Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 11

Launch Complex 11
	US Space Force
Total launches	33
Launch pad(s)	1
Status
Launch history
Status	Active, test stand
Launches	33
First launch	19 July 1958; Atlas B 3B
Last launch	1 April 1964; Atlas F 137F
Associated; rockets	Atlas B; Atlas D; Atlas E; Atlas F; New Glenn (for BE-4; engine test stand)

Launch Complex 11 (LC-11) at

14, featured a more robust design than many contemporary pads, due to the greater power of the Atlas compared to other rockets of the time. It was larger, and featured a concrete launch pedestal that was 6 metres (20 ft) tall and a reinforced blockhouse

. The rockets were delivered to the launch pad by a ramp on the southwest side of the launch pedestal.

Thirty-two

SCORE, the world's first communications satellite, into low Earth orbit

.

The area of LC-11 is currently leased to Blue Origin.^[1]

Explosions

Two on-pad explosions occurred on LC-11. The first was Missile 48D in April 1960, which suffered combustion instability and exploded on the pad. Although no specific cause for the combustion instability could be determined, the separate duct for the booster turbine exhaust had been removed from the Atlas pads at CCAS earlier in the year since it was considered unnecessary and complicated ground testing of the missiles. The failure occurred slightly under a month after Missile 51D had exploded on LC-13 due to combustion instability, and after these back-to-back failures, it was decided to put the exhaust duct back on the pads. Although there was no evidence indicating that the lack of the exhaust ducts caused the failures, program officials decided to play it safe, and in any case wanted the pads to conform with Atlas D silo configurations.

The second explosion on LC-11 was when Missile 11F blew up one second after liftoff in April 9, 1962 due to a turbopump failure. In both causes, pad damage was relatively light and LC-11 restored to use in two months.

Later history

Following the end of Atlas testing at Cape Canaveral, LC-11 was the only one of the four Atlas pads to not be used for space launches, and hence was first of the four pads to be deactivated. Following deactivation, the mobile service tower and support equipment were dismantled, and the site was unmaintained for over 50 years.

Blue Origin use

Spaceport Florida Launch Complex 36, which will support launches of Blue Origin's New Glenn Launch Vehicle, currently scheduled for a launch no-earlier then 2020.^[3] Throughout 2017, aerial / satellite imagery from Planet Explorer showed that construction of a new facility was underway there.^[4] In 2019 aerial photos showed a complete test stand. The test stands have two bays allow Blue Origin to test two engines at once.^[5]

References

Encyclopedia Astronautica - LC11

^ Blue Origin could bring long-dormant launchpad to life, 7 Sept 2016
^ Blue Origin could bring long-dormant launchpad to life, 7 Sept 2016
^ NASASpaceFlight.com. "Blue Origin working towards making the Cape its Orbital Launch Site". www.nasaspaceflight.com. Archived from the original on 2017-03-29. Retrieved 2017-03-29.
^ "Blue Origin Rocket Pad". Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
^ NASASpaceFlight.com (2019-09-11). "Blue Origin continuing work on New Glenn launch complex, support facilities". NASASpaceFlight.com. Archived from the original on 2019-09-20. Retrieved 2020-06-04.

[1] Blue Origin could bring long-dormant launchpad to life, 7 Sept 2016

[2] Blue Origin could bring long-dormant launchpad to life, 7 Sept 2016

[3] NASASpaceFlight.com. "Blue Origin working towards making the Cape its Orbital Launch Site". www.nasaspaceflight.com. Archived from the original on 2017-03-29. Retrieved 2017-03-29.

[4] "Blue Origin Rocket Pad". Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Retrieved 29 October 2017.

[5] NASASpaceFlight.com (2019-09-11). "Blue Origin continuing work on New Glenn launch complex, support facilities". NASASpaceFlight.com. Archived from the original on 2019-09-20. Retrieved 2020-06-04.

[1]

[3]

[4]

[5]