Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 34
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 LC-34 with Saturn I rocket SA-4 on 28 March 1963 |
|
| Launch Site | Cape Canaveral Air Force Station |
| Location | 28.52182°N 80.561258°W |
| Short name | LC-34 |
| Operator | US Air Force |
| Total launches | 7 |
| Launch pads | 1 |
| Minimum/Maximum orbital inclination |
28° - 57° |
| Launch History | |
|---|---|
| Status | Inactive |
| First launch | SA-1, 27 October 1961 |
| Last launch | Apollo 7, 11 October 1968 |
| Associated rockets | Saturn I Saturn IB |
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 34 (LC-34) is a launch site at Merritt Island, Cape Canaveral, Florida. It was used by NASA as part of the Apollo Program, to launch Saturn I and IB rockets.
Notably, it was the site of the Apollo 204 (Apollo 1) fire, which claimed the lives of astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee, on January 27, 1967.
The pad saw its first launch on October 27, 1961. This was the SA-1 mission - also the first use of the Saturn I. It was closed in 1968, with its last launch being Apollo 7, the first manned flight of the Apollo Program.
Originally, NASA planned to re-activate LC-34, along with LC-37 for the Apollo Applications Program, but this was cancelled. It was also considered for manned missions to Skylab, but in the end, LC-39B was chosen for these flights.
Today, the launch platform is all that is left of the pad. A memorial plaque to the crew of Apollo 1, who died at the pad, is attached to this. It bears the inscription:
LAUNCH COMPLEX 34
Friday, 27 January 1967
1831 Hours
Dedicated to the living memory of the crew of the Apollo 1:
U.S.A.F. Lt. Colonel Virgil I. Grissom
U.S.A.F. Lt. Colonel Edward H. White, II
U.S.N. Lt. Commander Roger B. Chaffee
They gave their lives in service to their country in the ongoing exploration of humankind's final frontier. Remember them not for how they died but for those ideals for which they lived.
Another plaque states:
IN MEMORY OF THOSE WHO MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE SO OTHERS COULD REACH FOR THE STARS
AD ASTRA PER ASPERA
(A ROUGH ROAD LEADS TO THE STARS)
GOD SPEED TO THE CREW OF APOLLO 1
It is currently the subject of discussion as a possible launch site for the Ares I launch vehicle for Project Constellation.
[edit] Launch history
This is a complete list of all launches made from LC-34.
| Date | Time | Launch Vehicle | Mission | Payload | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 27, 1961 | 15:06 GMT | Saturn I | SA-1 | (none) | First use of LC-34, First flight of Saturn I. |
| April 25, 1962 | 14:00 GMT | Saturn I | SA-2 | Highwater | Self-destruct detonated after completion of mission to test effects of water at high altitudes on communications. |
| November 16, 1962 | 17:45 GMT | Saturn I | SA-3 | Highwater | Self-destruct detonated after completion of mission to test effects of water at high altitudes on communications. |
| March 28, 1963 | 20:11 GMT | Saturn I | SA-4 | (none) | |
| February 26, 1966 | 15:06 GMT | Saturn IB | AS-201 | Apollo CSM | First flight of Saturn IB and Apollo Spacecraft |
| August 25, 1966 | 17:15 GMT | Saturn IB | AS-202 | Apollo CSM | |
| October 11, 1968 | 15:02 GMT | Saturn IB | Apollo 7 | Manned Apollo CSM | First manned Apollo flight, last use of LC-34 |
[edit] See also
- List of spaceflights by year
- Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
- Project Apollo
- Saturn I
- Saturn IB
- Merritt Island
- List of Merritt Island launch sites
[edit] External links
-
- Satellite image from WikiMapia, Google Maps or Windows Live Local
- Street map from MapQuest or Google Maps
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image from TerraServer-USA
| Merritt Island launch sites |
|---|
| Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (all except LC-39) Kennedy Space Center (LC-39) |
| LC-1 | LC-2 | LC-3 | LC-4 | LC-5 | LC-6 | LC-9 | LC-10 | LC-11 | LC-12 | LC-13 | LC-14 | LC-15 | LC-16 | LC-17 | LC-18 | LC-19 | LC-20 | LC-21 | LC-22 | LC-25 | LC-26 | LC-29 | LC-30 | LC-31 | LC-32 | LC-34 | LC-36 | LC-37 | LC-39 | LC-40 | LC-41 | LC-43 | LC-45 | LC-46 | LC-47
|
