14 - manned Mercury-Atlas flights
- LC-19 - manned Gemini-Titan flights
- LC-34 - Apollo 1 and Apollo 7
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mjanovec
Member Posts: 3588
From: Midwest, USA
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted 10-24-2011 05:32 PM
While Pad 19's umbilical tower is gone, the erector tower is still there, lying in the down position. The white room has been removed and is now on display at the nearby Air Force Space and Missile Museum (which is a stop of the Cape Canaveral "Then and Now" tour). You can see the current condition of Pad 19 here. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 757
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 10-24-2011 09:17 PM
Is there any type of monument or plaque at Pad 19 to acknowledge the 10 manned Gemini flights? |
Jim Behling
Member Posts: 495
From: Cape Canaveral, FL
Registered: Mar 2010
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posted 10-24-2011 10:10 PM
quote:
Originally posted by LM-12:
Is there any type of monument or plaque at Pad 19 to acknowledge the 10 manned Gemini flights?
Yes. |
MikeSpace
unregistered
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posted 10-24-2011 10:12 PM
Getting a plane/copter there to get that angle for an "After" shot would make for one heck of a contrast. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 757
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 10-24-2011 10:17 PM
Yes - it certainly would be interesting to compare 1964 and 2011 in high-resolution. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 26805
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 10-25-2011 03:49 AM
quote:
Originally posted by LM-12:
Is there any type of monument or plaque at Pad 19 to acknowledge the 10 manned Gemini flights?
Credit: Geoff Franz via Flickr |
Ken Havekotte
Member Posts: 1799
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 10-25-2011 05:17 AM
Indeed, always a favorite photo of mine of "ICBM Missile Row," and also known as "Heavy Launch Row" as they appeared during the mid-1960s. The Air Force aerial view of the "old Cape Kennedy" depicts a golden era of our nation's missile, rocket and space exploration developments. You can even see the old Titan III launch pad areas, at far north near the coastline, along with the large Titan ITL assembly and checkout facilities located on man-made islands in the Banana River (at top left in the picture). Those were the days, huh? |
mjanovec
Member Posts: 3588
From: Midwest, USA
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted 10-25-2011 05:24 AM
quote:
Originally posted by MikeSpace:
Getting a plane/copter there to get that angle for an "After" shot would make for one heck of a contrast.
It's not quite the same, but you can simulate the view using Google Earth and get a relatively good idea of what it looks like.  |
LM-12
Member Posts: 757
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 10-25-2011 08:28 AM
The 1964 photo would have been taken after MA-9 and before Gemini 3. |
crash
Member Posts: 184
From: West Sussex, England
Registered: Jan 2011
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posted 10-25-2011 09:08 AM
I snatched this quick pic a couple of weeks ago as we launched out of Orlando. It's not the best, I know.You can clearly see that the vegetation is reclaiming what was formerly theirs. Reduced in size for posting. link to full-size image:-
Cape Canaveral AFB Oct 2011  |
LM-12
Member Posts: 757
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 10-25-2011 09:42 AM
That sounds like an episode of "Life After People". Quite a difference between then and now. Nice photo. You can even see the concrete pedestal at LC-34. |
Ironman One
Member Posts: 52
From: Ormond Beach, FL USA
Registered: Sep 2011
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posted 10-26-2011 07:34 AM
The blockhouse at launch complex 12 was demolished last year along with the Mercury Mission Control Center. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 757
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 10-26-2011 08:10 AM
Is the Mercury Mission Control Center visible in the 1964 photo? |
MikeSpace
unregistered
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posted 10-26-2011 09:48 AM
That Google Earth view is great! As the Shuttle and other towers/gantries come down there will be the opportunity for some poignant before/after photos. I'll be there in a week, and don't know what to expect since the last time I was there, pre STS-135. I've seen the pictures, but seeing in person... yow. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 757
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 10-26-2011 09:51 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Ken Havekotte:
Those were the days, huh?
They certainly were Ken. I like the 1964 Missile Row photo because it shows the launch pads back when Cape Canaveral was a bee-hive of activity. |
Ken Havekotte
Member Posts: 1799
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 10-26-2011 10:46 AM
quote:
Originally posted by LM-12:
Is the Mercury Mission Control Center visible in the 1964 photo?
No, the old Mercury Mission Control Center, no longer there, isn't visible in the missile row aerial view.It's not too far, just south-west, of the Cape's Central Control Road that you can see
heading into the Complex 36B area.
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LM-12
Member Posts: 757
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 10-26-2011 11:05 AM
Okay. Thanks Ken. I was real sorry to see that building demolished. |
spacecraft films
Member Posts: 801
From: Columbus, OH USA
Registered: Jun 2002
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posted 10-26-2011 11:15 AM
I have been working recently on getting the Cape set complete, and we did a shoot at the Cape last year to show the condition at present. I posted some photos from the HD footage we shot at the Cape. We actually could no longer get close to Pad 19, there is some sort of environmental project going on there and the ground around the pad is all torn up and it is blocked off. But here are a few shots on this blog post. By the way (I know I'll be asked) 2 of the 3 Cape masters are now complete, and the last will be done in December. Almost there. Looking toward a December release. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 757
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 10-26-2011 11:23 AM
Thanks for all the comments and photos so far. I had never seen that Pad 19 Gemini billboard before. |
mjanovec
Member Posts: 3588
From: Midwest, USA
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted 10-26-2011 02:39 PM
For those who have an interest in learning more about the historic launch sites at the Cape, I highly recommend this book. Sadly, the second edition already appears to be out of print. Used copies of the first edition can still be found for a more reasonable price. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 757
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 10-26-2011 03:29 PM
Here is a link to the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Virtual Tour of several CCAFS launch pads and launch facilities. Check out the Maps section. It appears that the website was last updated in 2008. |
astro-nut
Member Posts: 499
From: washington, Illinois USA
Registered: Jan 2006
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posted 10-30-2011 05:22 PM
That is my favorite photo of Cape Canaveral. Everytime I go to KSCVC I always try to go to the "Cape" area. Just imagine if those launch towers were still there-the stories they could tell us?-Wow! Thanks. |
tetrox
Member Posts: 91
From: London England
Registered: Jan 2008
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posted 10-30-2011 08:55 PM
It does not add a great deal but just after half way through this 1963 clip there is a short aerial view of "Missile Row". |
capoetc
Member Posts: 1698
From: Newnan GA (USA)
Registered: Aug 2005
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posted 10-31-2011 07:10 AM
Nice video, thanks for posting."America's leadership on earth demands its leadership in space..." |
tetrox
Member Posts: 91
From: London England
Registered: Jan 2008
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posted 10-31-2011 08:12 AM
There is an extended version of "The Cape 1963" here. In addition there are two contemporary films showing aerial footage of the Cape: 1 and 2.
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LM-12
Member Posts: 757
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 10-31-2011 12:48 PM
This webpage has lots of Cape Canaveral launch pad and hangar images. Photo KSC-64C-2888 is a north-south view of Missile Row that was also taken in 1964. Looks like the Mercury Mission Control Center didn't quite make it into this photo either. The MCC is (was) southwest of the skid strip runway seen in the distance. |
Jim Behling
Member Posts: 495
From: Cape Canaveral, FL
Registered: Mar 2010
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posted 11-05-2011 11:09 AM
There are some schedules from 1967-69 to show how busy NASA was on the Cape: 1 | 2 |
LM-12
Member Posts: 757
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 11-05-2011 11:39 AM
Cape Canaveral certainly was the place to be back in the 1960's. |
ApolloAlex
Member Posts: 355
From: Bromsgrove, England
Registered: Oct 2004
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posted 11-05-2011 12:02 PM
To be fair when you do the KSC tour "Then & Now" you do get a sense of nostalgia and that the Cape was the place to be although there is visible signs of nature retaking where mighty rockets once launched from. |
413 is in
Member Posts: 390
From: Alexandria, VA USA
Registered: May 2006
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posted 11-05-2011 01:10 PM
quote:
Originally posted by mjanovec:
While Pad 19's umbilical tower is gone, the erector tower is still there, lying in the down position. The white room has been removed and is now on display at the nearby Air Force Space and Missile Museum...
Here's a photo of sunrise over Pad 19 that I took while working at the Cape in August 1997. The white room is still present in this photo. It was removed and restored in 2003. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 757
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 11-05-2011 02:13 PM
NASA photo S64-22412 is a nice shot showing part of Missile Row and the unmanned Gemini 1 launch in 1964.There are a few good photos of the restored Pad 19 Gemini White Room on this webpage from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Space and Missile Museum website. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 757
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 11-11-2011 03:48 AM
The current active launch pads at Cape Canaveral are LC-37B (Delta 4), LC-41 (Atlas 5) and LC-40 (commercial/Falcon). Is that correct?It looks like the first MPCV Orion flight will launch on a Delta 4 from Pad 37B. |
Jim Behling
Member Posts: 495
From: Cape Canaveral, FL
Registered: Mar 2010
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posted 11-11-2011 06:32 AM
LC-46 will be used for an Orion abort test.Also, the nomenclatures are Delta IV, Atlas V and SLC's. Why the "commercial" designation for SLC-40? The other pads were developed commercially. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 757
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 11-11-2011 07:44 AM
I have seen the nomenclature written both ways. When I said commercial, I was referring to the Falcon launch vehicle and Dragon spacecraft - both are non-NASA. |
Jim Behling
Member Posts: 495
From: Cape Canaveral, FL
Registered: Mar 2010
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posted 11-11-2011 08:32 AM
quote:
Originally posted by LM-12:
I have seen the nomenclature written both ways.
That doesn't mean its right.Delta IV and Atlas V are non NASA. Also they were developed much like Falcon 9, using mostly corporate funding. |
LM-12
Member Posts: 757
From: Ontario, Canada
Registered: Oct 2010
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posted 11-11-2011 08:38 AM
The Atlas 5 has launched NASA spacecraft like MRO, LRO and JUNO. The Delta 4 is planned to launch the NASA MPCV Orion spacecraft. There is a NASA connection there. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 26805
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 11-11-2011 08:43 AM
Beginning in January, the Falcon will be launching Dragon spacecraft paid for by NASA to carry supplies to the International Space Station. Thus, there is the same connection there, too. |
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