Launcing Sites

8/2/2019 Launcing Sites

1/19

Space Rocket Launch Sites Around the World

1 - Vandenberg2 - Edwards3 - Wallops Island4 - Cape Canaveral5 - Kourou6 - Alcantara

7 - Hammaguir8 - Torrejon9 - Andoya10 - Plesetsk11 - Kapustin Yar

12 - Palmachim13 - San Marco14 - Baikonur15 - Sriharikota16 - Jiuquan

17 - Xichang18 - Taiyuan19 - Svobodny20 - Kagoshima21 - Tanegashima22 - Woomera

Space Launch Sites Around the World

Other NASA Centers|Commercial Spaceports|Converting ICBMs to Space Rockets|Rockets

Global SitesYou may scroll downthe page or click oneof these links to jumpto the site

Australia
http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Vandenberghttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Vandenberghttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Edwardshttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Edwardshttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#WallopsIslandhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#WallopsIslandhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#CapeCanaveralhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#CapeCanaveralhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Kourouhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Kourouhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Alcantarahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Alcantarahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Hammaguirhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Hammaguirhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Torrejonhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Torrejonhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Andoyahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Andoyahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Plesetskhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Plesetskhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#KapustinYarhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#KapustinYarhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Palmachimhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Palmachimhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#SanMarcohttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#SanMarcohttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Baikonurhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Baikonurhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Sriharikotahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Sriharikotahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Jiuquanhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Jiuquanhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Xichanghttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Xichanghttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Taiyuanhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Taiyuanhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Svobodnyhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Svobodnyhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Kagoshimahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Kagoshimahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Tanegashimahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Tanegashimahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Woomerahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Woomerahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#NASAnonflightcentershttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#NASAnonflightcentershttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#CommercialSpaceportshttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#CommercialSpaceportshttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#CommercialSpaceportshttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Plowshares/Plowshares.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Plowshares/Plowshares.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Plowshares/Plowshares.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Australiahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Australiahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Australiahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Plowshares/Plowshares.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#CommercialSpaceportshttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#NASAnonflightcentershttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Woomerahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Tanegashimahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Kagoshimahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Svobodnyhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Taiyuanhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Xichanghttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Jiuquanhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Sriharikotahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Baikonurhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#SanMarcohttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Palmachimhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#KapustinYarhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Plesetskhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Andoyahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Torrejonhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Hammaguirhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Alcantarahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Kourouhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#CapeCanaveralhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#WallopsIslandhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Edwardshttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Vandenberg


2/19

Woomera

BrazilAlcantara

CanadaChurchill

ChinaJiuquanXichangTaiyuan

EuropeKourou

FranceHammaguirKourou

GreatBritainWoomera

IndiaSriharikota

IraqAl-Anbar

IsraelPalmachim

ItalySan Marco

JapanKagoshimaTanegashima

Morocco

Ben Guerir

NorwayAndoya

Pakistan
http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Woomerahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Woomerahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Brazilhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Brazilhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Alcantarahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Alcantarahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Canadahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Canadahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Churchillhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Churchillhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Chinahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Chinahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Jiuquanhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Jiuquanhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Xichanghttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Xichanghttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Taiyuanhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Taiyuanhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Europehttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Europehttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Kourouhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Kourouhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Francehttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Francehttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Hammaguirhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Hammaguirhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Kourouhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Kourouhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#GreatBritainhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#GreatBritainhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Woomerahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Woomerahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Indiahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Indiahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Sriharikotahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Sriharikotahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Iraqhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Iraqhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#AlAnbarhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#AlAnbarhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Israelhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Israelhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Palmachimhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Palmachimhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Italyhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Italyhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#SanMarcohttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#SanMarcohttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Japanhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Japanhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Kagoshimahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Kagoshimahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Tanegashimahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Tanegashimahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Moroccohttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Moroccohttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#BenGuerirhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#BenGuerirhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Norwayhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Norwayhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Andoyahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Andoyahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Pakistanhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Pakistanhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Pakistanhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Andoyahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Norwayhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#BenGuerirhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Moroccohttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Tanegashimahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Kagoshimahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Japanhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#SanMarcohttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Italyhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Palmachimhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Israelhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#AlAnbarhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Iraqhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Sriharikotahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Indiahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Woomerahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#GreatBritainhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Kourouhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Hammaguirhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Francehttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Kourouhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Europehttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Taiyuanhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Xichanghttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Jiuquanhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Chinahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Churchillhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Canadahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Alcantarahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Brazilhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Woomera


3/19

There are not many spaceports around the world. Fewer than twodozen have been constructed during the Space Age. Some arewell known places open to the public, while others are top secretclosed sites. The spaceports dot the globe at locations dictated by

political realities and technical requirments for lifting satellites toorbit above Earth. Over the decades since 1957, some 5,000satellites have been boosted above the atmosphere from thesesites. The busiest spaceports are Cape Canaveral, Vandenberg,Baikonur, Plesetsk, Kourou, Tanegashima, Jiuquan, Xichang andSriharikota.

The space programs of the United States and Russia have beencomparable in size and by far the world's largest. They werefollowed in size by the space programs of the ESA, France, Japan,Germany, Italy, India, the United Kingdom, Canada, Brazil,

Belgium and Spain. As we move through the 21st century,competition among these nations is intense and increasing.

Click a country name below for additional detailCountries are listed in alphabetical order.You may scroll down the page or click one of the links in thesidebar at left to jump to the site.

AustraliaWoomeraLatitude 31.1o S Longitude 136.8o E

In 1967, a U.S. Redstone rocket carried the Australian sciencesatellite, WRESAT, to orbit from Woomera. That made Australiathe fourth nation in the world after the USSR, the U.S. andFranceto place in Earth orbit a satellite launched from its ownterritory. In 1971, Great Britain became the sixth nation to launchan artificial moon to orbit above Earth. The science satelliteProspero, also named Black Knight 1, rode atop a British rocketcalled Black Arrow in a launch from Woomera. No furthersatellites have been launched from Woomera, and most of therocket range equipment has been destroyed or sold off for scrap.However, the pads at Woomera compose something new calledSpaceport Australia. The Australian Space Council is planning forlaunches from Woomera as well as from Darwin and the CapeYork Peninsula. Sparsely populated Woomera has someinfrastructure, is usually cloud free, and would be a good location for access to polar orbits.

RussiaKapustin YarBaikonurPlesetskSvobodny

SenegalDakar

South AfricaCape Town

SpainMorn

USACape CanaveralKennedyVandenbergWallops IslandEdwardsDrydenPoker FlatVirginiaKodiakMojaveWhite SandsSea LaunchSouthwestNASA HQJohnsonGoddardJPLMarshallAmesLangleyGlennStennisJHU APL

Los Alamos
http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Australia.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Australia.htmlhttp://www.asicc.com.au/http://www.asicc.com.au/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Russiahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Russiahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#KapustinYarhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#KapustinYarhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Baikonurhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Baikonurhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Plesetskhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Plesetskhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Svobodnyhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Svobodnyhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Senegalhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Senegalhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Dakarhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Dakarhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#SouthAfricahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#SouthAfricahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#CapeTownhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#CapeTownhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Spainhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Spainhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Moronhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Moronhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#USAhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#USAhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#CapeCanaveralhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#CapeCanaveralhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Kennedyhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Kennedyhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Vandenberghttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Vandenberghttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#WallopsIslandhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#WallopsIslandhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Edwardshttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Edwardshttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Drydenhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Drydenhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#PokerFlathttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#PokerFlathttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Virginiahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Virginiahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Kodiakhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Kodiakhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Mojavehttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Mojavehttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#WhiteSandshttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#WhiteSandshttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#SeaLaunchhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#SeaLaunchhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Southwesthttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Southwesthttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#NASAhqhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#NASAhqhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Johnsonhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Johnsonhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Goddardhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Goddardhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#JPLhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#JPLhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Marshallhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Marshallhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Ameshttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Ameshttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Langleyhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Langleyhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Glennhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Glennhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Stennishttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Stennishttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#JHUAPLhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#JHUAPLhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#LosAlamoshttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#LosAlamoshttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#LosAlamoshttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#JHUAPLhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Stennishttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Glennhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Langleyhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Ameshttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Marshallhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#JPLhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Goddardhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Johnsonhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#NASAhqhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Southwesthttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#SeaLaunchhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#WhiteSandshttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Mojavehttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Kodiakhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Virginiahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#PokerFlathttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Drydenhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Edwardshttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#WallopsIslandhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Vandenberghttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Kennedyhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#CapeCanaveralhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#USAhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Moronhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Spainhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#CapeTownhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#SouthAfricahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Dakarhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Senegalhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Svobodnyhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Plesetskhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Baikonurhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#KapustinYarhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#Russiahttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.asicc.com.au/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Australia.html


4/19

BrazilAlcantara Launch CenterLatitude 2.3o S Longitude 44.4o W

TheAlcantara Launch Center, on the Atlantic coast of Brazil outside Sao Luis, launches the VLSrocket. Pads are also on the ground for the Sonda 3/4 sounding rockets, meteorological rocketsand other science launchers. CLA's position nearer the equator offers an advantage over CapeCanaveral.

CanadaFort Churchill, ManitobaLatitude 58.8o N Longitude 94.1o WCanadian Space Agency

TheCanadian National Research Counciloperated the range along with theU.S. Air Forcethrough it's contractor at the time,Pan American World Airways, operated theChurchill Rocketand Research Rangein the Arctic on the Hudson Bay 15 miles east of the community ofChurchill, Manitoba, which calls itself thepolar bear capital of the world. It is in the area ofmaximum Northern Lights (aurora) activity. TheCanadian Armyconducted the first series ofrocket firings at Fort Churchill in 1954. During International Geophysical Year (IGY) 1957-58,Canada and the U.S. built the Churchill Range to launch suborbitalsounding rocketsto probe theupper atmosphere. On November 8, 1958, a Nike-Cajun sounding rocket was launched fromChurchill with the first Canadian science payload. Some 200 Aerobie and Nike Cajun soundingrockets were launched during IGY. On September 5, 1959, launch at the Churchill Range of thefirst truly Canadian sounding rocket, the Black Brant 1, built at Winnipeg, Manitoba. More than

3,500 suborbital flights took off from the range through 1989. Churchill was disadvantaged by itslocation, which limited research to only one kind of aurora. Most Northern Lights soundingrocket flights were relocated toPoker Flat Research Rangein Alaska, which offered broadauroral research. Black Brants also were launched fromEast Quoddyin New Brunswick to probechanges in the upper atmosphere during solar eclipses in 1970 and 1972. Akjuit Aerospace Corp.would like to redevelop the Churchill Rocket and Research Range as SpacePort Canada, theworlds first commercial polar spaceport. It would have three launch pads capable of sendingmedium-size satellites to orbit. In 1996, Russia agreed to launch its Start rockets from Churchill,but the market for space launches dropped and plans are on hold.

ChinaJiuquan Space Launch Center - Shuang Cheng TzuLatitude 40.6o N Longitude 99.9o E
http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Brazil.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Brazil.htmlhttp://www.inpe.br/english/http://www.inpe.br/english/http://www.inpe.br/english/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Canada.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Canada.htmlhttp://www.space.gc.ca/asc/eng/default.asphttp://www.space.gc.ca/asc/eng/default.asphttp://www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/http://www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/http://www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/http://www.af.mil/http://www.af.mil/http://www.af.mil/http://www.panamdoc.com/http://www.panamdoc.com/http://www.panamdoc.com/http://friendsofcrc.ca/PropagationResearch/rocket.htmlhttp://friendsofcrc.ca/PropagationResearch/rocket.htmlhttp://friendsofcrc.ca/PropagationResearch/rocket.htmlhttp://friendsofcrc.ca/PropagationResearch/rocket.htmlhttp://www.army.forces.gc.ca/http://www.army.forces.gc.ca/http://www.army.forces.gc.ca/http://pao.gsfc.nasa.gov/gsfc/lithos/srockets/srockets.htmhttp://pao.gsfc.nasa.gov/gsfc/lithos/srockets/srockets.htmhttp://pao.gsfc.nasa.gov/gsfc/lithos/srockets/srockets.htmhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#PokerFlathttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#PokerFlathttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#PokerFlathttp://www.seathelights.com/nb/equoddy.htmlhttp://www.seathelights.com/nb/equoddy.htmlhttp://www.seathelights.com/nb/equoddy.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/China.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/China.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/China.htmlhttp://www.seathelights.com/nb/equoddy.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#PokerFlathttp://pao.gsfc.nasa.gov/gsfc/lithos/srockets/srockets.htmhttp://www.army.forces.gc.ca/http://friendsofcrc.ca/PropagationResearch/rocket.htmlhttp://friendsofcrc.ca/PropagationResearch/rocket.htmlhttp://www.panamdoc.com/http://www.af.mil/http://www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/http://www.space.gc.ca/asc/eng/default.asphttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Canada.htmlhttp://www.inpe.br/english/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Brazil.html


5/19

On April 24, 1970, thePeoples Republic of Chinabecame theFifth nation to launch an artificial moon to orbit above Earth.The satellite was named Mao-1. It rode atop a rocket called LongMarch-1 in a launch fromJiuquan Space Launch Centerin InnerMongolia. Today, China hasthree main spaceports. Jiuquan

Space Launch Center was built north of Jiuquan City in the1960s in the Gobi desert 1,000 miles west of Beijing, China. Itwas China's first launch site. Jiuquan was limited to southeasternlaunches into 57-70 degree orbits to avoid overflying Russia andMongolia. Western nations had called this site Shuang ChengTzu. Long March space rockets and atmospheric soundingrockets are fired from Jiuquan. Jiuquan is used for recoverableEarth observation and microgravity missions. Due to the site'sgeographical location, most Chinese commercial flights take offfrom other spaceports. China launched to Earth orbit the pilotedspacecraft Shenzhou 5 atop a Long March 2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on

October 15, 2003. Inside the capsule was China's first astronaut, Yang Liwei. The flight madeChina the third nation able to send a man to space, following a trail blazed by Russia and theUnited States.

ChinaXichang Space Launch CenterLatitude 28.25o N Longitude 102.0o E

Xichang Space Launch Centeroffers better access to geostationary orbits than Jiuquan. It wasbuilt 40 miles north of Xichang City in 1978. Its first launch was in 1984. Xichang launchesLong March space rockets. The local population lives near the launch pads. When the first LongMarch 3B rocket crashed in 1996 on a hillside a mile from the launch pad, six persons werekilled and 57 injured. When a Long March 2E exploded in 1995, debris killed six and injured 23in a village five miles downrange.

ChinaTaiyuan Space Launch Center - WuzhaiLatitude 37.5o N Longitude 112.6o E

Taiyuan Space Launch Centerstarted as test base for missiles and rockets too big to fly fromJiuquan. U.S. Space Command refers to the site as Wuzhai. Its single space launch pad opened in1988 for launching Long March 4 space rockets ferrying remote sensing, meteorological andreconnaissance satellites to polar orbits. Long March 2C rockets carried Iriidum satellites fromthere for the U.S. in the 1990s.

EuropeKourou, French GuianaLatitude 5.2o N Longitude 52.8o W

Jiuquan sunrisePeoples Daily photo
http://www.spacetoday.org/China/China.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/China/China.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/China/China.htmlhttp://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200310/14/eng20031014_125965.shtmlhttp://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200310/14/eng20031014_125965.shtmlhttp://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200310/14/eng20031014_125965.shtmlhttp://www.chinadaily.com.cn/en/doc/2003-10/15/content_272334.htmhttp://www.chinadaily.com.cn/en/doc/2003-10/15/content_272334.htmhttp://www.chinadaily.com.cn/en/doc/2003-10/15/content_272334.htmhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/China.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/China.htmlhttp://www.chinadaily.com.cn/en/doc/2003-10/15/content_272334.htmhttp://www.chinadaily.com.cn/en/doc/2003-10/15/content_272334.htmhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/China.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/China.htmlhttp://www.chinadaily.com.cn/en/doc/2003-10/15/content_272334.htmhttp://www.chinadaily.com.cn/en/doc/2003-10/15/content_272334.htmhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Europe.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Europe.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Europe.htmlhttp://www.chinadaily.com.cn/en/doc/2003-10/15/content_272334.htmhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/China.htmlhttp://www.chinadaily.com.cn/en/doc/2003-10/15/content_272334.htmhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/China.htmlhttp://www.chinadaily.com.cn/en/doc/2003-10/15/content_272334.htmhttp://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200310/14/eng20031014_125965.shtmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/China/China.html


6/19

On December 24, 1979,European Space Agencybecame the seventh to launch an artificialmoon to orbit above Earth. The satellite was named CAT. It rode atop a rocket called Ariane in alaunch from Kourou, French Guiana. Today, the European Space Agency fires space rocketsfrom the Kourou space launch complex known as Centre Spatial Guyanais. CSG is owned by theFrench national space agency, CNES. It is used by the European Space Agency (ESA) and its

commercial space launch arm Arianespace to blast ESA's Ariane rockets to space. CSG is one ofthe most favorable sites for launches of satellites to geostationary orbit. Kourou's position nearthe equator offers an advantage over Cape Canaveral for eastbound launches. French Guiana'scoastline permits launches into both equatorial and polar Sun-synchronous orbits withinclinations up to 100.5o. Hundreds of sounding rockets and balloons and space satellites havebeen launches from Centre Spatial Guyanais.

FranceHammaguir, Algeria, and Kourou, French GuianaLatitude 31.0o N Longitude 8.0o W (Hammaguir)

Latitude 5.2o

N Longitude 52.8o

W (Kourou)

On November 26, 1965, France became the third nation to launch an artificial moon to orbitabove Earth. The satellite was named Asterix 1. It rode atop a rocket called Diamant in a launchfrom Hammaguir, Algeria. Today, France is part of the European Space Agency, which firesspace rockets from the Kourou space launch complex known as Centre Spatial Guyanais. CSG isowned by the French national space agency, CNES. It is used by the European Space Agency(ESA) and its commercial space launch arm Arianespace to blast ESA's Ariane rockets to space.

Great BritainWoomeraLatitude 31.1o S Longitude 136.8o E

On October 28, 1971, Great Britain became the sixth nation to launch an artificial moon to orbitabove Earth. The satellite was named Black Knight 1. It rode atop a rocket called Black Arrow ina launch from Woomera, Australia.

IndiaSriharikota IslandLatitude 13.9o N Longitude 80.4o E

On July 18, 1980, India became the eighth nation to launch an artificial moon to orbit aboveEarth. The satellite was named Rohini 1. It rode atop a rocket called SLV (Satellite LaunchVehicle) in a launch from Sriharikota Island. Shar Space Launch Center on the Sriharikota Islandon India's east coast state of Andhra Pradesh is used by the Indian Space Research Organization(ISRO) to launch space satellites on PSLV (Polar SLV) and GSLV (Geostationary SLV) rocketsas well as atmospheric sounding Rohini rockets.
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/index.htmlhttp://www.esa.int/esaCP/index.htmlhttp://www.esa.int/esaCP/index.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/France.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/France.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/GreatBritain.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/GreatBritain.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/India.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/India.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/India.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/GreatBritain.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/France.htmlhttp://www.esa.int/esaCP/index.html


7/19

IraqAl-Anbar

On December 5, 1989, Iraq became the tenth nation to launch an artificial moon to orbit above

Earth. The satellite was the 3rd stage of a three-stage rocket in a launch from Al-Anbar.

IsraelPalmachim Air Base in the Negev DesertLatitude 31.5o N Longitude 34.5o E

On September 19, 1988, Israel became the ninth nation to launch an artificial moon to orbitabove Earth. The satellite was named Horizon 1 (Ofeq 1). It rode atop a rocket called Shavit in alaunch from Israel's Palmachim Air Force Base south of Tel Aviv near the town of Yavne in theNegev Desert. The secret launch site at at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea is visible

from the coast highway.

ItalySan Marco Range off the Kenya coastLatitude 2.9o S Longitude 40.3o E

Italy's San Marco Range actually is a pair of platforms in Formosa Bay three miles off the coastof Kenya. The San Marco platform is the launch pad. Santa Rita platform holds the firing controlblockhouse. The range started firing rockets in 1966. Eight satellites were boosted to space fromthere by 1976. Italy used the offshore platform for another launch in 1988.

JapanKagoshima on Kyushu IslandLatitude 31.2o N Longitude 131.1o E

On February 11, 1970, Japan became the fourth nation to launch an artificial moon to orbit aboveEarth. The satellite was named Ohsumi. It rode atop a rocket called Lambda 4S-5 in a launchfrom Kagoshima. In 1962, Japan started building its Kagoshima Space Center on leveled hilltopsfacing the Pacific Ocean at Uchinoura on the southern tip of Kyushu Island. It was used first for

atmospheric sounding rockets and meteorological rockets, then later for space satellite launches.Japan's first six satellites were launched from Kagoshima. The large M-5 orbital rocket was firstlaunched there in 1997. Hundreds of suborbital and two dozen orbital launches have been made.

JapanTanegashima IslandLatitude 30.4o N Longitude 131.0o E
http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Iraq.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Iraq.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Israel.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Israel.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Italy.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Italy.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Japan.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Japan.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Japan.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Japan.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Japan.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Japan.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Italy.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Israel.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Iraq.html


8/19

Japan's National Space Development Agency (NASDA) operates the Tanegashima Space Centerorbital launch site on the southeastern tip of Tanegashima Island 650 miles southwest of Tokyo.The complex's northern Osaki Launch Site fires H2 and J1 rockets and has static test facilities forliquid-fuel rocket engines. The southern Takesaki Launch Site fires sounding rockets and carriesout static firings of H2 rocket solid-fuel boosters. It has the H2 Range Control Center.

MoroccoBen Guerir

Ben Guerir, Morocco, is one of NASA's space shuttle trans-Atlantic abort landing (TAL) sites.Launches to space are not made from Ben Guerir. A TAL abort could be called for if a mainengine were to fail after the shuttle no longer could return to the launch site. The shuttle wouldcontinue on a ballistic trajectory across the Atlantic Ocean, landing on a runway approximately45 minutes after launch. NASA's three TAL landing sites are Morn, Spain; Dakar, Senegal; andBen Guerir, Morocco.

NorwayAndoya Rocket RangeLatitude 69o N Longitude 16o E

Far north of the Arctic Circle, Andya Rocket Range (ARR) is the world's northernmostpermanent launch facility and is responsible for all scientific-related rocket and balloonoperations on Norwegian territory.

PakistanSUPARCO Latitude 40.5o N Longitude 3.5o W

China launched Pakistan's first satellite to orbit in 1990, because Pakistan has no spaceport.However, Pakistan does have a space program.

RussiaKapustin Yar Cosmodrome - Volgograd StationLatitude 48.4o N Longitude 45.8o E

Russia created the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in 1991 after the collapse of theSoviet Union (USSR). CIS is composed of twelve of the fifteen former Soviet republics,including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia,Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.Kapustin Yar Cosmodromewas the SovietUnion's first rocket development center. Its first launch was in 1947. During the early years,Kapustin Yar tested captured V2 missiles captured from the germans at the end of World War 2.The site also saw sounding rocket launches in the early years carrying dogs and other animals up
http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Morocco.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Morocco.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Norway.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Norway.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Pakistan.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Pakistan.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Russia.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Russia.htmlhttp://www.russianspaceweb.com/kapyar.htmlhttp://www.russianspaceweb.com/kapyar.htmlhttp://www.russianspaceweb.com/kapyar.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.russianspaceweb.com/kapyar.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Russia.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Pakistan.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Norway.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Morocco.html


9/19

to altitudes as high as 300 miles. Kapustin Yar Cosmodrome is known as the Volgograd Stationto those who work there. The first orbital launch from Kapustin Yar was Cosmos 1 in 1962.Seventy space launches to orbit were carried out by 1980, mostly small Cosmos sciencesatellites. The USSR switched its space launches to Plesetsk leaving Kapustin Yar to send uponly occasional missions, usually for radar calibration. There have been no launches to orbit

since 1987. Space launches from Kapustin Yar totaled 83. Today there are some missile testingactivities as well as Cosmos suborbital launches.[russian rocket history]

RussiaBaikonur Cosmodrome - TyuratamLatitude 45.6o N Longitude 63.4o E

On October 4, 1957, the U.S.S.R. became the first nation to loft an artificial moon to orbit aboveEarth. The satellite was named Sputnik 1. It rode atop a rocket called Old Number Seven in alaunch fromBaikonur Cosmodrome. Missile and rocket launches began in the 1950s in theBaikonur/Tyuratam area of Kazakhstan in central Asia. The launch pad from which Sputnik 1

and Yuri Gagarin were launched was constructed in 1955. In 1957, the launch site was said to benear Tyuratam in Kazakhstan, about 230 miles southwest of Baikonur. However, the SovietUnion government tried to hide the location by reporting its latitude and longitude as the same asthat for the town of Baikonur. Baikonur Cosmodrome actually is located at 45.6oN and 63.4oE.Kazakhstan finally renamed the launch site after the closer Tyuratam in 1992. However, theglobal space community still refers to it as Baikonur Cosmodrome. Baikonur is a largecosmodrome with nine launch complexes encompassing fifteen launch pads. All of Russia'smanned space flights and interplanetary probes are launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.Baikonur is the only cosmodrome launching Proton, Zenit, Energia and Tsyklon SL-11 spacerockets. Launches headed due east would be the most efficient, but are not flown from Baikonurbecause lower stages of the rockets might fall into China.

RussiaPlesetsk CosmodromeLatitude 62.8o N Longitude 40.1o E

In 1957, the first of several pads atPlesetsk Cosmodromefor launches of the old R7 or A-classmissiles-rockets were constructed in support of the USSR's then-infant intercontinental ballisticmissile (ICBM) program. The pads and ICBM rockets moved to active duty in 1960. For a longtime, Plesetsk Cosmodrome was the world's busiest spaceport. However, it eventually wasovertaken by Baikonur as launch campaigns were transferred to newer space boosters atTyuratam. Today, there are launch pads -- for Cosmos, Soyuz/Molniya Tsyklon and Zenit spaceboosters. Plesetsk Cosmodrome is located in Russia at 2.8oN and 40.1oE, which allows thelaunch of communications satellites and spy satellites to polar and highly elliptical orbits. Rangesafety restrictions limit flights from Plesetsk to 62.8o, 67.1o, 73-74o, 82-83o.

RussiaSvobodny CosmodromeLatitude 51.4o N Longitude 128.3o E
http://www.russianspaceweb.com/centers_industry_origin.htmlhttp://www.russianspaceweb.com/centers_industry_origin.htmlhttp://www.russianspaceweb.com/centers_industry_origin.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Russia.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Russia.htmlhttp://www.russianspaceweb.com/baikonur.htmlhttp://www.russianspaceweb.com/baikonur.htmlhttp://www.russianspaceweb.com/baikonur.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Russia.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Russia.htmlhttp://www.russianspaceweb.com/plesetsk.htmlhttp://www.russianspaceweb.com/plesetsk.htmlhttp://www.russianspaceweb.com/plesetsk.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Russia.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Russia.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Russia.htmlhttp://www.russianspaceweb.com/plesetsk.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Russia.htmlhttp://www.russianspaceweb.com/baikonur.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Russia.htmlhttp://www.russianspaceweb.com/centers_industry_origin.html


10/19

Svobodnyis a relatively-new cosmodrome created by President Boris Yeltsin in 1996 and builtout of a decommissioned missile site at Svobodny-18 about sixty miles from the Chinese border-- for Start, Rockot and Angara space boosters.

SenegalDakar

Dakar, Senegal, is one of NASA's space shuttle trans-Atlantic abort landing (TAL) sites.Launches to space are not made from Dakar. A TAL abort could be called for if a main enginewere to fail after the shuttle no longer could return to the launch site. The shuttle would continueon a ballistic trajectory across the Atlantic Ocean, landing on a runway approximately 45minutes after launch. NASA's three TAL landing sites are Morn, Spain; Dakar, Senegal; andBen Guerir, Morocco.

South AfricaSouth of Cape TownLatitude 33.56o S Longitude 18.29o E

The Republic of South Africa has considered using Israel's Shavit space booster to send asatellite to orbit. The South Africans have tested the Israeli Jericho 2 intermediate-range ballisticmissile which converts to the Shavit space rocket. South Africa could launch a satellite to space,firing it from the nation's southern area near Cape Town into the sky over either the Atlantic orIndian Ocean. However, the South African government has said it has the science andtechnology to launch a space satellite, but is not interested because of high costs. Pretoria haskept the pot boiling by setting up a committee to keep abreast of space technology and

coordinate development.

SpainMorn Air Base, U.S. Air Force, 496th Air Base SquadronLatitude 40.5o N Longitude 3.5o W

Since 1984, NASA has used Morn Air Base as a space shuttle trans-Atlantic abort landing(TAL) site. Launches to space are not made from Morn. The U.S. Air Force 496th Air BaseSquadron is at Morn Air Base. A TAL abort could be called for if a main engine were to failafter the shuttle no longer could return to the launch site. The shuttle would continue on a

ballistic trajectory across the Atlantic Ocean, landing on a runway approximately 45 minutesafter launch. NASA's three TAL landing sites are Morn, Spain; Dakar, Senegal; and BenGuerir, Morocco.
http://www.russianspaceweb.com/svobodny.htmlhttp://www.russianspaceweb.com/svobodny.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Senegal.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Senegal.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/SouthAfrica.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/SouthAfrica.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Spain.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Spain.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Spain.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/SouthAfrica.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/Senegal.htmlhttp://www.russianspaceweb.com/svobodny.html


11/19

United StatesCape Canaveral Air Force Station, Patrick Air Force Base, FloridaLatitude 28.5o N Longitude 81.0o W

On January 31, 1958, the United States became the second nation to launch an artificial moon toorbit above Earth. The satellite, Explorer 1, rode a Jupiter-C rocket from Cape Canaveral. Today,Cape Canaveral Air Force StationatPatrick Air Force Base, Florida, is part of the U.S. SpaceCommand45th Space Wing. Cape Canaveral has active Titan, Atlas and Delta launchcomplexes. It provides facilities for military, NASA and commercial organizations. More than500 space launches have been made from the Cape, including NASA's many manned missions.The annual launch rate is about 25 to 30 flights because the Cape was built in the1950s.Currently, Titan rockets are launched from pads 40 and 41, Delta from 17A and 17B, and AtlasCentaur from 36A and 36B. Orbital inclinations range up to to 57o. Polar launches fromCanaveral are not permitted because they would have to fly over populated areas. The Cape'sEastern Range tracking network extends all the way into the Indian Ocean where it meets the

Western Range network. Spaceport Florida Facility is a commercial launch site at CapeCanaveral Air Station operated by the Spaceport Florida Authority (SFA), a state agency. Itconverted the Navy's old Launch Complex 46 pad for firing small to medium commercial launchvehicles ferrying satellites to equatorial orbit. The Navy originally used the pad for testing theTrident II fleet ballistic missile.

United StatesKennedy Space Center, Merrit Island, FloridaLatitude 28.5o N Longitude 81.0o W

NASA callsJohn F. Kennedy Space CenterAmerica's Gateway to the Universe. It is NASA'ssite for processing, launching and landing space shuttles and their payloads, includingcomponents of the International Space Station. It also prepares and launches missions to placesbeyond Earth. KSC is located on Merrit Island adjacent to the U.S. Air Force launch facilitiesknown as the Cape Canaveral Air Station. Kennedy was built first to support the Apollo lunarlandings of the 1960s. After the last Apollo lunar launch in 1972, launch complex 39 supportedSkylab space station in 1973-74, then the Apollo-Soyuz Russian-American linkup in space in1975, and now space shuttles since the late 1970s. Numerous expendable launch vehicles areblasted off from KSC.

United StatesVandenberg Air Force Base, Space Command 30th Space Wing, CaliforniaLatitude 34.4o N Longitude 120.35o W

Vandenberg Air Force Base(VAFB) is operated by the U.S. Space Command30th Space Wingon the central Pacific coastline 12 miles north of Lompoc, California, and 150 miles northwest ofLos Angeles. Vandenberg is the only military installation in the United States from whichunmanned government and commercial satellites are launced into polar orbit. VAFB sendssatellites to polar orbits by launching them due south. The base also test fires America'sintercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) westward toward the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall
http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttps://www.patrick.af.mil/45sw/ccafs/index.htmhttps://www.patrick.af.mil/45sw/ccafs/index.htmhttps://www.patrick.af.mil/https://www.patrick.af.mil/https://www.patrick.af.mil/https://www.patrick.af.mil/45sw/ccafs/index.htmhttps://www.patrick.af.mil/45sw/ccafs/index.htmhttps://www.patrick.af.mil/45sw/ccafs/index.htmhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.ksc.nasa.gov/http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.vandenberg.af.mil/http://www.vandenberg.af.mil/http://www.vandenberg.af.mil/30sw/organizations/index.htmlhttp://www.vandenberg.af.mil/30sw/organizations/index.htmlhttp://www.vandenberg.af.mil/30sw/organizations/index.htmlhttp://www.vandenberg.af.mil/30sw/organizations/index.htmlhttp://www.vandenberg.af.mil/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.ksc.nasa.gov/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttps://www.patrick.af.mil/45sw/ccafs/index.htmhttps://www.patrick.af.mil/https://www.patrick.af.mil/45sw/ccafs/index.htmhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.html


12/19

Islands. Vandenberg operates the Western Range tracking network, which extends all the wayinto the Indian Ocean to meet the Eastern Range tracking network. Western Range sites are onthe California coast and downrange in the Hawaiian Islands. Vandenberg was to have provided abase for space shuttle launches on high inclination missions, but no shuttles ever have flownfrom there. Delta rockets take off from space launch complex 2W, Titan from launch complex 4,

and Atlas from launch complex 3. Until 1994, Scout rockets were launched from complex 5.Vandenberg's military service dates back to 1941 when it was an Army training facility forarmored and infantry troops known as Camp Cooke.California Spaceportis a commerciallaunch facility at Vandenberg Air Force Base for launching satellites to polar orbit.

United StatesWallops Island, VirginiaLatitude 37.8o N Longitude 75.5o W

Wallops Flight Facility, located on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, is one of the oldest launch sitesin the world. Wallops launched its first rocket on July 4, 1945. Wallops became America's third

space launch site in 1961 with the launch of the Explorer 9 balloon on a solid-fuel Scout rocket.Since then, more than 14,000 rockets have been launched from Wallops. Over the years, theWallops launch range has grown to six launch pads, assembly facilities and state-of-the-artinstrumentation. In addition, mobile launch facilities enable scientists and engineers fromWallops to launch rockets around the world. From 19451957, Wallops was known as thePilotless Aircraft Research Station. From the birth of NASA in 1958, it was known as WallopsStation until 1974. From 19751981, the site was called Wallops Flight Center. Since 1982, ithas been called Wallops Flight Facility. Today, WFF is a part ofGoddard Space Flight Center.Although the facility is still available, the Scout rocket was retired in 1994. Some 19 rocketshave reached orbit from Wallops, most recently in 1985. Today, WFF conducts NASA'ssounding rocket program using Super Arcas, Black Brant, Taurus-Tomahawk, Taurus-Orion andTerrier-Malemute rockets. About 30 launches are made annually. An orbital attempt was made in1995, but the commercial Conestoga rocket failed. In addition to sounding rockets, the facilitymanages NASA`s balloon launch program. It is responsible for NASA`s Small Shuttle PayloadProjects including SPARTAN, SPARTAN Lite, the Hitchhiker series including Hitchhiker,Hitchhiker, Jr., Get-Away Specials and Space Experiment Module, and the University ClassExplorer Program.

United StatesVirginia Space Flight Center, Wallops Island, VirginiaLatitude 37.8o N Longitude 75.5o W

Virginia Space Flight Centeris a commercial launch facility on the south end of Wallops Island.VSFC has two launch pads at Wallops capable of blasting off small and medium expendablelaunch vehicles (ELV) that can deliver five tons to low Earth orbit (LEO). Wallops FlightFacility, located on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, is one of the oldest launch sites in the world.

United StatesEdwards Air Force Base, CaliforniaLatitude 35o N Longitude 118o W
http://www.calspace.com/http://www.calspace.com/http://www.calspace.com/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.wff.nasa.gov/http://www.wff.nasa.gov/http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://ast.faa.gov/linfo_vsite/maps/detail.cfm?Fac_ID=45http://ast.faa.gov/linfo_vsite/maps/detail.cfm?Fac_ID=45http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://ast.faa.gov/linfo_vsite/maps/detail.cfm?Fac_ID=45http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/http://www.wff.nasa.gov/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.calspace.com/


13/19

Edwards Air Force Basesits on the northwestern Mojave Desert in the 44-sq.mi. Rogers DryLakebed 20 miles southeast of Mojave. The base's smooth, concrete-like surface can receivelanding U.S. space shuttles when weather conditions at Cape Canaveral are unacceptable. In anhistoric moment, on April 14, 1981, astronauts John Young and Robert Crippen landed shuttle

Columbia on the ancient clay. Columbia was the first orbiting space vehicle ever to leave theEarth under rocket power and return on the wings of an aircraft. While shuttles land there,rockets are not launched from Edwards.Dryden Flight Research Centersits on the edge ofRodgers Dry Lake at the south end of a high speed flight corridor of the Edwards Air ForceBase.

United StatesDryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, CaliforniaLatitude 35o N Longitude 118o W

As NASA's flight research leader,Dryden Flight Research Centeris innovative in aeronautics

and space technology. The newest, fastest, the highest debut in the vast, clear desert skies overDryden. The center sits on the edge of Rodgers Dry Lake at the south end of a high speed flightcorridor of the Edwards Air Force Base. The dry lakebed runways and Edward's main runwayare used for shuttle landings when weather conditions at Cape Canaveral are unacceptable.Dryden merged in 1981 with NASA's Ames Research Center, but then became independentagain in 1994. Dryden has a restricted airspace for research with high performance aircraft. It isinvolved in the development of the X-33 and X-34 reusable launchers. The Apollo LunarLanding Research Vehicle and Lifting Body family of vehicles operated at Dryden in the 1960-70s. While shuttles land there, rockets are not launched from Edwards. As NASA's lead centerfor flight research, Dryden is innovative in aeronautics and space technology. The newest,fastest, the highestall have made their debut in the vast, clear desert skies over Dryden.

United StatesPoker Flat Research Range, AlaskaLatitude 64.9o N Longitude 147.8o W

Poker Flat Research Range(PFRR) is a sounding rocket launch facility 30 miles northeast ofFairbanks used for auroral and middle to upper atmospheric research. Operated by theGeophysical Institute of the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, since 1968 PFRR is the only non-federal, university-owned launch range. The 5,132-acre site is the only high latitude and auroralzone rocket launch facility in the U.S. The name was taken from a Bret Harte short story, TheOutcasts of Poker Flat. Poker Creek is nearby. Poker Flat is the world's largest, land-basedrocket range. It has a chain of downrange flight monitoring, observing and recovery stationsfrom inland Alaska to Spitzbergen in the Arctic Ocean. More than 1,500 meteorological missilesand 236 major high-altitude sounding rocket experiments have been launched from the range foratmospheric research and studies of the aurora, ozone layer, solar protons, the electric andmagnetic fields, and ultraviolet radiation. The Federal Aviation Administration coordinates airspace use while permission to land payloads on 26 million acres of land comes from the U.S.Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, as well as the state, localvillages and others.
http://www.edwards.af.mil/http://www.edwards.af.mil/http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.pfrr.alaska.edu/http://www.pfrr.alaska.edu/http://www.pfrr.alaska.edu/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/http://www.edwards.af.mil/


14/19

United StatesAlaska Spaceport, Kodiak Island, AlaskaLatitude 67.5o N Longitude 146o W

Alaska Spaceportis a commercial launch facility on 3,100 acres of Kodiak Island, Alaska, fromwhich satellites can be blasted to polar orbit. The launch site is located on Narrow Cape, ofKodiak Island, Alaska, 41 miles south of the city of Kodiak and 250 miles south of Anchorage.A hilly, almost-treeless island, Kodiak Island is a volcanic peak in the ocean 30 miles off thesouthern coast of the state of Alaska in the Gulf of Alaska. TheAlaska Aerospace DevelopmentCorporation(AADC) built the launch complex on the island. The first launch from the KodiakIsland site was an Athena-I rocket boosting the Kodiak Star payload of four satellites in 2001.The Kodiak Island site also provides a backup launch facility for Vandenberg Air Force Base forsatellites needing delivery to polar orbit.

United StatesMojave Civilian Aerospace Test Center, CaliforniaLatitude 35.0o N Longitude 118.2o W

Mojave Civilian Aerospace Test Centerat the Mojave, California, airport, is the world's firstcommercial spaceport and America's first inland and first non-federal spaceport. PhilanthropistPaul Allen and aviation legend Burt Rutan launch their private spacecraft,SpaceShipOne, onsuborbital flights from Mojave. That privately-developed rocket plane is the world's firstcommercial manned space vehicle and America's first non-government, privately-funded, pilotedspacecraft. Mojave Airport is a civilian aircraft and military jet flight test center and home toexotic aircraft such as Burt Rutan's Voyager airplane that made the first non-stop, unrefueledflight around the world. The airport is 100 miles north of Los Angeles on the western edge of theMojave Desert. Scaled Composites, XCOR Aerospace, Orbital Science Corp., InterorbitalSystems, and at least three other space firms have facilities at the Mojave aerodrome. The U.S.Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified Mojave Airport as a port for horizontallaunches and glider landings of reusable spacecraft. There will not be vertical launches ofrockets. Spacecraft lifting off and landing have to be on the lookout for members of the deserttortoise family, gopherus agassizii, which makes its home in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts.The tortoise is listed as threatened under California's Endangered Species Act of 1989.

United StatesWhite Sands Space Harbor, Las Cruces, New MexicoLatitude 32.3o N Longitude 106.8o W

White Sands Space Harbor(WSSH) provides NASA with a third space shuttle landing site in theU.S. after Cape Canaveral in Florida and Edwards Air Force Base in California. Also on the LasCruces grounds,White Sands Test Facility(WSTF) is used by NASA's Johnson Space Center forShuttle propulsion, power system and materials testing. WSTF is responsible for White SandsSpace Harbor (WSSH). Also on the Las Cruces grounds is theWhite Sands Missile Range(WSMR) operated by the US Army. WSMR was the site of the first major U.S. rocket firingsafter World War 2 before such activities were moved to the larger range at Cape Canaveral,
http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/KodiakIsland.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/KodiakIsland.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/KodiakIsland.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/KodiakIsland.htmlhttp://www.akaerospace.com/frames1.htmlhttp://www.akaerospace.com/frames1.htmlhttp://www.akaerospace.com/frames1.htmlhttp://www.akaerospace.com/frames1.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.mojaveairport.com/http://www.mojaveairport.com/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/X_Prize.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/X_Prize.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/X_Prize.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.wstf.nasa.gov/WSSH/http://www.wstf.nasa.gov/WSSH/http://www.wstf.nasa.gov/http://www.wstf.nasa.gov/http://www.wstf.nasa.gov/http://www.wsmr.army.mil/http://www.wsmr.army.mil/http://www.wsmr.army.mil/http://www.wsmr.army.mil/http://www.wstf.nasa.gov/http://www.wstf.nasa.gov/WSSH/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/X_Prize.htmlhttp://www.mojaveairport.com/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.akaerospace.com/frames1.htmlhttp://www.akaerospace.com/frames1.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/KodiakIsland.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/KodiakIsland.html


15/19

Florida. WSMR also was the site of the first atomic explosion. White Sands still is a majorsounding rocket firing base and a site for ballistic missile defense flight tests.

United StatesBoeing Sea Launch headquartered at Long Beach, California

Launches from a Pacific Ocean platform near the Christmas Islands on the equatorLatitude 0o N Longitude 154o W

The commercialBoeing Sea Launchrockets blast off from a floating platform in the PacificOcean near KiritimatiChristmas Islandon the equator. Sea Launch operations begin at theship's home port at Long Beach, California, where a satellite is prepared and loaded onto SeaLaunch Commander, the assembly and command ship. Then a Zenit rocket in a horizontalposition is transferred to an environmentally controlled hangar on Odyssey, the partially-submersible, self-propelled, launch platform. Odyssey once was a North Sea oil drillingplatform. It is 436 ft. long and 220 ft. wide. After sailing to a launch point in the Pacific, a rocketis rolled out onto Odyssey's deck, erected and fueled with kerosene and liquid oxygen. The

rockets fired from Sea Launch typically carry telecommunications satellites to space on theirway to geostationary orbit. The launch control center is located on the command ship withoperations conducted in English and Russian. Rockets have blasted off from Sea Launchregularly since 1999.

United StatesSouthwest Regional Spaceport, Las Cruces, New MexicoLatitude 32.3o N Longitude 106.8o W

The proposed commercialSouthwest Regional Spaceportis near the White Sands Space Harborat Las Cruces, which NASA uses as one of its three space shuttle landing sites in the UnitedStates. TheAnsari X-Prizewill be be awarded at Las Cruses.

United StatesCalifornia Spaceport, Western Commercial Spaceport, Lompoc, CaliforniaLatitude 34.4o N Longitude 120.35o W

California Spaceport, also known as the Western Commercial Spaceport, is a commercial launchfacility on Vandenberg Air Force Base at Lompoc, California. The spaceport can launchsatellites to polar orbit on Delta 2 and Delta 3 rockets. The climate permits year-round launchesto low Earth orbit (LEO), medium Earth orbit (MEO), or sun-Synchronous orbit. The spaceportis operated by Spaceport Systems International (SSI), a subsidiary of ITT Industries, Inc.California Spaceport was the first federally-licensed private "Commercial Space Launch SiteOperator" in the United States. Its license was issued by the Office of Commercial SpaceTransportation in 1996.
http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.sea-launch.com/http://www.sea-launch.com/http://www.sea-launch.com/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.edd.state.nm.us/SPACE/SPACEPORT/space.htmlhttp://www.edd.state.nm.us/SPACE/SPACEPORT/space.htmlhttp://www.edd.state.nm.us/SPACE/SPACEPORT/space.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/X_Prize.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/X_Prize.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/X_Prize.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.calspace.com/http://www.calspace.com/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.calspace.com/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/X_Prize.htmlhttp://www.edd.state.nm.us/SPACE/SPACEPORT/space.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.sea-launch.com/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.html


16/19

The United States sites above are spaceports.Those below are important NASA centers, but not spaceports.

United StatesNASA Headquarters

NASA headquarters, in Washington, D.C., manages the space flight centers, research centers,and other installations that compose America's national space agency, NASA.

United StatesJohnson Space Center, Houston, Texas

Johnson Space Centerwas established in 1961 as NASA's center for design, development andtesting of manned spacecraft. Today, it manages the space shuttles and the International SpaceStation. Its work includes administration, flight crew operations, mission operations,engineering, spaceand life sciences, and information systems. JSC conducts shuttle propulsion,

power system and materials testing at the White Sands Test Facility in Mew Mexico. Rockets arenot launched from Houston. From the early Gemini, Apollo, and Sky Lab projects to today'sspace shuttle and International Space Station (ISS) programs, Johnson Space Center leadsNASA's human space exploration programs.

United StatesGoddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland

Established in 1959,Goddard Space Flight Centerin Maryland is the only national facility ableto develop, fabricate, test, launch and analyze data from its own space science missions. Goddardhas developed some 200 satellites for NASA and NOAA, including the Explorers, COBE,Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, Solar Max, ERBS, Spartan and URAS. Hubble SpaceTelescope science operations are controlled by Goddard's Space Telescope Science Institute atJohns Hopkins University. Goddard directs NASA's Delta rocket launches and NASA'sSpaceflight Tracking & Data Network. Rockets are not launched from Greenbelt. The center'smission is to expand knowledge on the Earth and its environment, the solar system, and theuniverse through observations from space.

United StatesJet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California

Jet Propulsion Laboratoryis a government-owned facility operated under contract since 1959 byCalifornia Institute of Technology for NASA. JPL has conducted most of NASA's deep spacemissions, including Voyager, Galileo, Cassini, Mars Surveyor and Mars Pathfinder. It managesNASA's portion of the European-American solar probe Ulysses, the US-French Topex/Poseidonoceanographic satellite, the Spaceborne Imaging Radar and the Wide Field/Planetary Camera inthe Hubble Space Telescope. JPL built and operates NASA's worldwide Deep Space Networklinking controllers via antennas near Canberra, Australia; Goldstone, California and Madrid,Spain with spacecraft beyond millions of miles from Earth. Rockets are not launched fromPasadena. JPL is NASA's lead center for robotic exploration of the Solar System.
http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.hq.nasa.gov/http://www.hq.nasa.gov/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.jsc.nasa.gov/http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.jpl.nasa.gov/http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.jsc.nasa.gov/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.hq.nasa.gov/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.html


17/19

United StatesMarshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama

Marshall Space Flight Centerwas established in 1960 by the team headed by Dr Wernher von

Braun, which launched America's first satellite, Explorer 1. Marshall managed NASA's ApolloSaturn launchers and the Skylab space station. Today, MSFC is one of the largest of NASA's tenfield centers. Marshall is the principal propulsion development center, responsible for spaceshuttle main engines, solid boosters and external tank. MSFC is home to NASA's ReusableLaunch Vehicle program and it has a key role in the International Space Station, including thepressurized modules and research nodes. Marshall programs include Spacelab, the Spitzer X-rayTelescope in space, the tethered satellite system and inertial upper stage, and Mission to PlanetEarth. Rockets are not launched from Huntsville. The center's slogan is bringing people to space;bringing space to people. Marshall is world leader in the use of space for research anddevelopment to benefit humanity.

United StatesAmes Research Center, Moffet Field, California

Founded in 1939 as an aircraft research lab,Ames Research Centerbecame part of NASA in1958. The lab conducts research in aerodynamics, hypersonic aircraft, human factors, lifesciences, Earth environment, space science, solar system exploration and infrared astronomy.Ames manages the faraway probes Pioneer 10 and 11. It was responsible for Galileo's Jupiteratmosphere-entry probe. Ames housed NASA's SETI program. Rockets are not launched fromMoffet Field. Ames specializes in research geared towards creating new knowledge and newtechnologies spanning myriad NASA interests.

United StatesLangley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia

Langley Research Centerwas established in 1917 and became one of the original NASAfacilities when the space agency was created in 1958. The U.S. manned space program began atLaRC in 1959 before new facilities were built in Houston in 1962. LaRC was responsible for thehighly successful Lunar Orbiters and Viking Mars orbiters and landers. Today, Langley is anadvanced aerospace research center. Its fields of study include aerodynamics, materials,structures, flight controls, information systems, acoustics, aeroelasticity, and atmosphericsciences. Nearly half of Langley's work is about space, including technology for advanced spacetransportation, large space structures and the Earth Observing System in NASA's Mission toPlanet Earth. Rockets are not launched from Hampton. Almost a century later, Langley continuesto forge new frontiers in aviation and space research for aerospace, atmospheric sciences, andtechnology commercialization to improve the way the world lives.

United StatesGlenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio

NASAGlenn Research Center(GRC) was founded in 1941. Formerly known as the Lewis
http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.msfc.nasa.gov/http://www.msfc.nasa.gov/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.arc.nasa.gov/http://www.arc.nasa.gov/http://www.arc.nasa.gov/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.larc.nasa.gov/http://www.larc.nasa.gov/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/GlennResearchCenter.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/GlennResearchCenter.htmlhttp://www.grc.nasa.gov/http://www.grc.nasa.gov/http://www.grc.nasa.gov/http://www.grc.nasa.gov/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/GlennResearchCenter.htmlhttp://www.larc.nasa.gov/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.arc.nasa.gov/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.msfc.nasa.gov/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.html


18/19

Research Center, the formal name today is John H. Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field. GRCis NASA's main center for research, technology and development of aircraft propulsion, spacepropulsion, space power and satellite communications. GRC oversees the AdvancedCommunications Technology Satellite through its master control station. GRC handlespropulsion technology development for NASA's High Speed Research Program. GRC's

Microgravity Science Division -- formerly known as the Microgravity Materials ScienceLaboratory -- specializes in microgravity experiments in combustion and fluid physics as well asmeasurement and analysis of the microgravity environment. NASA's Atlas and Centaur launchactivities are managed by GRC. Rockets are not launched from Cleveland. The center developscritical technologies that address national priorities for safe and reliable aeronautics, aerospace,and space applications.

United StatesStennis Space Center, Mississippi

Stennis Space Centerwas chosen in 1961 to test Apollo moon rocket F1 and J2 engines and

Saturn V stages. Today, it is NASA's large propulsion test facility. All space shuttle mainengines are tested at Stennis before flight. SSC leads NASA's commercialization of remotesensing technology. Eighteen other federal and state agencies also are on the site, including theNaval Meteorology & Oceanographic Command. Rockets are not launched from Stennis, whichis responsible for NASA's rocket propulsion testing and for partnering with industry to developand implement remote sensing technology.

United StatesApplied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, Laurel, Maryland

Founded in 1942, theApplied Physics Laboratoryis an independent non-profit R&D division ofJohns Hopkins University. APL develops, constructs and operates satellites. It has built morethan sixty satellites. It has also provided scores of instruments for space satellites. It contractswith the US Navy's Space & Naval Warfare Systems Command for DoD programs and otherfederal projects. Rockets are not launched from Laurel.

United StatesLos Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico

Dating back to 1943,Los Alamos National Laboratoryis a research facility operated by theUniversity of California for the Department of Energy. LANL conducts research in basicscience, nuclear and non-nuclear defense programs, nuclear safeguards and security, biomedical,computational and materials sciences, and environmental cleanup. The first director of LosAlamos was J. Robert Oppenheimer, who helped found the Lab to develop the first atomicweapons. Los Alamos monitors outer space for nuclear explosions.

The Commercial Spaceport Business
http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.ssc.nasa.gov/http://www.ssc.nasa.gov/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.jhuapl.edu/http://www.jhuapl.edu/http://www.jhuapl.edu/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.lanl.gov/worldview/http://www.lanl.gov/worldview/http://www.lanl.gov/worldview/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlhttp://www.lanl.gov/worldview/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.jhuapl.edu/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.htmlhttp://www.ssc.nasa.gov/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/USA.html


19/19

Into the mid 1980s, the United States dominated the space launch industry with almost 100percent of the business. However, the American decision to drop investment in expendablelaunch vehicle (ELV) technology in favor of space shuttles left the U.S. with a smaller portion ofthe commercial launch market. From the mid-1980s, the European Space Agency (ESA) gained

a major proportion of the world's commercial launch business. Today, the Europeans controlabout 60 percent of the market and the Americans about 30 percent. Other countries such asChina, Japan, India, Brazil, Italy and Israel aim for the rest with low cost launch services.Commercial launches range from $10 million for a low earth orbit (LEO) satellite up to $80million for high altitude satellites.

Planned commercial spaceports in the United States

Around the world, the business of space is a $100 billion-a-year industry, including a great dealof money spent on rockets to launch satellites for weather forecasting, navigation, televisionbroadcasting and telecommunications including global Internet and cell phone service. The space

launch industry grows at the rate of 20 percent a year. As a result, not just governments, butcommercial firms want to build launch pads to grab a share of the market.

Mojave Civilian Aerospace Test Center, Mojave, California Southwest Regional Spaceport, Las Cruces, New Mexico Alaska Aerospace Development Corporation, Narrow Cape on Kodiak Island California Spaceport, Western Commercial Spaceport, Lompoc, California Virginia Space Flight CenterWallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia Spaceport Florida Authority, Cape Canaveral, Florida

Top of this page Global Sites index of countries and sites listed on this page

Search STO Rockets Converting ICBMs to Space Rockets

STO Cover Questions E-Mail 2004 Space Today Online
http://www.mojaveairport.com/http://www.mojaveairport.com/http://www.edd.state.nm.us/SPACE/SPACEPORT/space.htmlhttp://www.edd.state.nm.us/SPACE/SPACEPORT/space.htmlhttp://www.akaerospace.com/http://www.akaerospace.com/http://www.calspace.com/http://www.calspace.com/http://www.vaspace.org/http://www.vaspace.org/http://www.floridaspaceauthority.com/http://www.floridaspaceauthority.com/http://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#pagetophttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#pagetophttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#pagetophttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#pagetophttp://www.spacetoday.org/SearchSTOsite.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Plowshares/Plowshares.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Plowshares/Plowshares.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/STO.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/STO.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Questions/QuestionForm.htmlmailto:[email protected]?subject=SpaceTodayOnlinehttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.htmlmailto:[email protected]?subject=SpaceTodayOnlinehttp://www.spacetoday.org/Questions/QuestionForm.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/STO.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Plowshares/Plowshares.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/SearchSTOsite.htmlhttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#pagetophttp://www.spacetoday.org/Rockets/Spaceports/LaunchSites.html#pagetophttp://www.floridaspaceauthority.com/http://www.vaspace.org/http://www.calspace.com/http://www.akaerospace.com/http://www.edd.state.nm.us/SPACE/SPACEPORT/space.htmlhttp://www.mojaveairport.com/

Documents

Launcing Sites