Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39B

Launch Complex 39B is the second of Launch Complex 39's three launch pads, located at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Merritt Island, Florida. The pad, along with Launch Complex 39A, was designed for the Saturn V launch vehicle, then the United States' most powerful rocket. Typically used to launch NASA's crewed spaceflight missions since the late 1960s, the pad has been configured for use by the agency's Space Launch System rocket, a Shuttle-derived launch vehicle which is used in the Artemis program and subsequent Moon to Mars campaigns. The pad was also leased by NASA to aerospace company Northrop Grumman, for use as a launch site for their Shuttle-derived OmegA launch vehicle, for National Security Space Launch flights and commercial launches, before the OmegA program was cancelled.

History

Apollo program

In 1961, President Kennedy proposed to Congress the goal of landing a man on the Moon by the end of the decade. Congressional approval led to the launch of the Apollo program, which required a massive expansion of NASA operations, including an expansion of launch operations from the Cape to adjacent Merritt Island to the north and west.
Launch Complex 39B was designed to handle launches of the Saturn V rocket, the largest and most powerful launch vehicle, which would propel Apollo spacecraft to the Moon. Launch Complex 39B's inaugural launch in May 1969 was also that of the only Saturn V to launch from the pad; SA-505, used to launch the Apollo 10 mission.
After the Apollo 17 mission in 1972, Pad 39B was used for Saturn IB launches. The Mobile Launchers were then modified for the Saturn IB rocket, by adding a "milk-stool" extension platform to the launch pedestal, so that the S-IVB upper stage and Apollo spacecraft swing arms would reach their targets. These were used for three crewed Skylab flights and the Apollo–Soyuz, since the Saturn IB pads 34 and 37 at Cape Canaveral had been decommissioned.

Space Shuttle

With the advent of the Space Shuttle program in the early 1980s, the original structure of the launch pads were remodeled for the needs of the Space Shuttle. Pad 39A hosted all Space Shuttle launches until January 1986, when would become the first to launch from pad 39B during the ill-fated STS-51-L mission, which ended with the destruction of Challenger and the death of the mission's crew a minute into the flight.
Launch Complex 39B hosted 53 Space Shuttle launches until December 2006, when Discovery launched from the pad for the final time during the STS-116 mission. The program's remaining flights launched from pad 39A. To support the final Shuttle mission to the Hubble Space Telescope STS-125 launched from pad 39A in May 2009, Endeavour was placed on 39B if needed to launch the STS-400 rescue mission.

Constellation program

Launch Complex 39B would subsequently be reconfigured for crewed Ares I launches as part of the Constellation program; the Ares I-X mission launched a prototype Ares I from 39B in October 2009, prior to the program's cancellation the following year.

Artemis program

On November 16, 2022, at 06:47:44 UTC, the Space Launch System was launched from Complex 39B as part of the Artemis 1 mission.

Current status

After the Ares I-X test flight in 2009, NASA removed the Fixed Service Structure from Pad 39B, returning the location to an Apollo-like "clean pad" design for the first time since 1977. This approach is intended to make the pad available to multiple types of vehicles that will arrive at the pad with service structures on the mobile launcher platform, as opposed to using fixed structures on the pad. The LH₂, LOX, and water tanks used for the sound suppression system are the only structures left from the Space Shuttle era.
In 2014, NASA announced that it would make LC-39B available to commercial users during times when it is not needed by the Space Launch System. NASA subsequently agreed to allow Orbital ATK to use LC-39B for their OmegA launch vehicle. However Northrop Grumman, who absorbed Orbital ATK in June 2018, cancelled the development of OmegA in September 2020 before any launches had taken place; SLS will therefore remain the only user of LC-39B for the foreseeable future.
, LC-39B manages the Space Launch System 's processing and launch operations, as part of the first phase of a five-phase project, were being completed. The second phase of this project is currently budgeted for $89.2 million.

Launch statistics

Apollo and Apollo Applications

All flights operated by NASA.

Space Shuttle

All flights operated by NASA.

No.	Date	Time	Launch vehicle	Shuttle	Mission	Result	Remarks
6	28 January 1986	16:38	Space Shuttle	Challenger	STS-51-L		First Space Shuttle launch from LC-39B. Intended to launch and deploy TDRS-B for the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System. A failure of the solid rocket booster led to breakup 73 seconds after launch, causing the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.
7	28 September 1988	15:37	Space Shuttle	Discovery	STS-26		First Space Shuttle launch following the Challenger disaster. Launch and deployment of TDRS-3 for the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System.
8	2 December 1988	14:30	Space Shuttle	Atlantis	STS-27		Classified Department of Defense mission. Deployment of Lacrosse satellite, also known as USA-34. Shuttle's thermal protection system was extensively damaged during liftoff, but survived reentry.
9	13 March 1989	14:37	Space Shuttle	Discovery	STS-29		Launch and deployment of TDRS-4 for the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System.
10	4 May 1989	14:46	Space Shuttle	Atlantis	STS-30		Launch and deployment of Magellan, aiming to study and create a radar map of Venus.
11	8 August 1989	12:37	Space Shuttle	Columbia	STS-28		DoD mission. Deployment of SDS satellite and SSF satellite, also known as USA-40 and USA-41 respectively.
12	18 October 1989	16:53	Space Shuttle	Atlantis	STS-34		Launch and deployment Galileo. Part of the Large Strategic Science Missions, designed to study Jupiter and its moons. First spacecraft to enter orbit of Jupiter and of an outer planet, and first spacecraft to enter the atmosphere of a gas giant with atmospheric probe. First Shuttle launch with an RTG.
13	23 November 1989	00:23	Space Shuttle	Discovery	STS-33		DoD mission. Deployment of Magnum satellite, also known as USA-48.
14	12 April 1990	12:33	Space Shuttle	Discovery	STS-31		Launch and deployment of the Hubble Space Telescope. Part of the Large Strategic Science Missions, a space telescope designed to conduct optical astronomy. Collaboration between NASA and ESA. Was serviced five times over the following 20 years.
15	6 October 1990	11:47	Space Shuttle	Discovery	STS-41		Launch and deployment of Ulysses. Collaboration between NASA and ESA, designed to study the Sun from various inclinations. First spacecraft to enter polar heliocentric orbit, thanks to a gravity assist from Jupiter.
16	2 December 1990	06:49	Space Shuttle	Columbia	STS-35
17	5 April 1991	14:22	Space Shuttle	Atlantis	STS-37		Launch and deployment of the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory. Part of the Large Strategic Science Missions, a space telescope designed to conduct gamma-ray astronomy.
18	5 June 1991	13:24	Space Shuttle	Columbia	STS-40
19	7 May 1992	23:40	Space Shuttle	Endeavour	STS-49		Maiden flight of Space Shuttle Endeavour. Servicing mission for Intelsat 603, following staging failure during launch on a Commercial Titan III in 1990. Only spacewalk so far to feature three astronauts.
20	31 July 1992	13:56	Space Shuttle	Atlantis	STS-46
21	12 September 1992	14:23	Space Shuttle	Endeavour	STS-47
22	22 October 1992	17:09	Space Shuttle	Columbia	STS-52
23	13 January 1993	13:59	Space Shuttle	Endeavour	STS-54		Launch and deployment of TDRS-6 for the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System.
24	8 April 1993	05:29	Space Shuttle	Discovery	STS-56
25	21 June 1993	13:07	Space Shuttle	Endeavour	STS-57
26	12 September 1993	11:45	Space Shuttle	Discovery	STS-51
27	18 October 1993	14:53	Space Shuttle	Columbia	STS-58
28	2 December 1993	09:27	Space Shuttle	Endeavour	STS-61		Servicing mission for the Hubble Space Telescope. Notable for correcting its optics caused by incorrect mirror grounding made before launch.
29	4 March 1994	13:53	Space Shuttle	Columbia	STS-62
30	9 September 1994	22:22	Space Shuttle	Discovery	STS-64
31	3 November 1994	16:59	Space Shuttle	Atlantis	STS-66
32	3 February 1995	05:22	Space Shuttle	Discovery	STS-63		First shuttle mission to the space station Mir. Rendezvoused, but did not dock.
33	13 July 1995	13:41	Space Shuttle	Discovery	STS-70		Launch and deployment of TDRS-7. Last Shuttle launch for the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System.
34	20 October 1995	13:53	Space Shuttle	Columbia	STS-73
35	11 January 1996	09:41	Space Shuttle	Endeavour	STS-72
36	22 February 1996	20:18	Space Shuttle	Columbia	STS-75
37	22 March 1996	08:13	Space Shuttle	Atlantis	STS-76		Docking with Mir.
38	19 May 1996	10:30	Space Shuttle	Endeavour	STS-77
39	20 June 1996	14:49	Space Shuttle	Columbia	STS-78
40	19 November 1996	19:55	Space Shuttle	Columbia	STS-80		Longest ever Space Shuttle flight, at 17 days and 15 hours.
41	12 January 1997	09:27	Space Shuttle	Atlantis	STS-81		Docking with Mir.
42	19 November 1997	19:46	Space Shuttle	Columbia	STS-87
43	17 April 1998	18:19	Space Shuttle	Columbia	STS-90		Final Spacelab flight.
44	29 October 1998	19:19	Space Shuttle	Discovery	STS-95		Carried senator and Mercury-Atlas 6 veteran John Glenn into orbit.
45	27 May 1999	10:49	Space Shuttle	Discovery	STS-96		First non-assembly Space Shuttle flight to the International Space Station.
46	23 July 1999	04:31	Space Shuttle	Columbia	STS-93		Launch and deployment of the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. Part of the Large Strategic Science Missions, a space telescope designed to conduct x-ray astronomy.
47	19 December 1999	00:50	Space Shuttle	Discovery	STS-103		Servicing mission for the Hubble Space Telescope.
48	8 September 2000	12:45	Space Shuttle	Atlantis	STS-106		Docking with the ISS.
49	1 December 2000	03:06	Space Shuttle	Endeavour	STS-97		ISS assembly flight, adding the P6 solar array and radiators.
50	8 March 2001	11:42	Space Shuttle	Discovery	STS-102		Docking with the ISS.
51	12 July 2001	09:03	Space Shuttle	Atlantis	STS-104		ISS assembly flight, adding the Quest Joint Airlock.
52	5 December 2001	22:19	Space Shuttle	Endeavour	STS-108		Docking with the ISS.
53	8 April 2002	20:44	Space Shuttle	Atlantis	STS-110		ISS assembly flight, adding the S0 truss.
54	7 October 2002	19:45	Space Shuttle	Atlantis	STS-112		ISS assembly flight, adding the S1 truss.
55	26 July 2005	14:39	Space Shuttle	Discovery	STS-114		Docking with the ISS. First Space Shuttle flight following the Columbia disaster in 2003.
56	4 July 2006	18:37	Space Shuttle	Discovery	STS-121		Docking with the ISS.
57	9 September 2006	15:14	Space Shuttle	Atlantis	STS-115		ISS assembly flight, adding the P3/P4 truss and solar arrays.
58	10 December 2006	00:47	Space Shuttle	Discovery	STS-116		ISS assembly flight, adding the P5 truss. Final Space Shuttle flight from LC-39B.

Constellation and Artemis

All flights operated by NASA.

No.	Date	Time	Launch vehicle	Configuration	Spacecraft	Mission	Result	Remarks
59	28 October 2009	15:30	Ares I	Ares I-X	Boilerplate	Ares I-X		Suborbital launch. Carried a boilerplate upper stage and Orion spacecraft. Only launch of the Ares I and of the Constellation Program. First uncrewed launch from LC-39B.
60	16 November 2022	06:47	Space Launch System	SLS Block 1	CM-002	Artemis I		Maiden flight of SLS and first launch of the Artemis Program. Inaugural flight of a completed Orion spacecraft. First flight of a crewable spacecraft to the Moon since Apollo 17 in 1972, and first 39B launch beyond LEO since Apollo 10 in 1969.