LC-39A (Launch Complex 39A) Overview Updated January 21, 2021

LC-39A (Launch Complex 39A)

A launch pad with a deep and rich history

See All Stories

One 'LC-39A' story

January 2021

Built in 1967, Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) was originally designed to accommodate the large Saturn V rockets that launched astronauts on Apollo missions to the Moon. Other historic launches have utilized LC-39A as well, including missions involving the space shuttle and Skylab. Since the 1960’s the launch pad has mainly been used to launch NASA‘s crewed spaceflight missions.

LC-39A is part of Launch Complex 39 at Kennedy Space Center, which also includes LC-39B, LC-39C, Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), Crawlerway, Orbiter Processing Facility buildings, and Launch Control Center.

In 2014, SpaceX signed a lease agreement that granted the company a 20-year exclusive leave on LC-39A. A year later, SpaceX began making modifications to the facility to allow it to process and launch its Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets. In 2019, more substantial changes to the facility began getting worked on to accommodate SpaceX’s Starship rocket.

 

 

 

SpaceX breaks Falcon 9 booster re-use record with 8th launch and landing on Starlink mission [Gallery]

SpaceX successfully launched its latest Starlink mission today while setting a new record for reusing a Falcon 9 first stage booster. Starlink is SpaceX’s growing satellite internet service, and SpaceX uses these missions to deploy up to 60 of its own satellites into orbit as test beds for pushing booster re-flight records.

Continue Reading