Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Space Launch Complex 37

Space Launch Complex 37

The launch of GOES-N atop a Delta IV, from SLC-37B in 2006
Launch site	Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Location	28.531986°N 80.566821°W
Short name	SLC-37
Operator	US Air Force
Total launches	25
Launch pad(s)	2
Minimum / maximum orbital inclination	28° - 57°
LC-37A launch history
Status	Demolished
Launches	0
First launch	Unused
Associated rockets	Saturn I Saturn IB
SLC-37B launch history
Status	Active
Launches	25
First launch	29 January 1964 Saturn I / SA-5
Last launch	16 July 2011 Delta IV / USA-232
Associated rockets	Saturn I Saturn IB Delta IV (current)

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Space Launch Complex 37^[1][2] (SLC-37), previously Launch Complex 37 (LC-37), is a launch complex on Cape Canaveral, Florida. Construction began in 1959 and the site was accepted by NASA to support the Saturn I program in 1963.^[3] The complex consists of two launch pads. LC-37A has never been used, but LC-37B launched unmanned Saturn I flights (1964 to 1965) and was modified and launched Saturn IB flights (1966 to 1968), including the first (unmanned) test of the Apollo Lunar Module in space.^[3] It was deactivated in 1972. In 2001 it was modified as the launch site for Delta IV, a launch system operated by United Launch Alliance.

Launch Complex 37 of the 1960s

Apollo 5 on LC-37B

LC-37B in 2010

The first launch to utilize the complex was the SA-5 unmanned test of the Saturn I launch vehicle. It was closed in 1968, following the unmanned Apollo flight Apollo 5, but re-opened in 2002 as a Delta IV launch site, and is in active use for that launch system.

The original layout of the launch complex featured one Mobile Service Structure which could be used to service or mate a rocket on either LC-37A or 37B, but not on both simultaneously. The Delta IV Mobile Service Tower is 330 ft (100 m) tall.^[4]

Launch history

Saturn

All flights operated by NASA.

Date	Launch vehicle	Payload	Mission/function	Remarks
Jan. 29, 1964	Saturn I	none	SA-5	First live S-IV econd stage
May 28, 1964	Saturn I	BP-13 boilerplate CSM	A-101 (SA-6)	First boilerplate CSM
Sept. 18, 1964	Saturn I	BP-15 boilerplate CSM	A-102 (SA-7)
Feb. 16, 1965	Saturn I	Pegasus A and BP-16 boilerplate CSM	A-103 (SA-9)	Pegasus studied micrometeoroid impacts
May 25, 1965	Saturn I	Pegasus B and BP-26 boilerplate CSM	A-104 (SA-8)
July 30, 1965	Saturn I	Pegasus C and BP-9A boilerplate CSM	A-105 (SA-10)
July 5, 1966	Saturn IB	none	AS-203	Test of S-IVB; informally called Apollo 2
Jan. 22, 1968	Saturn IB	LM-1	Apollo 5	Test of the first lunar module

Delta

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

See also

• List of spaceflights by year
• List of Cape Canaveral and Merritt Island launch sites
• Project Apollo
• Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 34

References

1. ^ McDowell, Jonathan (1998-02-22). "Issue 350". Jonathan's Space Report. Jonathan's Space Page. http://planet4589.org/space/jsr/back/news.350. Retrieved 2009-07-09. 
2. ^ DELTA-IV HEAVY TO LAUNCH LAST DSP SATELLITE
3. ^ ^{a b} "Complex 37 -- Cape Canaveral Air Station". Federation of American Scientists (www.fas.org). 2000-06-16. http://fas.org/spp/military/facility/ccas-lc-37.htm. Retrieved 2008-05-28. 
4. ^ "Boeing, Raytheon Top Off Nation's Newest Launch Tower". Boeing. March 2, 2000. http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2000/news_release_000302h.html. 

External links

Coordinates: 28°31′55″N 80°34′01″W / 28.531986°N 80.566821°W / 28.531986; -80.566821

• Boeing Delta IV website