Complexes 11, 12, 13, & 14
These complexes were built for the ATLAS ballistic missile program. These complexes, built in the late 1950’s, are located along CCAS’s eastern coastline. These sites were quite active during the late 50’s and 60’s. Complex 11 supported 28 ATLAS launches and 5 ATLAS Advanced Ballistic Reentry System flights. Complex 12 supported its first ATLAS launch on 10 January 1958, and it 9 RANGER and 4 MARINER missions in the 1960s. Complex 13 supported 51 ATLAS and ATLAS/AGENA flights. Most of the ATLAS/AGENA missions were for NASA; however, the last 11 were for DOD. Complex 14 supported 32 ATLAS and ATLAS/AGENA missions, including four manned MERCURY missions and seven unmanned GEMINI target vehicle launches. All of these complexes are inactive at this time. SLC 13 and 14 are designated as a national/historic landmark.
Over the past several years, SpaceX has developed the technology and ability to boost-back and land the Falcon 9 first stage booster. To support the environmental review of boost-back and landing, the USAF prepared an EA in 2014 (2014 USAF EA) for landing at LC-13, later renamed LZ-1. The 2014 USAF EA assessed construction of a main landing pad (LZ-1) and boost-back and landing of the first stage booster on the pad or on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. In 2017, the USAF prepared a supplemental EA (referred to as the 2017 USAF SEA) to analyze Falcon Heavy boost-back and landing at CCAFS (USAF 2017a). This would have required construction of two additional landing pads. SpaceX eventually constructed only one of the two additional landing pads evaluated in the 2017 USAF SEA, which is referred to as LZ-2. On February 6, 2018, SpaceX landed two of Falcon Heavy’s first stage boosters at LZ-1 and LZ-2.
