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Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 18

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Launch Complex 18
Vanguard TV3 at LC-18A prior to its launch attempt
Map
Interactive map of Launch Complex 18
Launch siteCape Canaveral Space Force Station
Location28°26′57″N 80°33′44″W / 28.4493°N 80.5623°W / 28.4493; -80.5623
Time zoneUTC−05:00 (EST)
• Summer (DST)
UTC−04:00 (EDT)
Short nameLC-18
OperatorUnited States Space Force (owner)
Blue Origin (tenant)
Total launches47
Launch padTwo
LC-18A launch history
StatusRepurposed, facility on site under construction
Launches24
First launch8 December 1956
Viking / Vanguard TV0
Last launch9 June 1965
Blue Scout Jr / AFWL-304
Associated
rockets		Viking
Vanguard
XRM-91 Blue Scout Junior
LC-18B launch history
StatusRepurposed, facility on site under construction
Launches23
First launch4 June 1958
PGM-17 Thor
Last launch12 April 1962
RM-89 Blue Scout I
Associated
rockets		PGM-17 Thor
RM-89 Blue Scout I
RM-90 Blue Scout II
Launch sites at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Kennedy Space Center
Map
About OpenStreetMaps
Maps: terms of use
4km
2.5miles
28
28
28 LC-29
28 LC-29
27
27
27 LC-25
27 LC-25
26
26
26 LC-30
26 LC-30
25
25
25 LC-5 and LC-6
25 LC-5 and LC-6
24
24
24 LC-26
24 LC-26
23
23
23 SLC-17
23 SLC-17
22
22
22 LC-18
22 LC-18
21
21 LC-31 and LC-32
21 LC-31 and LC-32
20
20
20 LC-21 and LC-22
20 LC-21 and LC-22
19
19 SLC-46
(Various)
19 SLC-46
19 SLC-46
18
18
18 LC-1, LC-2, LC-3, and LC-4
18 LC-1, LC-2, LC-3, and LC-4
17
17 LC-36
(New Glenn)
17 LC-36
17 LC-36
16
16
16 LC-11
16 LC-11
15
15
15 LC-12
15 LC-12
14
14 LC-13
(F9 & FH
landings)
14 LC-13 (LZ-2)
14 LC-13 (LZ-2)
13
13
13 LC-14
13 LC-14
12
12
12 LC-15
12 LC-15
11
11
11 LC-16
11 LC-16
10
10
10 LC-19
10 LC-19
9
9 SLC-20
9 SLC-20
8
8 LC-34
8 LC-34
7
7 SLC-37
7 SLC-37
6
6 LC-47
6 LC-47
5
5 SLC-40 (Falcon 9)
5 SLC-40
5 SLC-40
4
4 SLC-41
(Vulcan, Atlas)
4 SLC-41
4 SLC-41
3
3 LC-48
3 LC-48
2
2 LC-39A (FH, F9)
2 LC-39A
2 LC-39A
1
1 LC-39B (SLS)
1 LC-39B
1 LC-39B

  Active pads
  Inactive leased pads
  Inactive unleased pads
  Repurposed pads, not used for launches
1
LC-39B
2
LC-39A
3
LC-48
4
SLC-41
5
SLC-40
6
LC-47
7
SLC-37
8
LC-34
9
SLC-20
10
LC-19
11
LC-16
12
LC-15
13
LC-14
14
LC-13 (LZ-2)
15
LC-12
16
LC-11
17
LC-36
18
LC-1, LC-2, LC-3, and LC-4
19
SLC-46
20
LC-21 and LC-22
21
LC-31 and LC-32
22
LC-18
23
SLC-17
24
LC-26
25
LC-5 and LC-6
26
LC-30
27
LC-25
28
LC-29

Launch Complex 18 (LC-18) is a launch site at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, primarily used by early suborbital and orbital rockets during the late 1950s and early 1960s.[1] The complex consists of two pads: Launch Complex 18A (LC-18A), originally built by the United States Navy for use in Project Vanguard, and Launch Complex 18B (LC-18B), used by the United States Air Force for tests of the PGM-17 Thor.

As of September 2026, the site of LC-18 is being used by Blue Origin to construct a payload processing facility for their New Glenn launch vehicle.[2]

History

[edit]

The first launch from LC-18 was a Viking rocket from LC-18A on December 8, 1956, on a test flight for Project Vanguard. A further Viking launch was conducted in May 1957, and the Vanguard made its maiden flight from the complex in September. Following this, the United States first satellite launch attempt was made from LC-18A, using Vanguard TV3, on December 6, 1957. The launch failed after the rocket lost thrust and exploded on the launch pad. All twelve Vanguard launches were conducted from LC-18A, with the complex being transferred to NASA after it took over responsibility for Vanguard following its formation in 1958. After the Vanguard's retirement in 1959, LC-18A was transferred to the US Air Force for use by Scout rockets.

LC-18B was used for 17 tests of Thor missiles between June 4, 1958 and February 29, 1960. Following this, it was also converted for use by Scout rockets.

Sixteen Scouts were launched from LC-18; ten from LC-18A and six from LC-18B. Fifteen of the launches were suborbital sounding flights, and one was an orbital launch with the Mercury-Scout 1 satellite for NASA. This failed to reach orbit and was destroyed by range safety 43 seconds after launch. The launches from LC-18A used the Blue Scout Junior configuration, and were conducted between September 21, 1960 and June 9, 1965. The launches from LC-18B consisted of three Blue Scout I rockets and three Blue Scout IIs, launched between January 7, 1961 and April 12, 1962.

Following the retirement of the Scout family at Cape Canaveral (opting instead to have launches conducted from the Wallops Flight Facility), LC-18 has sat dormant. As of August 2024, the United States Space Force plans to fully demolish the site and the neighboring SLC-17 in favor of extending Lighthouse Road and reconnecting its two separate sections back together.[3]

Launch statistics

[edit]

LC-18A

[edit]
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965

LC-18B

[edit]
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "Cape Canaveral Space Force Museum". ccspacemuseum.org. Retrieved September 4, 2026.
  2. ↑ Neale, Rick. "Blue Origin tops 4,500 Space Coast jobs as New Glenn buildout accelerates". Florida Today. Retrieved September 4, 2026.
  3. ↑ "NSSL Phase 3 Lane 1 Industry Day". Space and Missile Systems Center. August 20, 2024. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
[edit]
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