1961 to the 21st Century: Launch Complex 39 Then and Now - KSC Apollo and Shuttle Facilities

Since Apollo planners first began designing Florida's Launch Complex 39 at the dawn of the space race, this facility has been central to the historic feats of our age. In this World Spaceflight News Special Report, we provide technical details of the Apollo/Saturn V and Shuttle facilities, drawn from rare NASA documents - giving readers the best description available anywhere! A KSC document, "Apollo/Saturn V Facility Description, Launch Complex 39," describes the fantastic parts of America's Moonport: the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), Launch Control Center (LCC), Launch Umbilical Tower (LUT), Crawler/Transporter, Crawlerway, and Mobile Service Structure. For the Shuttle program, the Apollo facilities were modified and are in full use today. Detailed line drawings are provided for every major element of the current LC-39 facility - which would be particularly useful for anyone interested in modeling the Shuttle pad. In all, there are over 80 line drawings and 25 facility area maps!