Kennedy Space Centre

Kennedy Space Centre

The John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is one of ten National Aeronautics and Space Administration field centers. Since December 1968, Kennedy Space Center has been NASA's primary launch center of human spaceflight. Launch operations for the Apollo, Skylab and Space Shuttle programs were carried out from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 and managed by KSC.[2] Located on the east coast of Florida, KSC is adjacent to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS). The management of the two entities work very closely together, share resources, and even own facilities on each other's property.

John F. Kennedy Space Center
NASA logo.svg
Kennedy Space Center Headquarters.jpg
Aerial view of KSC Headquarters looking south
Agency overview
Formed July 1, 1962
Preceding agencies
Launch Operations Directorate
Launch Operations Center
Jurisdiction U.S. federal government
Headquarters Merritt Island, Florida,
United States
28°31?26.61?N 80°39?3.06?W
Employees 13,100 (2011)
Annual budget US$350 million (2010)
Though the first Apollo flights, and all Project Mercury and Project Gemini flights took off from CCAFS, the launches were managed by KSC and its previous organization, the Launch Operations Directorate. Starting with the fourth Gemini mission, the NASA launch control center in Florida (Mercury Control Center, later the Launch Control Center) began handing off control of the vehicle to the Mission Control Center shortly after liftoff; in prior missions it held control throughout the entire mission.