Delta IV Heavy lifts off from SLC-37B in June 2016 carrying NROL-37
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| Launch site | Cape Canaveral Space Force Station | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Location | 28°31′55″N 80°34′01″W / 28.531986°N 80.566821°W / 28.531986; -80.566821 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (EST) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
• Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (EDT) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Short name | SLC-37 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operator | United States Space Force | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total launches | 43 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Orbital inclination range | 28° - 57° | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Space Launch Complex 37[2][3] (SLC-37), previously Launch Complex 37 (LC-37), is a launch complex on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. Construction began in 1959 and the site was accepted by NASA to support the Saturn I program in 1963.[4] The complex consists of two launch pads. LC-37A has never been used, but LC-37B launched uncrewed Saturn I flights (1964 to 1965) and was modified and launched Saturn IB flights (1966 to 1968), including the first (uncrewed) test of the Apollo Lunar Module in space (Apollo 5).[4] 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.
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, and fitted to service all Delta IV configurations, including the Delta IV Heavy.[5] Plans are being proposed for SpaceX Starship operations from LC-37 in near future, as the Delta family's last rocket, i.e., Delta IV Heavy retired on April 2024.[1] The draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) by the Federal Aviation Administration is due in December 2024, with a final study by September 2025.[6]
1
2
3
4
1964
1968
2000
2005
2010
2015
2020
All flights operated by NASA.
| Date | Vehicle | Mission | Payload | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan. 29, 1964 | Saturn I | SA-5 | none | First live S-IV second stage |
| May 28, 1964 | Saturn I | AS-101 | BP-13 boilerplate CSM | First boilerplate CSM |
| Sept. 18, 1964 | Saturn I | AS-102 | BP-15 boilerplate CSM | |
| Feb. 16, 1965 | Saturn I | AS-103 | Pegasus 1 and BP-16 boilerplate CSM | Pegasus satellites studied micrometeoroid impacts |
| May 25, 1965 | Saturn I | AS-104 | Pegasus 2 and BP-26 boilerplate CSM | |
| July 30, 1965 | Saturn I | AS-105 | Pegasus 3 and BP-9A boilerplate CSM | |
| July 5, 1966 | Saturn IB | AS-203 | none | Test of S-IVB second stage; informally called Apollo 3 |
| Jan. 22, 1968 | Saturn IB | Apollo 5 | LM-1 | First uncrewed orbital test of the lunar module |
In 1998, Boeing secured the right to use SLC-37 for launch of the Delta IV rocket family. Facility modifications were made to SLC-37B and the first launch occurred in 2002. The Delta IV Medium was launched from SLC-37 from 2002 until 2022,[7] and the Delta IV Heavy had been launched from SLC-37 from 2004 to 2024.[8]
| Date (UTC) | Vehicle | Payload[9] | Launch outcome[9] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 November 2002 | Delta IV Medium | Eutelsat W5 | Success[10] |
| 11 March 2003 | Delta IV Medium | USA-167 (DSCS-3 A3) | Success[11] |
| 29 August 2003 | Delta IV Medium | USA-170 (DSCS-3 B6) | Success[12] |
| 21 December 2004 | Delta IV Heavy | DemoSat, Sparkie / 3CS-1 and Ralphie / 3CS-2 | Partial failure[a] |
| 24 May 2006 | Delta IV Medium | GOES-N (GOES-13) | Success[13] |
| 11 November 2007 | Delta IV Heavy | DSP-23 Defense Support Program | Success |
| 18 January 2009 | Delta IV Heavy | Orion 6 / Mentor 4 (USA-202 / NROL-26) | Success |
| 27 June 2009 | Delta IV Medium | GOES-O (GOES-14) | Success[14] |
| 6 December 2009 | Delta IV Medium | USA-211 (WGS-3) | Success[15] |
| 4 March 2010 | Delta IV Medium | GOES-P (GOES-15) | Success[16] |
| 28 May 2010 | Delta IV Medium | USA-213 (GPS IIF SV-1) | Success[17] |
| 21 November 2010 | Delta IV Heavy | Orion 7 / Mentor 5 (USA-223 / NROL-32) | Success |
| 11 March 2011 | Delta IV Medium | USA-227 (NROL-27) | Success |
| 16 July 2011 | Delta IV Medium | USA-232 (GPS IIF-2) | Success[18] |
| 20 January 2012 | Delta IV Medium | USA-233 (WGS-4) | Success[19] |
| 29 June 2012 | Delta IV Heavy | Orion 8 / Mentor 6 (USA-237 / NROL-15) | Success |
| 4 October 2012 | Delta IV Medium | USA-239 (GPS IIF-3) | Success[20] |
| 25 May 2013 | Delta IV Medium | USA-243 (WGS-5) | Success[21] |
| 8 August 2013 | Delta IV Medium | USA-244 (WGS-6) | Success[22] |
| 21 February 2014 | Delta IV Medium | USA-248 (GPS IIF-5) | Success[23] |
| 17 May 2014 | Delta IV Medium | USA-251 (GPS IIF-6) | Success[24] |
| 28 July 2014 | Delta IV Medium | USA 253-255 (AFSPC-4 (GSSAP #1/#2/ANGELS)) | Success[25] |
| 5 December 2014 | Delta IV Heavy | Orion Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) | Success |
| 25 March 2015 | Delta IV Medium | USA-260 (GPS IIF-9) | Success[26] |
| 24 July 2015 | Delta IV Medium | USA-263 (WGS-7) | Success[27] |
| 11 June 2016 | Delta IV Heavy | Orion 9 / Mentor 7 (USA-268 / NROL-37) | Success |
| 19 August 2016 | Delta IV Medium | USA-270/271 (AFSPC-6 (GSSAP #3/#4)) | Success[28] |
| 7 December 2016 | Delta IV Medium | USA-272 (WGS-8) | Success[29] |
| 19 March 2017 | Delta IV Medium | USA-275 (WGS-9) | Success[30] |
| 12 August 2018 | Delta IV Heavy | Parker Solar Probe | Success |
| 16 March 2019 | Delta IV Medium | USA-291 (WGS-10) | Success[31] |
| 22 August 2019 | Delta IV Medium | USA-293 (GPS III-2) | Success[32] |
| 11 December 2020 | Delta IV Heavy | Orion 10 / Mentor 8 (USA-268 / NROL-44)[33][34] | Success |
| 22 June 2023 | Delta IV Heavy | Orion 11 / Mentor 9 (NROL-68) | Success |
| 9 April 2024 | Delta IV Heavy | Orion 12 / Mentor 10 (NROL-70) | Success |
In 2024, after the retirement of the Delta IV Heavy, the FAA initiated an Environmental Impact Statement for potential Starship launch activity from the complex. The draft is set to be released by December 2024.[35]
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
