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87-564: The OBSS was introduced to the shuttle fleet with STS-114 , the "Return to Flight" mission executed by Discovery , and was flown on every mission after that until the retirement of the Space Shuttle fleet in 2011. It was used to inspect the shuttle for damage to the heat shield, officially called the Thermal Protection System (TPS), that could jeopardize the shuttle during re-entry. The decision to perform focused inspections of

174-525: A Laser Dynamic Range Imager (LDRI) to detect problems with the shuttle's Thermal Protection System (TPS). The crew scanned the leading edges of the wings, the nose cap, and the crew compartment for damage, as well as other potential problem areas engineers wished to inspect based on video taken during lift-off. STS-114 was classified as Logistics Flight 1. The flight carried the Raffaello Multi-Purpose Logistics Module , built by

261-529: A fourth spacewalk were cancelled. This timeline is a summary. For a more detailed timeline, see NASA Timeline of Significant Mission Events Archived September 8, 2006, at the Wayback Machine . NASA began a tradition of playing music to astronauts during the Gemini program , which was first used to wake up a flight crew during Apollo 15 . Each track is specially chosen, often by their families, and usually has

348-401: A gap filler was the likely cause of the high temperatures observed during this re-entry. Protruding gap fillers were also seen on STS-73 . A further in-flight repair was considered to remove or clip a damaged thermal blanket located beneath the commander's window on the port side of the orbiter. Wind tunnel testing by NASA determined that the thermal blanket was safe for re-entry, and plans for

435-468: A general order renaming the military launch site Cape Kennedy Air Force Station . Located on Merritt Island, Florida , the center is north-northwest of Cape Canaveral on the Atlantic Ocean, midway between Miami and Jacksonville on Florida's Space Coast , due east of Orlando . It is 34 miles (55 km) long and roughly six miles (9.7 km) wide, covering 219 square miles (570 km ). KSC

522-530: A large piece of debris separated from the Protuberance Air Load (PAL) ramp, which is part of the external tank. The debris was thought to have measured 36.3 by 11 by 6.7 inches (922 by 279 by 170 mm) – and to weigh about 0.45 kilograms (0.99 lb), or half as much as the piece of foam blamed for the loss of Columbia . The debris piece did not strike any part of the Discovery orbiter. Images of

609-455: A mixing of hot and cold air, which could have a major effect on the shuttle temperature. The decision to make the repair balanced the risks of the EVA with the risks of leaving the protruding gap fillers as they were. It is thought that gap filler protrusions of a similar magnitude were present on previous missions, but were not observed in-orbit. Consideration was also given to the risks of elements of

696-405: A month. The frequent number of flights allowed for quick evolution of the vehicles, as engineers gathered data, learned from anomalies and implemented upgrades. In 1963, with the intent of KSC ELV work focusing on the ground support equipment and facilities, a separate Atlas/Centaur organization was formed under NASA's Lewis Center (now Glenn Research Center (GRC) ), taking that responsibility from

783-480: A multi-user spaceport through industry partnerships, even adding a new launch pad ( LC-39C ) in 2015. There are about 700 facilities and buildings grouped throughout the center's 144,000 acres (580 km ). Among the unique facilities at KSC are the 525-foot (160 m) tall Vehicle Assembly Building for stacking NASA's largest rockets, the Launch Control Center , which conducts space launches at KSC,

870-617: A museum. The line was costing $ 1.3 million annually to maintain. Launch Complex 39 (LC-39) was originally built for the Saturn V , the largest and most powerful operational launch vehicle until the Space Launch System , for the Apollo crewed Moon landing program . Since the end of the Apollo program in 1972, LC-39 has been used to launch every NASA human space flight, including Skylab (1973),

957-625: A number of modifications to the OBSS, now known as the Enhanced ISS Boom Assembly, including the addition of a Power Data and Grapple Fixture which enables mating to the robotic arm on the end of the boom with a Canadarm2 -compatible grapple fixture to favor station use. The boom was stowed on the ISS S1 Integrated Truss Structure on the fourth spacewalk of STS-134 on May 27, 2011. The OBSS sensors were disconnected during

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1044-574: A record-breaking 650 million television viewers. Apollo 12 followed four months later. From 1970 to 1972, the Apollo program concluded at KSC with the launches of missions 13 through 17. On May 14, 1973, the last Saturn V launch put the Skylab space station in orbit from Pad 39A. By this time, the Cape Kennedy pads 34 and 37 used for the Saturn IB were decommissioned, so Pad 39B was modified to accommodate

1131-445: A science and technology display commemorating the U.S. Bicentennial . Concurrent with this event, the U.S. flag was painted on the south side of the VAB. During the late 1970s, LC-39 was reconfigured to support the Space Shuttle. Two Orbiter Processing Facilities were built near the VAB as hangars with a third added in the 1980s. KSC's 2.9-mile (4.7 km) Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF)

1218-417: A single pad, the complex is capable of being expanded to two at a later date. As a part of promoting commercial space industry growth in the area and the overall center as a multi-user spaceport, KSC leases some of its properties. Here are some major examples: The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, operated by Delaware North since 1995, has a variety of exhibits, artifacts, displays and attractions on

1305-516: A special meaning to an individual member of the crew, or is applicable to their daily activities. On flight day 10, the entire STS-114 crew, and the crew of Expedition 11 gathered to wish Rick Husband's son Matthew a happy birthday. Rick Husband was the commander of Columbia on STS-107 . We know it's still August third down there on the planet Earth, and from the Shuttle Discovery we would like to say "Happy birthday" to Matthew Husband, who

1392-399: A vehicle's design life). Since the gap fillers are not necessary for re-entry, it was acceptable to simply pull them out. An overview of the situation, including procedures for dealing with the protrusions, were sent electronically to the crew and printed aboard the shuttle. The crew were also able to watch uploaded videos of NASA personnel on the ground demonstrating the repair techniques. Both

1479-484: Is a major central Florida tourist destination and is approximately one hour's drive from the Orlando area. The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex offers public tours of the center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. From 1967 through 1973, there were 13 Saturn V launches, including the ten remaining Apollo missions after Apollo 7. The first of two uncrewed flights, Apollo 4 (Apollo-Saturn 501) on November 9, 1967,

1566-467: Is among the longest runways in the world. On October 28, 2009, the Ares I-X launch from Pad 39B was the first uncrewed launch from KSC since the Skylab workshop in 1973. Beginning in 1958, NASA and military worked side by side on robotic mission launches (previously referred to as unmanned), cooperating as they broke ground in the field. In the early 1960s, NASA had as many as two robotic mission launches

1653-514: Is ten years old today. And Houston, that wake-up music sure makes me think of Rick Husband's mom, who lives in Amarillo, so we'd like to say "Hi" to Mrs. Husband, too. Since the loss of Columbia in STS-107 , it had been suggested that on future shuttle missions there would be a planned rescue capability involving having a second shuttle ready to fly at short notice. Even prior to the sensor problem causing

1740-488: Is the Laser Camera System (LCS) and a digital camera (IDC). The sensors can record at a resolution of a few millimeters, and can scan at a rate of about 2.5 inches (64 mm) per second. It is also fitted with handrails, so that the boom could be used to provide spacewalkers with access to the shuttle's underbelly in case in-flight repairs were required. During STS-120 the OBSS was used as an extension boom for

1827-624: The Apollo–Soyuz Test Project (1975), and the Space Shuttle program (1981–2011). Since December 1968, all launch operations have been conducted from launch pads A and B at LC-39. Both pads are on the ocean, 3 miles (4.8 km) east of the VAB. From 1969 to 1972, LC-39 was the "Moonport" for all six Apollo crewed Moon landing missions using the Saturn V, and was used from 1981 to 2011 for all Space Shuttle launches. Human missions to

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1914-659: The Commercial Space Launch Act of 1984 , after which NASA only coordinated its own and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ELV launches. Companies were able to "operate their own launch vehicles" and utilize NASA's launch facilities. Payload processing handled by private firms also started to occur outside of KSC. Reagan's 1988 space policy furthered the movement of this work from KSC to commercial companies. That same year, launch complexes on Cape Canaveral Air Force Force Station started transferring from NASA to Air Force Space Command management. In

2001-537: The International Space Station . However, the major focus of the mission was testing and evaluating new Space Shuttle flight safety techniques, which included new inspection and repair techniques. The crewmembers used the new Orbiter Boom Sensor System (OBSS) – a set of instruments on a 50 feet (15 m) extension attached to the Canadarm . The OBSS instrument package consists of visual imaging equipment and

2088-619: The Intracoastal Waterway ; and its southern latitude, which gives a velocity advantage to missions launched in easterly near-equatorial orbits. Disadvantages included: its inability to safely launch military missions into polar orbit , since spent boosters would be likely to fall on the Carolinas or Cuba; corrosion from the salt air; and frequent cloudy or stormy weather. Although building a new site at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico

2175-794: The Italian Space Agency , as well as the External Stowage Platform -2, which was mounted to the port side of the Quest Airlock. They deployed MISSE 5 to the station's exterior, and replaced one of the ISS's Control Moment Gyroscopes (CMG). The CMG was carried up on the LMC (Lightweight Multi-Purpose Experiment Support Structure Carrier) at the rear of the payload bay, together with the TPS Repair Box. The crew conducted three spacewalks while at

2262-538: The Launch Control Center ) began handing off control of the vehicle to the Mission Control Center in Houston , shortly after liftoff; in prior missions it held control throughout the entire mission. Additionally, the center manages launch of robotic and commercial crew missions and researches food production and in-situ resource utilization for off-Earth exploration. Since 2010, the center has worked to become

2349-586: The Mars Science Laboratory have been processed at KSC before being transferred to a launch pad on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. On 16 November 2022, at 06:47:44 UTC the Space Launch System (SLS) was launched from Complex 39B as part of the Artemis I mission. As the International Space Station modules design began in the early 1990s, KSC began to work with other NASA centers and international partners to prepare for processing before launch onboard

2436-562: The Moon required the large three-stage Saturn V rocket, which was 363 feet (111 meters) tall and 33 feet (10 meters) in diameter. At KSC, Launch Complex 39 was built on Merritt Island to accommodate the new rocket. Construction of the $ 800 million project began in November 1962. LC-39 pads A and B were completed by October 1965 (planned Pads C, D and E were canceled), the VAB was completed in June 1965, and

2523-527: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration 's (NASA) ten field centers . Since 1968, KSC has been NASA's primary launch center of American spaceflight, research, and technology. Launch operations for the Apollo , Skylab and Space Shuttle programs were carried out from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 and managed by KSC. Located on the east coast of Florida, KSC is adjacent to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS). The management of

2610-561: The Operations and Checkout Building , which houses the astronauts' dormitories and suit-up area, a Space Station factory , and a 3-mile (4.8 km) long Shuttle Landing Facility . There is also a Visitor Complex on site that is open to the public. Since 1949, the military had been performing launch operations at what would become Cape Canaveral Space Force Station . In December 1959, the Department of Defense transferred 5,000 personnel and

2697-617: The Space Station Processing Facility . The following are current programs and initiatives at Kennedy Space Center: The KSC Industrial Area, where many of the center's support facilities are located, is 5 miles (8 km) south of LC-39 . It includes the Headquarters Building , the Operations and Checkout Building and the Central Instrumentation Facility . The astronaut crew quarters are in

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2784-458: The Wayback Machine or through their more up-to-date Flickr gallery . A new Headquarters Building was completed in 2019 as part of the Central Campus consolidation. Groundbreaking began in 2014. The center operated its own 17-mile (27 km) short-line railroad . This operation was discontinued in 2015, with the sale of its final two locomotives. A third had already been donated to

2871-477: The shock waves from the noses of the solid rocket boosters and the external fuel tank. The other, in a different location where there is a wider gap between tiles, simply functions to reduce the gap size between tiles, which in turn reduces heat transfer to the shuttle. Even without this filler NASA did not expect the increased heat to cause a problem during reentry (it is present to avoid a level of heating which would only be problematic if experienced many times over

2958-445: The 1990s, though KSC was not performing the hands-on ELV work, engineers still maintained an understanding of ELVs and had contracts allowing them insight into the vehicles so they could provide knowledgeable oversight. KSC also worked on ELV research and analysis and the contractors were able to utilize KSC personnel as a resource for technical issues. KSC, with the payload and launch vehicle industries, developed advances in automation of

3045-765: The 50th anniversary of the Apollo Program. NASA lists the following Historic Districts at KSC; each district has multiple associated facilities: There are 24 historic properties outside of these historic districts, including the Space Shuttle Atlantis , Vehicle Assembly Building , Crawlerway, and Operations and Checkout Building . KSC has one National Historic Landmark , 78 National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) listed or eligible sites, and 100 Archaeological Sites. Florida's peninsular shape and temperature contrasts between land and ocean provide ideal conditions for electrical storms, earning Central Florida

3132-637: The Center Director, library, film and photo archives, a print shop and security. When the KSC Library first opened, it was part of the Army Ballistic Missile Agency. However, in 1965, the library moved into three separate sections in the newly opened NASA headquarters before eventually becoming a single unit in 1970. The library contains over four million items related to the history and the work at Kennedy. As one of ten NASA center libraries in

3219-605: The ELV launch and ground operations to enable competitiveness of U.S. rockets against the global market. In 1998, the Launch Services Program (LSP) formed at KSC, pulling together programs (and personnel) that already existed at KSC, GRC, Goddard Space Flight Center , and more to manage the launch of NASA and NOAA robotic missions. Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and VAFB are the primary launch sites for LSP missions, though other sites are occasionally used. LSP payloads such as

3306-571: The EVA, and are not designed to withstand thermal conditions outside the ISS without power to keep them warm. However, the modification of the grapple fixture could enable such equipment to be mounted onto the OBSS in the future. STS-114 STS-114 was the first "Return to Flight" Space Shuttle mission following the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster . Discovery launched at 10:39 EDT (14:39 UTC ) on her 31st flight on July 26, 2005. The launch, 907 days (approx. 29 months) after

3393-605: The Expedition 7 crew to the ISS and bring home the Expedition 6 crew. The original crew was to be: STS-114 marked the return to flight of the Space Shuttle after the Columbia disaster and was the second Shuttle flight with a female commander (Eileen Collins, who also commanded the STS-93 mission). The STS-114 mission was initially to be flown aboard the orbiter Atlantis , but NASA replaced it with Discovery after improperly installed gear

3480-616: The Launch Operations Center (aka KSC). Though almost all robotics missions launched from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS), KSC "oversaw the final assembly and testing of rockets as they arrived at the Cape." In 1965, KSC's Unmanned Launch Operations directorate became responsible for all NASA uncrewed launch operations, including those at Vandenberg Space Force Base . From the 1950s to 1978, KSC chose

3567-622: The Missile Firing Laboratory to NASA to become the Launch Operations Directorate under NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center . President John F. Kennedy 's 1961 goal of a crewed lunar landing by 1970 required an expansion of launch operations. On July 1, 1962, the Launch Operations Directorate was separated from MSFC to become the Launch Operations Center (LOC). Also, Cape Canaveral was inadequate to host

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3654-890: The O&;C; before it was completed, the astronaut crew quarters were located in Hangar S at the Cape Canaveral Missile Test Annex (now Cape Canaveral Space Force Station ). Located at KSC was the Merritt Island Spaceflight Tracking and Data Network station (MILA), a key radio communications and spacecraft tracking complex. Facilities at the Kennedy Space Center are directly related to its mission to launch and recover missions. Facilities are available to prepare and maintain spacecraft and payloads for flight. The Headquarters (HQ) Building houses offices for

3741-603: The Russian Space Corporation Energia , was reported by Pravda as saying: "If necessary, we will be able to bring home nine astronauts on board three Soyuz spacecraft in January and February of the next year". Kennedy Space Center The John F. Kennedy Space Center ( KSC , originally known as the NASA Launch Operations Center ), located on Merritt Island , Florida , is one of

3828-406: The Saturn IB, and used to launch three crewed missions to Skylab that year, as well as the final Apollo spacecraft for the Apollo–Soyuz Test Project in 1975. As the Space Shuttle was being designed, NASA received proposals for building alternative launch-and-landing sites at locations other than KSC, which demanded study. KSC had important advantages, including its existing facilities; location on

3915-608: The Space Center will experience 5 to 8 inches of sea level rise by the 2050s. Launch Complex 39A, the site of the Apollo 11 launch, is the most vulnerable to flooding, and has a 14% annual risk of flooding beginning in 2020. Since KSC's formation, ten NASA officials have served as directors, including three former astronauts (Crippen, Bridges and Cabana): In addition to being frequently featured in documentaries, Kennedy Space Center has been portrayed on film many times. Some studio movies have even gained access and filmed scenes within

4002-560: The Space Shuttles. KSC utilized its hands-on experience processing the 22 Spacelab missions in the Operations and Checkout Building to gather expectations of ISS processing. These experiences were incorporated into the design of the Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF), which began construction in 1991. The Space Station Directorate formed in 1996. KSC personnel were embedded at station module factories for insight into their processes. From 1997 to 2007, KSC planned and performed on

4089-524: The TPS was prompted by the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster , in which Columbia was destroyed due to damage inflicted to its TPS during launch. The OBSS was central to focused inspections of the TPS, not only because it carried all the instruments necessary for detailed measurements and observations, but also because without it, the Canadarm was too short to reach to all the areas that needed to be surveyed. The boom

4176-457: The Visitor Complex to make room for an upcoming high-tech attraction entitled "Heroes and Legends". The attraction, designed by Orlando-based design firm Falcon's Treehouse, opened November 11, 2016. In March 2016, the visitor center unveiled the new location of the iconic countdown clock at the complex's entrance; previously, the clock was located with a flagpole at the press site. The clock

4263-454: The building to the elements. Damage occurred to the south and east sides of the VAB. The shuttle's Thermal Protection System Facility suffered extensive damage. The roof was partially torn off and the interior suffered water damage. Several rockets on display in the center were toppled. Further damage to KSC was caused by Hurricane Wilma in October 2005. The conservative estimate by NASA is that

4350-626: The civilian LOC and the military Cape Canaveral station ("the facilities of Station No. 1 of the Atlantic Missile Range") under the designation "John F. Kennedy Space Center", spawning some confusion joining the two in the public mind. NASA Administrator James E. Webb clarified this by issuing a directive stating the Kennedy Space Center name applied only to the LOC, while the Air Force issued

4437-439: The country, their collection focuses on engineering, science, and technology. The archives contain planning documents, film reels, and original photographs covering the history of KSC. The library is not open to the public but is available for KSC, Space Force, and Navy employees who work on site. Many of the media items from the collection are digitized and available through NASA's KSC Media Gallery Archived December 6, 2020, at

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4524-574: The cracks that resulted in foam loss. NASA official Wayne Hale formally apologized to the Michoud workers who had been blamed for the loss of Columbia for almost three years. On the third EVA of the mission, two areas on the underside of the shuttle where photographic surveying identified protruding gap fillers were dealt with. According to NASA, the gap fillers, which each serve different purposes, are not required for reentry. One filler prevents "chattering" of tiles during ascent, which would occur due to

4611-651: The delay in the launch, a rescue option (called STS-300 by NASA) had been planned, which involved the crew of STS-114 remaining docked at the International Space Station until Atlantis could be launched with a four-person crew to retrieve the astronauts. Discovery would then be ditched by remote control over the Pacific Ocean, with Atlantis bringing back both its own crew, as well as that of Discovery . A further option for rescue would be to use Russian Soyuz spacecraft . Nikolay Sevastyanov , director of

4698-561: The earliest the next shuttle could launch is September 22, 2005, but that's only "if next week, the guys have an Aha! effect on the foam and spot why this big chunk came off." Later in August, it became clear that a September launch date would not be possible, and that the earliest date for the next launch would be in March 2006. However, because Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast , the next launch

4785-484: The external tank taken after separation from the orbiter show multiple areas where foam insulation was missing. Around 20 seconds later, a smaller piece of foam separated from the ET and apparently struck the orbiter's right wing. Based on the mass of the foam, and the velocity at which it would have struck the wing, NASA estimated it only exerted one-tenth the energy required to cause potential damage. Laser scanning and imaging of

4872-481: The front underside of the shuttle would be inspected and dealt with during the third spacewalk of the mission. The spacewalk was conducted on the morning of August 3. Robinson easily removed the two fillers with his fingers. Later on the same day, NASA officials said that they were looking closely at a thermal blanket located next to the commander's window on the port side of the orbiter. Published reports on August 4, 2005, said that wind tunnel testing had demonstrated that

4959-454: The gates of the space center. If extras are needed in those scenes, space center employees are recruited (employees use personal time during filming). Films with scenes at KSC include: The location appears as a major plot point in the finale of Stone Ocean , the 6th part of the manga and anime series JoJo's Bizarre Adventure . KSC is also one of the two primary settings of the 1965–1970 television series I Dream Of Jeannie (along with

5046-538: The ground integration tests and checkouts of station modules : three Multi-Element Integration Testing (MEIT) sessions and the Integration Systems Test (IST). Numerous issues were found and corrected that would have been difficult to nearly impossible to do on-orbit. Today KSC continues to process ISS payloads from across the world before launch along with developing its experiments for on orbit. The proposed Lunar Gateway would be manufactured and processed at

5133-603: The history and future of human and robotic spaceflight. Bus tours of KSC originate from here. The complex also includes the separate Apollo/Saturn V Center , north of the VAB and the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame , six miles west near Titusville . There were 1.5 million visitors in 2009. It had some 700 employees. It was announced on May 29, 2015, that the Astronaut Hall of Fame exhibit would be moved from its current location to another location within

5220-445: The infrastructure by late 1966. The complex includes: Launch Complex 48 (LC-48) is a multi-user launch site under construction for small launchers and spacecraft. It will be located between Launch Complex 39A and Space Launch Complex 41 , with LC-39A to the north and SLC-41 to the south. LC-48 will be constructed as a "clean pad" to support multiple launch systems with differing propellant needs. While initially only planned to have

5307-419: The landing until the next day, then moved it to Edwards Air Force Base in California, where Discovery touched down at 08:11EDT (05:11 am PDT, 12:11 UTC). Around 2.5 seconds after lift-off, a large bird struck near the top of the external fuel tank, and appeared in subsequent video frames to slide down the tank. NASA did not expect this to hurt the mission because it did not hit the orbiter, and because

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5394-407: The launch footage showed debris separating from the external tank during ascent; this was of particular concern because it was the issue that had set off the Columbia disaster. As a result, NASA decided on July 27 to postpone future shuttle flights pending additional modifications to the flight hardware. Shuttle flights resumed a year later with STS-121 on July 4, 2006. This mission was to carry

5481-424: The loss of Columbia , was approved despite unresolved fuel sensor anomalies in the external tank that had prevented the shuttle from launching on July 13, its originally scheduled date. The mission ended on August 9, 2005, when Discovery landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California. Poor weather over the Kennedy Space Center in Florida hampered the shuttle from using its primary landing site. Analysis of

5568-492: The new launch facility design required for the mammoth 363-foot (111 m) tall, 7,500,000-pound-force (33,000 kN) thrust Saturn V rocket, which would be assembled vertically in a large hangar and transported on a mobile platform to one of several launch pads. Therefore, the decision was made to build a new LOC site located adjacent to Cape Canaveral on Merritt Island . NASA began land acquisition in 1962, buying title to 131 square miles (340 km ) and negotiating with

5655-404: The orbiter was safe to re-enter with the billowed blanket. On July 30, 2005, NASA announced that STS-114 would be extended for one day, so that Discovery' s crew could help the ISS crew maintain the station while the shuttle fleet was grounded. The extra day was also used to move more items from the shuttle to the ISS, as uncertainty mounted during the mission as to when a shuttle would next visit

5742-540: The procedure which would involve the ISS arm being used to carry Stephen K. Robinson below the shuttle, possibly the use of a sharp tool which had the potential to damage the EVA suit or shuttle tiles. The possibility of making things worse by attempting a repair was given serious consideration. Cameras on the shuttle arm and on Robinson's helmet were used to monitor the activities under the shuttle. Protruding gap fillers had been identified as an issue on previous flights, notably STS-28 . A post-flight analysis identified that

5829-442: The reputation as "lightning capital of the United States". This makes extensive lightning protection and detection systems necessary to protect employees, structures and spacecraft on launch pads. On November 14, 1969, Apollo 12 was struck by lightning just after lift-off from Pad 39A, but the flight continued safely. The most powerful lightning strike recorded at KSC occurred at LC-39B on August 25, 2006, while shuttle Atlantis

5916-443: The rocket and payload processing facilities for all robotic missions launching in the U.S., overseeing their near launch processing and checkout. In addition to government missions, KSC performed this service for commercial and foreign missions also, though non-U.S. government entities provided reimbursement. NASA also funded Cape Canaveral Space Force Station launch pad maintenance and launch vehicle improvements. All this changed with

6003-417: The space station's Canadarm2 , something it was never designed to do. During this mission the P6 solar array had become damaged during the redeploy. Canadarm2 grabbed the arm on its center Flight-Releasable Grapple Fixture and then astronaut Scott E. Parazynski was mounted at the end of the boom to make the repair. Because Canadarm2 was unable to power the OBSS, it was without power many hours more than it

6090-455: The state of Florida for an additional 87 square miles (230 km ). The major buildings in KSC's Industrial Area were designed by architect Charles Luckman . Construction began in November 1962, and Kennedy visited the site twice in 1962, and again just a week before his assassination on November 22, 1963. On November 29, 1963, the facility was named by President Lyndon B. Johnson under Executive Order 11129 . Johnson's order joined both

6177-416: The station. The first demonstrated repair techniques on the Shuttle's Thermal Protection System. During the second, the spacewalkers replaced the failed gyroscope. On the third, they installed the External Stowage Platform and repaired the shuttle, the first time repairs had been carried out during a spacewalk on the exterior of a spacecraft in flight. On August 1, it was announced that protruding gap fillers on

6264-482: The station. The orbiter's arrival also gave the nearly 200-ton space station a free altitude boost of about 4,000 feet (1,200 m). The station loses about 100 feet (30 m) of altitude a day. The shuttle hatch was closed the night before it undocked from the ISS. After undocking, the shuttle flew around the station to take photos. Atmospheric reentry and landing was originally planned for August 8, 2005, at Kennedy Space Center , but unsuitable weather postponed

6351-493: The tile to cause the damage. The damaged tile was inspected further when the images from the umbilical camera were downloaded on day three. Engineers requested that this area be inspected by the OBSS , and flight managers scheduled the operation for July 29, 2005. This represented the only known possible damage to Discovery that could have posed a risk during re-entry. At 127.1 seconds after liftoff, and 5.3 seconds after SRB separation,

6438-570: The two entities work very closely together, share resources, and operate facilities on each other's property. Though the first Apollo flights and all Project Mercury and Project Gemini flights took off from the then-Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the launches were managed by KSC and its previous organization, the Launch Operations Directorate. Starting with the fourth Gemini mission, the NASA launch control center in Florida ( Mercury Control Center , later

6525-419: The vehicle was traveling relatively slowly at the time. A small fragment of thermal tile, estimated to be around 1.5 inches (38 mm) in size, was ejected from an edge tile of the front landing gear door at some point before SRB separation. A small white area appeared on the tile as the piece detached, and the loose shard could be seen in a single frame of the video. It is unknown what object (if any) struck

6612-415: The videos and 12-page procedure document were also made publicly available via NASA's website. During the third EVA, both fillers were successfully removed with less than a pound of force and without the need to use any tools. Stephen K. Robinson gave a running commentary of his work: "I'm grasping it and I'm pulling it and it's coming out very easily" ... "It looks like this big patient is cured". If it

6699-540: The wing by the OBSS did not reveal any damage. On July 27, 2005, NASA announced that it was postponing all Shuttle flights until the foam loss problem could be resolved. As with Columbia , NASA at first believed that workers' improper installation and handling of the external tanks at the Michoud Assembly Facility in Louisiana caused the foam loss on Discovery . NASA Administrator Michael Griffin stated that

6786-502: Was also the first rocket launch from KSC. The Saturn V's first crewed launch on December 21, 1968, was Apollo 8 's lunar orbiting mission. The next two missions tested the Lunar Module : Apollo 9 (Earth orbit) and Apollo 10 (lunar orbit). Apollo 11 , launched from Pad A on July 16, 1969, made the first Moon landing on July 20. The Apollo 11 launch included crewmembers Neil Armstrong , Michael Collins , and Buzz Aldrin , and attracted

6873-529: Was being prepared for STS-115 . NASA managers were initially concerned that the lightning strike caused damage to Atlantis , but none was found. On September 7, 2004, Hurricane Frances directly hit the area with sustained winds of 70 miles per hour (110 km/h) and gusts up to 94 miles per hour (151 km/h), the most damaging storm to date. The Vehicle Assembly Building lost 1,000 exterior panels, each 3.9 feet (1.2 m) x 9.8 feet (3.0 m) in size. This exposed 39,800 sq ft (3,700 m ) of

6960-455: Was delayed further. With the destruction suffered by Michoud and NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi due to Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent flooding, the launch of the next shuttle mission ( STS-121 ) was further delayed until July 4, 2006. In December 2005 x-ray photographs of another tank showed that thermal expansion and contraction during filling, not human error, caused

7047-400: Was designed to handle, but because it was heated up considerably before the start of the repair it stayed undamaged. Due to the benefits for spacewalkers from the extended range provided by connecting an OBSS to the International Space Station (ISS)'s robotic arm, NASA implemented a plan for STS-134 to leave its OBSS behind on the ISS, where it would permanently remain. The plan resulted in

7134-525: Was essentially the same design as the Canadarm itself, except that the articulatory joints are fixed. OBSS arms for the three remaining orbiters were manufactured relatively quickly, primarily because some spare parts for the Canadarm system were used. Two instrumentation packages are installed at the far end of the OBSS. Sensor package 1 consists of the Laser Dynamic Range Imager (LDRI) and an Intensified Television Camera (ITVC). Sensor package 2

7221-647: Was found in Atlantis ' Rudder Speed Brake system. During OMM for Discovery , an actuator on the RSB system was found to be installed incorrectly. This created a fleet wide suspect condition. The Rudder Speed Brake system was removed and refurbished on all three remaining orbiter vehicles, and since Discovery 's RSB was corrected first, it became the new Return to Flight vehicle, superseding Atlantis . Seventeen years prior, Discovery had flown NASA's previous Return to Flight mission, STS-26 . The STS-114 mission delivered supplies to

7308-450: Was not possible to pull the fillers out, then the protruding sections could have been simply cut off. The gap fillers were made of a cloth impregnated with ceramic – they were stiff and could be easily cut with a tool similar to a hacksaw blade. Protruding gap fillers were a problem because they disrupted the normally laminar air flow under the orbiter during reentry, causing turbulence at lower speeds. A turbulent air flow would result in

7395-513: Was originally built and installed in 1969 and listed with the flagpole in the National Register of Historic Places in January 2000. In 2019, NASA celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Apollo program , and the launch of Apollo 10 on May 18. In summer of 2019, Lunar Module 9 (LM-9) was relocated to the Apollo/Saturn V Center as part of an initiative to rededicate the center and celebrate

7482-528: Was seriously considered, NASA announced its decision in April 1972 to use KSC for the shuttle. Since the Shuttle could not be landed automatically or by remote control, the launch of Columbia on April 12, 1981 for its first orbital mission STS-1 , was NASA's first crewed launch of a vehicle that had not been tested in prior uncrewed launches. In 1976, the VAB's south parking area was the site of Third Century America,

7569-469: Was the orbiters' primary end-of-mission landing site, although the first KSC landing did not take place until the tenth flight, when Challenger completed STS-41-B on February 11, 1984; the primary landing site until then was Edwards Air Force Base in California, subsequently used as a backup landing site. The SLF also provided a return-to-launch-site (RTLS) abort option, which was not utilized. The SLF

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