🇺🇸Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Cape Canaveral, Florida, United States
Country
🇺🇸 United States
Region
North America
Established
1950
Launches / Year
50+
Coordinates
28.4889° N, 80.5778° W
About
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is America's oldest launch facility and one of the busiest spaceports in the world. Originally established as a missile testing range, it has been the departure point for numerous historic missions including Mercury, Gemini, and Mars rover launches. It operates alongside Kennedy Space Center on Florida's Space Coast.
Key Features
Multiple active launch complexes including SLC-40 (SpaceX) and SLC-41 (ULA)
America's first orbital launch site — Explorer 1 launched from here in 1958
Supports the highest launch cadence of any U.S. facility
Eastern Range provides tracking and safety for all Florida coast launches
Home to Space Launch Delta 45 operations
Rockets That Launch Here
Companies Operating Here
Orbit Types
Notable Launches
Mercury-Atlas 6 (1962) — John Glenn's first American orbital flight
Gemini missions (1965-66) — Pioneered rendezvous and docking
Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit & Opportunity (2003)
Mars Science Laboratory / Curiosity (2011)
Parker Solar Probe (2018) — Closest approach to the Sun