NASA · Merritt Island, Florida, United States
Launch Pads
2 active (LC-39A, LC-39B)as of [1]Annual Launches
~40as of [1]Combined NASA + SpaceX cadence from LC-39A and LC-39BMax Payload (LEO)
63,800 kg to LEO (Falcon Heavy expendable)as of [2]Established
1962
Kennedy Space Center is NASA's primary launch facility and one of the most iconic spaceports in history. Located on Merritt Island, Florida, it has served as the departure point for every U.S. crewed orbital mission since 1968. Today it hosts SpaceX Falcon 9/Heavy launches from LC-39A alongside NASA's Artemis missions from LC-39B.
| Region | North America |
| Country | 🇺🇸 United States |
| Coordinates | 28.5728° N, -80.6490° E |
| Ownership | Government |
| Parent Entity | NASA (U.S. federal agency) |
| Regulatory Regime | NASA range safety + FAA-AST Part 450 for commercial users; co-managed with Eastern Range |
| Latitude Advantage | 28.6°N — Florida's easterly Atlantic corridor harvests ~1,470 km/h of Earth-rotation velocity, ideal for LEO/GTO and the U.S. baseline for GEO economics. |
| Azimuth Range | 35°–120° (LEO 28.5° to ISS 51.6°; high-inclination restricted by Atlantic populated areas) |
| Human Spaceflight | Active crewed launches |
| Employees | ~10,000 (NASA civil servants + on-site contractors) |
| Website | https://www.nasa.gov/kennedy/ |
Anchor Tenants
Active Users
Strategic Value
Crown jewel of U.S. civil space infrastructure and the only U.S. site qualified for SLS/Orion. LC-39A's SpaceX lease anchors a unique public-private cadence model that other agencies are now copying.
Recent Activity
Artemis II crewed lunar flyby readiness milestones completed at LC-39B Q1 2026; SpaceX continues Falcon 9/Heavy and Dragon ops from LC-39A.
2026
Artemis II — first crewed Orion lunar flyby from LC-39B
2026
Starship LC-39A first orbital launch attempt (target window)
2027
Artemis III — first crewed lunar landing since 1972