The Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) center for human spaceflight, responsible for designing, building, and launching American astronauts into space. KSC is located on Merritt Island in Florida, adjacent to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. It was originally built as the Launch Operations Center (LOC) for Project Mercury in 1962, and has since been expanded to support subsequent NASA programs including the Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, Apollo–Soyuz Test Project, and Space Shuttle programs.
KSC also manages launch of robotic probes across the solar system from its nearby launch pads at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station; these include missions to Mars and other destinations beyond Earth orbit. The Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), a massive hangar-like structure where spacecraft are assembled vertically prior to being transported to one of two nearby launch pads—Launch Complex 39A or 39B—is the largest building in the world by volume. KSC employs over 10 thousand people.
In 2015, KSC launched 20 rockets: 16 commercial launches carrying payloads for various customers including communications satellites and supplies for the International Space Station (ISS), one government science mission, two test flights of SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket, and one classified mission. In addition there were numerous sounding rocket launches from Wallops Flight Facility which operated as an independent facility until 1986 when it was merged with KSC.
On February 7th 2018 Kennedy Space Center celebrated its 55th anniversary. The very first launch from what would become Kennedy Space Center occurred on July 50th 1950 when a Jupiter C rocket carrying a Juno I payload blasted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Base’s Launch Complex 26A. That day marked not only beginning of regular rocket launches from what would become Kennedy but also the start of America’s journey into space exploration that continues today.
Since that first launch 65 years ago KSC has seen many ‘firsts’ in American spaceflight history: On May 5th 1961 Alan Shepard became first American in space when his Freedom 7 Mercury capsule launched atop a Redstone rocket from LC-5;, On February 20th 1962 John Glenn orbited Earth three times becoming both first American to orbit as well as oldest person to fly in space at age 40; , Less than nine months after President John F. Kennedy issued challenge to land man on moon “before this decade is out” Neil Armstrong became first human being ever walk on lunar surface on July 20th 1969 following landing of Apollo 11 spacecraft Eagle on Sea of Tranquility; , First reusable spacecraft Columbia launched successfully on April 12 1981 marking beginning of STS Program which flew 135 missions over next three decades culminating with final flight STS-135 Atlantis ending 30-year shuttle program on July 8 2011., And most recently SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket carrying Dragon capsule lifted off from historic Pad 39A – same pad used by Saturn V rockets that carried Apollo astronauts to moon – at 12:45 pm EDT June 3 2017 marking resumption regular crewed launches from US soil since end of STS Program six years earlier. Today continued operations and expansion taking place at Kennedy prepare us face challenges future while honoring achievements past ensuring America remains leader exploration innovation far into 21st century beyond.