Pick up to 4 launch sites to compare side-by-side. State lives in the URL — share the link and the comparison loads exactly as you left it.
Over 70 licensed launch facilities now operate globally — 20 commissioned since 2020.
| Attribute | Kennedy Space Center 🇺🇸 United States Active · Last updated 2026-06-01Trust: Agency-primaryⓘ Last verified Remove × | Baikonur Cosmodrome 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan Active · Last updated 2026-06-01Trust: Agency-primaryⓘ Last verified Remove × | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | NASA | Jacksonville Aviation Authority | Roscosmos |
| Ownership | Government | Public-Private | International Consortium |
| Region | 🇺🇸 United States | 🇺🇸 United States | 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan |
| Launch pads | 2 active (LC-39A, LC-39B)as of [1] | — | 9 active (Soyuz-2 × 3, Proton-M × 2, Zenit × 1, Zenith-3SLB, and reserve pads)as of [1]Many historic pads retired; total complex has 52 pads historically ↑ Most pads |
| Annual launches | ~40as of [1]Combined NASA + SpaceX cadence from LC-39A and LC-39B | 0-2 | ~15as of [1] |
| Max payload (LEO) | 63,800 kg to LEO (Falcon Heavy expendable)as of [2] ↑ Highest capacity | — | 22,800 kg to LEO (Proton-M)as of [1] |
| First operational launch | 1967-11-09as of [1]SA-501 Apollo 4 — first Saturn V launch from LC-39A | 2010 | 1957-10-04as of [1]Sputnik 1 — first artificial Earth satellite ever launched |
| Regulatory regime | NASA range safety + FAA-AST Part 450 for commercial users; co-managed with Eastern Range | FAA-AST Launch Site Operator License (horizontal launch only) | Roscosmos (lease through 2050) / Kazakhstan KazCosmos co-oversight under 1994 lease agreement |
Pure URL state — no JavaScript, no localStorage, no cookies. Bookmark or share the URL and the comparison reproduces exactly. Top 20 entries have full CitedFigure attribution to primary agency sources (NASA, ESA, JAXA, ISRO, CNSA, KARI).