Cape Canaveral could host just two Saturn I launch complexes, Launch Complex 34 and Launch Complex 37. The thrust to allow the Space Shuttle to achieve orbit was provided by a combination of the Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) and the RS-25 engines. Transport by barge was considered unsafe due to wind resistance, and a railway was considered to be too expensive. Kennedy Space Center - Wikipedia Private companies eye KSC facilities", "Pad 39A SpaceX laying the groundwork for Falcon Heavy debut", "Pad 39B suffers substantial damage from Ares I-X launch Parachute update | NASASpaceFlight.com", "NASA not abandoning LC-39A" January 17, 2013, NASA requests proposals for commercial use of Pad 39A, "Selection Statement for Lease of Launch Complex 39A", "Musk, Bezos fight to win lease of iconic NASA launchpad", "Blue Origin Files Protest Over Lease on Pad 39A", "Blue Origin Loses GAO Appeal Over Pad 39A Bid Process", "NASA, SpaceX Sign Property Agreement for Historic Launch Pad", "With nod to history, SpaceX gets launch pad 39A OK", "First Launch from LC-39A at Kennedy Since 2011 SpaceX", "Falcon Heavy rocket hangar rises at launch pad 39A", "NASA signs over historic Launch Pad 39A to SpaceX", "Falcon Heavy into production as Pad 39A HIF rises out of the ground", "Canaveral and KSC pads: New designs for space access", "SpaceX conducts test rollout for 39A Transporter/Erector", "SpaceX seeks to accelerate Falcon 9 production and launch rates this year", "SpaceX's mega-rocket to debut next year at pad 39A", "First flight of Falcon Heavy delayed again", "SpaceX Performs Falcon Heavy Rocket Static Fire Test After Delays | Stock News & Stock Market Analysis - IBD", "SpaceX readies for installation of LC-39A Crew Access Arm, previews Crew Dragon", "Construction of Starship orbital launch pad at the Cape has begun", "SpaceX Static Fires Falcon 9 for EchoStar 23 launch as SLC-40 targets return", "SpaceX launches Falcon Heavy, the world's most powerful rocket", "NASA to Host Preview Briefings for First Crew Launch with SpaceX", "NASA Prepares Rocket, Spacecraft Ahead of Tropical Storm Nicole, Re-targets Launch", "SpaceX's astronaut walkway installed on Florida launch pad", "OmegA Launch Tower to be demolished as KSC 39B fails to become a multi-user pad", "Kennedy Space Center Master Plan Map by Nasa", "Space Florida proposes launch landing pads at KSC", "Draft Environmental Assessment for the SpaceX Starship and Super Heavy Launch Vehicle at Kennedy Space Center (KSC)", "SpaceX prepares to break ground on Starship launch facilities at Pad 39A", Mobile Launcher One, Kennedy Space Center, Titusville vicinity, Brevard County, FL, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Launch Complex 39, Launch Control Center, LCC Road, East of Kennedy Parkway North, Cape Canaveral, Brevard County, FL, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kennedy_Space_Center_Launch_Complex_39&oldid=1161321593, Universal propellant servicing system (LOX, LCH4), This page was last edited on 22 June 2023, at 00:25. It did not need the Rotating Service Structure (RSS)[9] and removed it beginning in February 2016. SpaceX is flying four private citizens into space on a three-day mission. The second uncrewed launch, Apollo 6, also used Pad 39A. On July 1, 1962, the site was named the Launch Operations Center.[16]. One potential shared user in the Blue Origin plan was United Launch Alliance. Control of launch operations from a remote launch control center with two firing rooms, one for checkout and one for launch. Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida has been opened to the public for tours. The SRBs arrived in segments via rail car from their manufacturing facility in Utah, the external tank arrived from its manufacturing facility in Louisiana by barge, and the orbiter waited in the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF). Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins lifted off on July 16 . Either of the two multiple Saturn-type rocket launching methods would be better, but would still require the construction of a large, new launch site. Perhaps the most historic mission in space history, the Apollo 11 first lunar landing, began with a launch from Pad 39A. The crawler/transporter concept was approved by NASA on June 13, 1962. [41], SpaceX assembles its launch vehicles horizontally in a hangar near the pad, and transports them horizontally to the pad before erecting the vehicle to vertical for the launch. [52][53], In 2015, SpaceX built the Horizontal Integration Facility just outside the perimeter of the existing launch pad in order to house both the Falcon 9 and the Falcon Heavy rockets, and their associated hardware and payloads, during preparation for flight. In 2021, SpaceX began construction of an orbital launch pad for Starship at 39A. 981 kN / 220,500 lbf. It is the closest spot that the general public can access for a space shuttle launch, and it is also the best. The FSS permitted access to the Shuttle via a retractable arm and a "beanie cap" to capture vented LOX from the external tank. This activity culminated in the launch of Apollo 11 from Launch Pad 39A on July 16, 1969. The iconic launch pad 39A is a pillar of space history, . The . The 2007 Vertical Launch Site Evaluation Study concluded that a vertical launch pad could also be sited to the south of 39A, and to the north of pad 41, to accommodate small to medium launch vehicles. The MSS contained three elevators, two self-propelled platforms, and three fixed platforms. This utilised a modified Saturn V originally built for the cancelled Apollo 18 mission. Launchpad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida sent the first astronauts to the moon, supported dozens of space shuttle missions, and now serves as a commercial launch site.. The Air Force annexed part of Cape Canaveral, to the north, in 1951, forming the Air Force Missile Test Center, the future Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS). [37] The subsequent investigation found that the damage was the result of carbonation of epoxy and corrosion of steel anchors that held the refractory bricks in the trench in place. Designs for the rocket assembly area, launch control center, launch pads and a sprawling industrial support area also took shape in 1962. As a result, NASA requested appropriation for initial land purchases on Merritt Island on September 1, 1961. PadE would have continued the line of pads along the coast, north of C near Playalinda Beach, close to the original location of the southernmost pad in the original layout. Spaceflight Now on Twitter: "At launch pad 39A work to prepare the pad Development of the Saturn V was approved on December 4, 1961. Merritt Island produced just two negative factors, which were the high cost of land acquisition and higher than average cost of utilities. At the end of the arm, the white room provided an environmentally controlled and protected area for astronauts and their equipment before entering the spacecraft. In Photos: NASA's Historic Launch Pad 39A, from Apollo to Shuttle to The launch was notable as it marked the first time that SpaceX was able to successfully soft-land all three of the reusable booster stages, which will be refurbished for future launches. The Air Force viewed Merritt Island as an extension of the range at Cape Canaveral, but NASA wanted their own property rights. SpaceX Falcon Heavy Sticks Triple Rocket Landing with 1st Commercial Launch Pad 39A was renovated for SpaceX Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches. This prevented the formation of ice that could fall and damage the shuttle.[32]. Indeed, a new spaceport had sent the first men to the Moon and back. Although Merritt Island, located to the north of Cape Canaveral, remained the prime site selection for NASA, a conflict with the Air Force developed. It was built in 2015 within the Launch Complex 39B perimeter. The pads were located 8,730 feet (2,660m) away from each other. In August 2019, SpaceX submitted an Environmental Assessment for Starship launch system at Kennedy Space Center. Falcon 9 lifts off with its Iridium-5 payload. [21] Before tanking operations began and during launch, non-essential personnel were excluded from the danger area. Heated gaseous nitrogen was used there to remove the extremely cold gaseous oxygen that normally vented out of the external tank. A design for the specific technical criteria for the next Saturn-type launch complex, designated Launch Complex 39, was scheduled to be decided upon not later than January, 1964. [42], Talks for use of the pad were underway between NASA and Space Floridathe State of Florida's economic development agencyas early as 2011, but no deal materialized by 2012, and NASA then pursued other options for removing the pad from the federal government inventory.[43]. A view of the former Starship launch mount at 39A in December 2020 (left), and a view of pad 39A in December 2021 (right) with the suborbital pad removed from the site. [35][36], During the launch of Discovery on STS-124 on May 31, 2008, the pad at LC-39A suffered extensive damage, in particular to the concrete trench used to deflect the SRB's flames. The Nova pads disappeared, and the three Saturn pads were moved southward. NASA. With the retirement of the Space Shuttle in 2011,[40] It was to serve as a multi-purpose site that allowed companies to test the vehicles and capabilities of the smaller class of rockets, making it more affordable for smaller companies to break into the commercial spaceflight market. Called the Small Class Vehicle Launch Pad, Launch Pad 39C is intended for use by companies launching small rockets. These requirements included: Vertical assembly and checkout of the rocket on a mobile launcher umbilical tower housed in an environmentally controlled building. [23], Early diagrams of the proposed layout also included the Nuclear Assembly Building, NAB, northeast of the VAB. [27][41], Pad 39A will be used to host launches of astronauts on the crewed-version of the Dragon space capsule in a publicprivate partnership with NASA. This utilised a modified Saturn V originally built for the cancelled Apollo 18 mission. The launch complex was equipped with a slidewire escape basket system for quick evacuation. SpaceX rolls out Falcon 9 rocket for NASA's Crew-3 Halloween launch [10] During the 1920s, Peter E. Studebaker Jr., son of the automobile magnate, built a small casino at De Soto Beach eight miles (13km) north of the Canaveral lighthouse. The first Space Launch System rocket on LC-39B for Artemis 1. During the launch of Discovery on STS-124 on May 31, 2008, the pad at LC-39A suffered extensive damage, in particular to the concrete trench used to deflect the SRBs' flames. While the Mk. Prior to the SpaceX lease agreement, the pad remained as it was when Atlantis launched on the final shuttle mission on July 8, 2011, complete with a mobile launcher platform. [17] The new complex was thus designated Launch Complex 39. "[49] NASA had planned to complete the bid award and have the pad transferred by October 1, 2013, but the protest "will delay any decision until the GAO reaches a decision, expected by mid-December. Where can I watch launchpad 39A? - TimesMojo [21][22] The work on both the HIF building and the pad was substantially complete by late 2015. The GUCP provided support for plumbing and cables, called umbilicals, that transferred fluids, gases, and electrical signals between two pieces of equipment. During a launch, it deflected the launch vehicle's rocket exhaust flame into a trench measuring 43 feet (13m) deep by 59 feet (18m) wide by 449 feet (137m) long. Aerial View Of Launch Pad 39C Circa 2018 Excerpt From: History Of Cape Canaveral Construction Of Vehicle Assembly Building Circa 1965 The center structure, topped by the lightning mast, is the fixed service structure; the rotating service structure is at left. Kennedy Space Center director Robert D. Cabana and representatives from the Ground Systems Development and Operations (GSDO) Program and the Center Planning and Development (CPD) and Engineering directorates marked the completion of the new pad during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 17, 2015. Bill Nelson (D) and Marco Rubio (R) and all 27 of the state's House . The original structure of the pads was remodeled for the needs of the Space Shuttle, starting with Pad 39A after the last SaturnV launch, and, in 1977, that of Pad 39B after the ApolloSoyuz in 1975. It was not large enough to support a direct ascent to the Moon, but it was large enough to fly all elements on a single rocket for the other lunar landing options. NASA - Evolution of Launch Pad 39A Ever-changing Starship orbital pad construction at LC-39A has begun - Space Explored Falcon Heavy vertical at Kennedy Space Center. [60], Pad 39A is used to host launches of astronauts on the Crew Dragon capsule in a publicprivate partnership with NASA. [14] On December 12, 2013, the GAO denied the protest and sided with NASA, which argued that the solicitation contained no preference on the use of the facility as multi-use or single-use. [13], After the creation of NASA in 1958, the CCAFS launch pads were used for NASA's civilian uncrewed and crewed launches, including those of Project Mercury and Project Gemini. LC-39 is one of several launch sites that share the radar and tracking services of the Eastern Test Range. Each deflector measured 39 feet (12m) high by 49 feet (15m) wide by 75 feet (23m) long, and weighed 1,400,000 pounds (635t). In support of the NASA manned spaceflight activities, it was clear that more land for launch areas was necessary. These were used for three crewed Skylab flights and the ApolloSoyuz Test Project, since the Saturn IB pads 34 and 37 at Cape Canaveral SFS had been decommissioned.[29][30]. In point of fact, constructing a man-made launch site offshore Cape Canaveral was found to cost only 10% more than constructing a launch site on Merritt Island, but maintenance costs were projected to be astronomical. Upon the conclusion of the Space Shuttle program, much of the vehicle-specific Space Shuttle hardware at the launch pads has been destroyed. Florida, which is located a few hundred feet from 39A. Demo-2 is a historic mission the first orbital human spaceflight to launch from the U.S. since NASA retired its space shuttle fleet in July 2011. THRUST. [25] In the following months, the Falcon Heavy launch was delayed multiple times and eventually pushed back to February 2018. [43] In September 2018, the refurbished Space Shuttle Emergency Egress System was raised to this new level. Airbus satellite imagery from late November shared on Twitter revealed changes to the Starship pad at LC-39A. This program was cancelled and the NAB was not built. Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39B Launch Complex 39B ( LC-39B) is the second of Launch Complex 39 's three launch pads, located at NASA 's Kennedy Space Center in Merritt Island, Florida. 2 prototypes were being constructed at Boca Chica and Cidco Road, in . Kennedy Space Center Headquarters was formally opened on May 26, 1965 marking a milestone in the industrial area. Removal of the top floor of the fixed service structure on LC-39B (March 2011). [57] A rollout test of the new Transporter Erector was conducted in November 2015. Now, Elon has confirmed that construction on a Cape orbital pad has begun. In August 2019, SpaceX submitted an Environmental Assessment for Starship launch system at Kennedy Space Center. After the ApolloSoyuz Test Project, 39B was reconfigured similarly to 39A; but due to additional modifications (mainly to allow the facility to service a modified Centaur-G upper stage), along with budgetary restraints, it was not ready until 1986. Apollo 11 (July 16-24, 1969) was the American spaceflight that first landed humans on the Moon. [27][21] By late 2014, a preliminary date for a wet dress rehearsal of the Falcon Heavy was set for no earlier than July 1, 2015. This revelation proved problematic for the space program, especially an ambitious effort by NASA to build a vigorous manned spaceflight program. [15] NASA began acquisition of land in 1962, taking title to 131 square miles (340km2) by outright purchase and negotiating with the state of Florida for an additional 87 square miles (230km2). 39A is hallowed spaceflight ground - no place more deserving of a Starship launch pad! Falcon 9 vertical with its Iridium payload at moonrise. A flurry of activity followed, involving two launch pads, Launch Pad 39A to the south and Launch Pad 39B to the north. [79][78], Space Florida has proposed that Launch Complex 48 be developed for use by Boeing's Phantom Express and that three landing pads be built for reusable booster systems, to provide more landing options for SpaceX's Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy, Blue Origin's New Glenn, and other potential reusable vehicles. [61] In early 2016, considering the busy Falcon 9 launch manifest, it became unclear if the Falcon Heavy would be the first vehicle to launch from Pad 39A, or if one or more Falcon 9 missions would precede a Falcon Heavy launch. The total cost of Launch Complex 39 was estimated at $500 million, with construction time estimated at three years. Launch Pad 39A | NASA SpaceX - Falcon Heavy SpaceX Starts Building Starship Launch Pad in Florida: Elon Musk [8] A pad to be designated 39C, which would have been a copy of pads 39A and 39B, was originally planned for Apollo but never built. Launch Pad 39B Flame Trench Nears Completion | NASA The first SpaceX launch from pad 39A was SpaceX CRS-10 on February 19, 2017, using a Falcon 9 launch vehicle; it was the company's 10th cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station,[32] and the first uncrewed launch from 39A since Skylab. The U.S. Space Force 45th Weather Squadron predicts a 90% chance of favorable weather conditions at the launch pad for liftoff of the Crew-4 mission based on . At launch pad 39A work to prepare the pad for a SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch later this month continues. However, in 2010, the Constellation program was cancelled. Launch Pad 39A (bottom) is leased by SpaceX while Launch Pad 39B is hosting the Space Launch System that will launch . The first launch from Launch Complex 39 came in 1967 with the first SaturnV launch, which carried the uncrewed Apollo4 spacecraft. By Mike Wall published 3 December 2021 Texas won't have a Starship launch monopoly forever. SpaceX starts building Starship launch pad in Florida | Space There is a universal propellant servicing system to provide liquid oxygen and liquid methane fueling capabilities for a variety of small-class rockets. Launch Complex 39C is a new facility for small-lift launch vehicles. SpaceX - Falcon 9 Some consideration for C's construction was made: the Crawlerway initially splits off from A toward B running north-northwest, and then bends north toward B a short distance north at Cochran Cove. Congressional approval led to the launch of the Apollo program, which required a massive expansion of NASA operations, including an expansion of launch operations from the Cape to adjacent Merritt Island to the north and west. Launch Complex 39A was used for the uncrewed launch of the of Skylab space station on May 14, 1973. The former would require a huge Nova-class launcher and pads, while the latter would require several rockets to be launched in quick succession. The first usage of Pad 39A for the Space Shuttle came in 1979, when Enterprise was used to check the facilities prior to the first operational launch. [43] Due to a failure in a June 2015 Falcon 9 launch, SpaceX had to delay launching the Falcon Heavy in order to focus on the Falcon 9's failure investigation and its return to flight. The mobile launchers were then modified for the shorter Saturn IB rockets, by adding a "milk-stool" extension platform to the launch pedestal, so that the S-IVB upper stage and Apollo spacecraft swing arms would reach their targets. "The [solicitation] document merely asks bidders to explain their reasons for selecting one approach instead of the other and how they would manage the facility". CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 15: The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with Crew Dragon capsule lifts off from launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center for the first completely private mission to fly into orbit on September 15, 2021 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. [69], The SpaceX Demo-2 the first crewed test flight of the Crew Dragon "Endeavour" spacecraft, with astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley on board launched from Complex 39A on May 30, 2020 and docked to Pressurized Mating Adapter 2 on the Harmony module of the ISS on May 31, 2020. Excessive cost of development ruled out Mayaguana, Christmas Island and Hawaii. With the decision in hand, NASA began refining its design of Launch Complex 39 on Merritt Island. Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida undergoes modifications by SpaceX to adapt it to the needs of the company's Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets, which are slated to lift off from the historic pad in the near future. Initial NASA forecasts called for as many as 100 launches of Saturn-type rockets per year. No diagram of the access to E can be found. Musk Calls Out Blue Origin, ULA for 'Phony Blocking - SpaceNews Recent Examples on the Web Using Pony as a launching pad, Hyundai Motor plans to continue sharing the brand vision and heritage through various initiatives and collaborations. SpaceX is stretching the lifetime of its reusable Falcon 9 boosters The first shuttle flight to use it was STS-51-L, which ended with the Challenger disaster, after which the first return-to-flight mission, STS-26, was launched from 39B. [46], On June 16, 2022, the first integration tower segment for the Starship orbital pad arrived at LC-39A. Sensors counted 11 such strikes within 0.3 miles of the pad. THRUST. A further Emergency Egress System was installed to allow fast escape of crew or technicians from pad in case of imminent catastrophic failure of the rocket. To support the final Shuttle mission to the Hubble Space Telescope STS-125 launched from pad 39A in May 2009, Endeavour was placed on 39B if needed to launch the STS-400 rescue mission. [64] As of early 2023, the new launch pad is still undergoing construction and will accommodate launch operations for the fully stacked Starship rocket. The launch of Apollo 11 on 16 July 1969 was arguably Pad 39A's finest hour. Apollo 11 - Wikipedia The payload to be installed at the launch pad was independently transported in a payload transportation canister and then installed vertically at the Payload Changeout Room. The pad has also been leased for use by NASA to aerospace company Northrop Grumman, for use as a launch site for their Shuttle-derived OmegA launch vehicle, for National Security Space Launch flights and commercial launches, but the plans were cancelled. This LC-49 launch facility could accommodate medium to large launch vehicles.[78]. And on May 25, 1966 just five years after the famous mandate from President Kennedy, a dummy Saturn V designated Saturn V 500-F was rolled out of the Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Pad 39A, marking a milestone in the launch pad area. At the pad, the ML was placed on six steel pedestals, plus four additional extensible columns. NASA settled on a crawler/transporter, based upon the Bucyrus-Erie 2700 metric ton crawler shovel. A total of thirteen Saturn Vs were launched for Apollo, and the uncrewed launch of the Skylab space station in 1973. However, these plans were later cancelled. [15], On December 13, 2013, NASA announced that it had selected SpaceX as the new commercial tenant. Congressional approval led to the launch of the Apollo program, which required a massive expansion of NASA operations, including an expansion of launch operations from the Cape to adjacent Merritt Island to the north and west.[4]. The mission, called Crew-3, is set to blast off from Pad 39A. SpaceX confirmed rocket undamaged after lightning strikes Falcon Heavy Large cryogenic tanks located near the pads stored the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen (LOX) for the second and third stages of the Saturn V. The highly explosive nature of these chemicals required numerous safety measures at the launch complex. In preparation for this, NASA began modifying LC-39B to support Ares I launches with 39A planned to be modified in the mid 2010s for Ares V launches. Space Shuttles Atlantis and Endeavour are placed at LC-39A and LC-39B in preparation for the final service mission to the Hubble Space Telescope (May 2009). They could also be used to safely evacuate astronauts and crew from the vicinity of the pad. Initial mobile launch concepts called for a vertical transfer of the rocket from a central assembly area to the launch pad by barge or train. With the exception of Apollo10, which used Pad 39B (due to the "all-up" testing resulting in a 2-month turnaround period), all crewed Apollo-SaturnV launches, commencing with Apollo8, used Pad 39A. On June 16, 1961 an ad hoc committee of the NASA Office of Space Flight Programs, headed by William Fleming, recommended that the construction of a new NASA launch site be given a high national priority. Each pad contained a two-piece access tower system, the Fixed Service Structure (FSS) and the Rotating Service Structure (RSS). CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. SpaceX's Falcon Heavy successfully launched its first operational mission today (April 11), sticking a triple-rocket landing more than a year after its demo mission. [20] Both types of launch vehicles are transported from the HIF to the launch pad aboard a Transporter Erector (TE) which rides on rails up the former crawlerway path. This article incorporates public domain material from Launch Pad 39C. Prior to Ares I-X, the last Shuttle launch from pad 39B was the nighttime launch of STS-116 on December 9, 2006. On February 6, 2018, Pad 39A hosted the successful liftoff of the Falcon Heavy on its maiden launch, carrying Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster car to space;[34] and the first flight of the human-rated spacecraft Dragon 2; (Demo-1) took place there on March 2, 2019. Pad 39A, America's Moonport, Celebrates Over 100 Launches in 50 Years ", "SpaceX begins stacking Florida Starship launch tower", NASA-produced video tour of Shuttle on Pad 39A 1 month before launch, photos of work areas and catacombs beneath Pad 39A, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kennedy_Space_Center_Launch_Complex_39A&oldid=1165589833, This page was last edited on 16 July 2023, at 04:16. The Master Plan also notes a proposed New Vertical Launchpad northwest of LC-39B and a Horizontal Launch Area north of the LC-49 and converting the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) and its apron areas into a second Horizontal Launch Area. Falcon Heavy takes off from Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center. Previous Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Master Plan recommendationsin 1966, 1972, and 1977noted that an expansion of KSC's vertical launch capacity could occur when the market demand existed. In 2018, SpaceX made further modifications to LC 39A to prepare it to accommodate the crewed Dragon 2. Brownsville, Texas was eliminated because rockets would need to fly over populated areas. This would make launch processing more efficient, decrease the time a rocket spent at the launch pad and decrease the amount of land required for each individual launch area. Aerial View Of Launch Complex 39 Circa 2018, Configuration: Remote Firing Room, Two Launch Pads, Vehicles Launched: Saturn V Apollo, Saturn V Skylab, Space Shuttle Columbia, Space Shuttle Challenger, Space Shuttle Discovery, Space Shuttle Atlantis, Space Shuttle Endeavour, Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, Vehicles Launched: Saturn V Apollo, Saturn IB, Space Shuttle Challenger, Space Shuttle Discovery, Space Shuttle Atlantis, Space Shuttle Columbia, Space Shuttle Endeavour, Ares I-X. 50 Years Ago: Apollo 16 Returns to the Launch Pad - NASA Far to the south was a similar set of three pads for Nova, the southernmost just south of the Astronaut Beach House and the northern roughly at the location of the current PadA.[18]. The meaning of LAUNCHING PAD is launchpad. What it means. [59] In the following months, the Falcon Heavy launch was delayed multiple times and eventually pushed back to February 2018.[62].