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84-613: OSTM/Jason-2 , or Ocean Surface Topography Mission/Jason-2 satellite, was an international Earth observation satellite altimeter joint mission for sea surface height measurements between NASA and CNES . It was the third satellite in a series started in 1992 by the NASA/CNES TOPEX/Poseidon mission and continued by the NASA/CNES Jason-1 mission launched in 2001. Like its two predecessors, OSTM/Jason-2 used high-precision ocean altimetry to measure

168-552: A Delta II 7320 rocket. The spacecraft separated from the rocket 55 minutes later. It was placed in a 1,336 km (830 mi) circular, non-Sun-synchronous orbit at an inclination of 66.0° to Earth's equator , allowing it to monitor 95% of Earth's ice-free ocean every 10 days. Jason-1 was moved to the opposite side of Earth from Jason-2 and now flies over the same region of the ocean that Jason-2 flew over five days earlier. Jason-1's ground tracks fall midway between those of Jason-2, which are about 315 km (196 mi) apart at

252-446: A few days to a few weeks after observations were taken by the satellite. Altimetry data have a wide variety of uses from basic scientific research on climate to ship routing. Applications include: The OSTM/Jason-2 mission concluded on 1 October 2019, after NASA and its mission partners made the decision to decommission the spacecraft upon discovering significant recent deterioration of the spacecraft's power systems. The decommissioning of

336-475: A general order renaming the military launch site Cape Kennedy Air Force Station . Located on Merritt Island, Florida , the center is north-northwest of Cape Canaveral on the Atlantic Ocean, midway between Miami and Jacksonville on Florida's Space Coast , due east of Orlando . It is 34 miles (55 km) long and roughly six miles (9.7 km) wide, covering 219 square miles (570 km ). KSC

420-405: A month. The frequent number of flights allowed for quick evolution of the vehicles, as engineers gathered data, learned from anomalies and implemented upgrades. In 1963, with the intent of KSC ELV work focusing on the ground support equipment and facilities, a separate Atlas/Centaur organization was formed under NASA's Lewis Center (now Glenn Research Center (GRC) ), taking that responsibility from

504-489: A multi-user spaceport through industry partnerships, even adding a new launch pad ( LC-39C ) in 2015. There are about 700 facilities and buildings grouped throughout the center's 144,000 acres (580 km ). Among the unique facilities at KSC are the 525-foot (160 m) tall Vehicle Assembly Building for stacking NASA's largest rockets, the Launch Control Center , which conducts space launches at KSC,

588-638: A museum. The line was costing $ 1.3 million annually to maintain. Launch Complex 39 (LC-39) was originally built for the Saturn V , the largest and most powerful operational launch vehicle until the Space Launch System , for the Apollo crewed Moon landing program . Since the end of the Apollo program in 1972, LC-39 has been used to launch every NASA human space flight, including Skylab (1973),

672-589: A record-breaking 650 million television viewers. Apollo 12 followed four months later. From 1970 to 1972, the Apollo program concluded at KSC with the launches of missions 13 through 17. On May 14, 1973, the last Saturn V launch put the Skylab space station in orbit from Pad 39A. By this time, the Cape Kennedy pads 34 and 37 used for the Saturn IB were decommissioned, so Pad 39B was modified to accommodate

756-540: A relatively low altitude. Most orbit at altitudes above 500 to 600 kilometers (310 to 370 mi). Lower orbits have significant air-drag , which makes frequent orbit reboost maneuvers necessary. The Earth observation satellites ERS-1, ERS-2 and Envisat of European Space Agency as well as the MetOp spacecraft of EUMETSAT are all operated at altitudes of about 800 km (500 mi). The Proba-1 , Proba-2 and SMOS spacecraft of European Space Agency are observing

840-511: A science and technology display commemorating the U.S. Bicentennial . Concurrent with this event, the U.S. flag was painted on the south side of the VAB. During the late 1970s, LC-39 was reconfigured to support the Space Shuttle. Two Orbiter Processing Facilities were built near the VAB as hangars with a third added in the 1980s. KSC's 2.9-mile (4.7 km) Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF)

924-417: A single pad, the complex is capable of being expanded to two at a later date. As a part of promoting commercial space industry growth in the area and the overall center as a multi-user spaceport, KSC leases some of its properties. Here are some major examples: The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, operated by Delaware North since 1995, has a variety of exhibits, artifacts, displays and attractions on

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1008-545: Is Jason-3 . Like its predecessors, the primary instrument aboard Jason-3 is a radar altimeter . Additional instruments include: Jason-3 launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base on board a SpaceX Falcon 9 v1.1 launch vehicle in 2016. The satellite was shipped to Vandenberg Air Force Base on 18 June 2015, and after delays due to a June 2015 Falcon 9 launch failure, the mission was launched 17 January 2016 at 18:42:18 UTC. The technologies and data-sets pioneered by Jason-1, OSTM/Jason-2, and Jason-3, will be continued through

1092-489: Is a major central Florida tourist destination and is approximately one hour's drive from the Orlando area. The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex offers public tours of the center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. From 1967 through 1973, there were 13 Saturn V launches, including the ten remaining Apollo missions after Apollo 7. The first of two uncrewed flights, Apollo 4 (Apollo-Saturn 501) on November 9, 1967,

1176-472: Is among the longest runways in the world. On October 28, 2009, the Ares I-X launch from Pad 39B was the first uncrewed launch from KSC since the Skylab workshop in 1973. Beginning in 1958, NASA and military worked side by side on robotic mission launches (previously referred to as unmanned), cooperating as they broke ground in the field. In the early 1960s, NASA had as many as two robotic mission launches

1260-519: Is classified in accordance with ITU Radio Regulations (article 1) as follows: Fixed service (article 1.20) The allocation of radio frequencies is provided according to Article 5 of the ITU Radio Regulations (edition 2012). In order to improve harmonisation in spectrum utilisation, the majority of service-allocations stipulated in this document were incorporated in national Tables of Frequency Allocations and Utilisations which

1344-546: Is one of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration 's (NASA) ten field centers . Since 1968, KSC has been NASA's primary launch center of American spaceflight, research, and technology. Launch operations for the Apollo , Skylab and Space Shuttle programs were carried out from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 and managed by KSC. Located on the east coast of Florida, KSC is adjacent to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS). The management of

1428-523: Is the T2L2 (Time Transfer by Laser Link) instrument. T2L2 is used to synchronize atomic clocks at ground stations, and to calibrate the on-board clock of the Jason-2 DORIS instrument. On 6 November 2008, CNES reported the T2L2 instrument was working well. OSTM/Jason-2 was a joint effort by four organizations. The mission participants were: CNES provided the spacecraft, NASA and CNES jointly provided

1512-518: Is with-in the responsibility of the appropriate national administration. The allocation might be primary, secondary, exclusive, and shared. However, military usage, in bands where there is civil usage, will be in accordance with the ITU Radio Regulations. Kennedy Space Center The John F. Kennedy Space Center ( KSC , originally known as the NASA Launch Operations Center ), located on Merritt Island , Florida ,

1596-635: The Apollo–Soyuz Test Project (1975), and the Space Shuttle program (1981–2011). Since December 1968, all launch operations have been conducted from launch pads A and B at LC-39. Both pads are on the ocean, 3 miles (4.8 km) east of the VAB. From 1969 to 1972, LC-39 was the "Moonport" for all six Apollo crewed Moon landing missions using the Saturn V, and was used from 1981 to 2011 for all Space Shuttle launches. Human missions to

1680-670: The Commercial Space Launch Act of 1984 , after which NASA only coordinated its own and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ELV launches. Companies were able to "operate their own launch vehicles" and utilize NASA's launch facilities. Payload processing handled by private firms also started to occur outside of KSC. Reagan's 1988 space policy furthered the movement of this work from KSC to commercial companies. That same year, launch complexes on Cape Canaveral Air Force Force Station started transferring from NASA to Air Force Space Command management. In

1764-639: The Intracoastal Waterway ; and its southern latitude, which gives a velocity advantage to missions launched in easterly near-equatorial orbits. Disadvantages included: its inability to safely launch military missions into polar orbit , since spent boosters would be likely to fall on the Carolinas or Cuba; corrosion from the salt air; and frequent cloudy or stormy weather. Although building a new site at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico

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1848-553: The Launch Control Center ) began handing off control of the vehicle to the Mission Control Center in Houston , shortly after liftoff; in prior missions it held control throughout the entire mission. Additionally, the center manages launch of robotic and commercial crew missions and researches food production and in-situ resource utilization for off-Earth exploration. Since 2010, the center has worked to become

1932-681: The Mars Science Laboratory have been processed at KSC before being transferred to a launch pad on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. On 16 November 2022, at 06:47:44 UTC the Space Launch System (SLS) was launched from Complex 39B as part of the Artemis I mission. As the International Space Station modules design began in the early 1990s, KSC began to work with other NASA centers and international partners to prepare for processing before launch onboard

2016-575: The Moon required the large three-stage Saturn V rocket, which was 363 feet (111 meters) tall and 33 feet (10 meters) in diameter. At KSC, Launch Complex 39 was built on Merritt Island to accommodate the new rocket. Construction of the $ 800 million project began in November 1962. LC-39 pads A and B were completed by October 1965 (planned Pads C, D and E were canceled), the VAB was completed in June 1965, and

2100-573: The Operations and Checkout Building , which houses the astronauts' dormitories and suit-up area, a Space Station factory , and a 3-mile (4.8 km) long Shuttle Landing Facility . There is also a Visitor Complex on site that is open to the public. Since 1949, the military had been performing launch operations at what would become Cape Canaveral Space Force Station . In December 1959, the Department of Defense transferred 5,000 personnel and

2184-556: The Sentinel-6 /Jason-CS satellites, planned for launch in 2020 and 2025. [REDACTED] Media related to Ocean Surface Topography Mission at Wikimedia Commons Earth observation satellite The first occurrence of satellite remote sensing can be dated to the launch of the first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1 , by the Soviet Union on October 4, 1957. Sputnik 1 sent back radio signals, which scientists used to study

2268-652: The Space Station Processing Facility . The following are current programs and initiatives at Kennedy Space Center: The KSC Industrial Area, where many of the center's support facilities are located, is 5 miles (8 km) south of LC-39 . It includes the Headquarters Building , the Operations and Checkout Building and the Central Instrumentation Facility . The astronaut crew quarters are in

2352-529: The Wayback Machine or through their more up-to-date Flickr gallery . A new Headquarters Building was completed in 2019 as part of the Central Campus consolidation. Groundbreaking began in 2014. The center operated its own 17-mile (27 km) short-line railroad . This operation was discontinued in 2015, with the sale of its final two locomotives. A third had already been donated to

2436-491: The ionosphere . The United States Army Ballistic Missile Agency launched the first American satellite, Explorer 1 , for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory on January 31, 1958. The information sent back from its radiation detector led to the discovery of the Earth's Van Allen radiation belts . The TIROS-1 spacecraft, launched on April 1, 1960, as part of NASA's Television Infrared Observation Satellite (TIROS) program, sent back

2520-445: The 1990s, though KSC was not performing the hands-on ELV work, engineers still maintained an understanding of ELVs and had contracts allowing them insight into the vehicles so they could provide knowledgeable oversight. KSC also worked on ELV research and analysis and the contractors were able to utilize KSC personnel as a resource for technical issues. KSC, with the payload and launch vehicle industries, developed advances in automation of

2604-782: The 50th anniversary of the Apollo Program. NASA lists the following Historic Districts at KSC; each district has multiple associated facilities: There are 24 historic properties outside of these historic districts, including the Space Shuttle Atlantis , Vehicle Assembly Building , Crawlerway, and Operations and Checkout Building . KSC has one National Historic Landmark , 78 National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) listed or eligible sites, and 100 Archaeological Sites. Florida's peninsular shape and temperature contrasts between land and ocean provide ideal conditions for electrical storms, earning Central Florida

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2688-791: The CNES data products. NOAA and EUMETSAT both generated near-real-time data products and distributed them to users. NASA evaluated the performance of the following instruments: the Advanced Microwave Radiometer (AMR), the Global Positioning System payload, and the Laser Retroreflector Assembly (LRA). NASA and CNES also validated scientific data products together. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California , managed

2772-662: The Center Director, library, film and photo archives, a print shop and security. When the KSC Library first opened, it was part of the Army Ballistic Missile Agency. However, in 1965, the library moved into three separate sections in the newly opened NASA headquarters before eventually becoming a single unit in 1970. The library contains over four million items related to the history and the work at Kennedy. As one of ten NASA center libraries in

2856-618: The ELV launch and ground operations to enable competitiveness of U.S. rockets against the global market. In 1998, the Launch Services Program (LSP) formed at KSC, pulling together programs (and personnel) that already existed at KSC, GRC, Goddard Space Flight Center , and more to manage the launch of NASA and NOAA robotic missions. Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and VAFB are the primary launch sites for LSP missions, though other sites are occasionally used. LSP payloads such as

2940-558: The Earth from an altitude of about 700 km (430 mi). The Earth observation satellites of UAE, DubaiSat-1 & DubaiSat-2 are also placed in Low Earth orbits (LEO) orbits and providing satellite imagery of various parts of the Earth. To get global coverage with a low orbit, a polar orbit is used. A low orbit will have an orbital period of roughly 100 minutes and the Earth will rotate around its polar axis about 25° between successive orbits. The ground track moves towards

3024-644: The Launch Operations Center (aka KSC). Though almost all robotics missions launched from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS), KSC "oversaw the final assembly and testing of rockets as they arrived at the Cape." In 1965, KSC's Unmanned Launch Operations directorate became responsible for all NASA uncrewed launch operations, including those at Vandenberg Space Force Base . From the 1950s to 1978, KSC chose

3108-655: The Missile Firing Laboratory to NASA to become the Launch Operations Directorate under NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center . President John F. Kennedy 's 1961 goal of a crewed lunar landing by 1970 required an expansion of launch operations. On July 1, 1962, the Launch Operations Directorate was separated from MSFC to become the Launch Operations Center (LOC). Also, Cape Canaveral was inadequate to host

3192-934: The O&;C; before it was completed, the astronaut crew quarters were located in Hangar S at the Cape Canaveral Missile Test Annex (now Cape Canaveral Space Force Station ). Located at KSC was the Merritt Island Spaceflight Tracking and Data Network station (MILA), a key radio communications and spacecraft tracking complex. Facilities at the Kennedy Space Center are directly related to its mission to launch and recover missions. Facilities are available to prepare and maintain spacecraft and payloads for flight. The Headquarters (HQ) Building houses offices for

3276-406: The Saturn IB, and used to launch three crewed missions to Skylab that year, as well as the final Apollo spacecraft for the Apollo–Soyuz Test Project in 1975. As the Space Shuttle was being designed, NASA received proposals for building alternative launch-and-landing sites at locations other than KSC, which demanded study. KSC had important advantages, including its existing facilities; location on

3360-614: The Space Center will experience 5 to 8 inches of sea level rise by the 2050s. Launch Complex 39A, the site of the Apollo 11 launch, is the most vulnerable to flooding, and has a 14% annual risk of flooding beginning in 2020. Since KSC's formation, ten NASA officials have served as directors, including three former astronauts (Crippen, Bridges and Cabana): In addition to being frequently featured in documentaries, Kennedy Space Center has been portrayed on film many times. Some studio movies have even gained access and filmed scenes within

3444-567: The Space Shuttles. KSC utilized its hands-on experience processing the 22 Spacelab missions in the Operations and Checkout Building to gather expectations of ISS processing. These experiences were incorporated into the design of the Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF), which began construction in 1991. The Space Station Directorate formed in 1996. KSC personnel were embedded at station module factories for insight into their processes. From 1997 to 2007, KSC planned and performed on

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3528-464: The Visitor Complex to make room for an upcoming high-tech attraction entitled "Heroes and Legends". The attraction, designed by Orlando-based design firm Falcon's Treehouse, opened November 11, 2016. In March 2016, the visitor center unveiled the new location of the iconic countdown clock at the complex's entrance; previously, the clock was located with a flagpole at the press site. The clock

3612-415: The areas in which TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason-1 have made major contributions, and to which OSTM/Jason-2 continued to add, are: The missions revealed the surprising variability of the ocean, how much it changes from season to season, year to year, decade to decade and on even longer time scales. They ended the traditional notion of a quasi-steady, large-scale pattern of global ocean circulation by proving that

3696-459: The building to the elements. Damage occurred to the south and east sides of the VAB. The shuttle's Thermal Protection System Facility suffered extensive damage. The roof was partially torn off and the interior suffered water damage. Several rockets on display in the center were toppled. Further damage to KSC was caused by Hurricane Wilma in October 2005. The conservative estimate by NASA is that

3780-653: The civilian LOC and the military Cape Canaveral station ("the facilities of Station No. 1 of the Atlantic Missile Range") under the designation "John F. Kennedy Space Center", spawning some confusion joining the two in the public mind. NASA Administrator James E. Webb clarified this by issuing a directive stating the Kennedy Space Center name applied only to the LOC, while the Air Force issued

3864-439: The country, their collection focuses on engineering, science, and technology. The archives contain planning documents, film reels, and original photographs covering the history of KSC. The library is not open to the public but is available for KSC, Space Force, and Navy employees who work on site. Many of the media items from the collection are digitized and available through NASA's KSC Media Gallery Archived December 6, 2020, at

3948-647: The current vegetation state to its long term average. For example, the 2002 oil spill off the northwest coast of Spain was watched carefully by the European ENVISAT , which, though not a weather satellite, flies an instrument (ASAR) which can see changes in the sea surface. Anthropogenic emissions can be monitored by evaluating data of tropospheric NO 2 and SO 2 . These types of satellites are almost always in Sun-synchronous and "frozen" orbits. A Sun-synchronous orbit passes over each spot on

4032-415: The deep ocean is known everywhere on the globe to within 2.5 centimetres (one inch). This new knowledge has revised notions about how tides dissipate. Instead of losing all their energy over shallow seas near the coasts, as previously believed, about one third of tidal energy is actually lost to the deep ocean . There, the energy is consumed by mixing water of different properties , a fundamental mechanism in

4116-424: The distance between the satellite and the ocean surface to within a few centimeters. These very accurate observations of variations in sea surface height — also known as ocean topography — provide information about global sea level , the speed and direction of ocean currents , and heat stored in the ocean. Jason-2 was built by Thales Alenia Space using a Proteus platform, under a contract from CNES, as well as

4200-405: The equator. This interleaved tandem mission provided twice the number of measurements of the ocean's surface, bringing smaller features such as ocean eddies into view. The tandem mission also helped pave the way for a future ocean altimeter mission that would collect much more detailed data with its single instrument than the two Jason satellites did together. With OSTM/Jason-2, ocean altimetry made

4284-455: The first television footage of weather patterns to be taken from space. In 2008, more than 150 Earth observation satellites were in orbit, recording data with both passive and active sensors and acquiring more than 10 terabits of data daily. By 2021, that total had grown to over 950, with the largest number of satellites operated by US-based company Planet Labs . Most Earth observation satellites carry instruments that should be operated at

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4368-454: The gates of the space center. If extras are needed in those scenes, space center employees are recruited (employees use personal time during filming). Films with scenes at KSC include: The location appears as a major plot point in the finale of Stone Ocean , the 6th part of the manga and anime series JoJo's Bizarre Adventure . KSC is also one of the two primary settings of the 1965–1970 television series I Dream Of Jeannie (along with

4452-460: The ground at the same time of day, so that observations from each pass can be more easily compared, since the Sun is in the same spot in each observation. A "frozen" orbit is the closest possible orbit to a circular orbit that is undisturbed by the oblateness of the Earth , gravitational attraction from the Sun and Moon, solar radiation pressure , and air drag . Terrain can be mapped from space with

4536-548: The ground integration tests and checkouts of station modules : three Multi-Element Integration Testing (MEIT) sessions and the Integration Systems Test (IST). Numerous issues were found and corrected that would have been difficult to nearly impossible to do on-orbit. Today KSC continues to process ISS payloads from across the world before launch along with developing its experiments for on orbit. The proposed Lunar Gateway would be manufactured and processed at

4620-525: The ground using radio, but fell short of the idea of using satellites for mass broadcasting and as telecommunications relays. The onset of the Cold War prompted the rapid development of Satellite launch systems and camera technology capable of sufficient Earth observation to garner intelligence on enemy military infrastructure and evaluate nuclear posture. Following the U-2 incident in 1960, which highlighted

4704-622: The history and future of human and robotic spaceflight. Bus tours of KSC originate from here. The complex also includes the separate Apollo/Saturn V Center , north of the VAB and the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame , six miles west near Titusville . There were 1.5 million visitors in 2009. It had some 700 employees. It was announced on May 29, 2015, that the Astronaut Hall of Fame exhibit would be moved from its current location to another location within

4788-483: The influence of Earth's rotation and are important mechanisms for transmitting climate signals across the large ocean basins. At high latitudes, they travel twice as fast as scientists believed previously, showing the ocean responds much more quickly to climate changes than was known before these missions. The precise measurements of TOPEX/Poseidon's and Jason-1 have brought knowledge of ocean tides to an unprecedented level. The change of water level due to tidal motion in

4872-445: The infrastructure by late 1966. The complex includes: Launch Complex 48 (LC-48) is a multi-user launch site under construction for small launchers and spacecraft. It will be located between Launch Complex 39A and Space Launch Complex 41 , with LC-39A to the north and SLC-41 to the south. LC-48 will be constructed as a "clean pad" to support multiple launch systems with differing propellant needs. While initially only planned to have

4956-694: The main Jason-2 instrument, the Poseidon-3 altimeter (successor to the Poseidon and Poseidon 2 altimeter on-board TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason-1 ). Scientists consider the 15-plus-year climate data record that this mission extended to be critical to understanding how ocean circulation is linked to global climate change . OSTM/Jason-2 was launched on 20 June 2008, at 07:46 UTC , from Space Launch Complex 2W at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California , by

5040-507: The mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington, D.C. The two previous altimetry missions, TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason-1 , led to major advances in the science of physical oceanography and in climate studies. Their 15-year data record of ocean surface topography provided the first opportunity to observe and understand the global change of ocean circulation and sea level. Their results improved scientific understanding of

5124-492: The new launch facility design required for the mammoth 363-foot (111 m) tall, 7,500,000-pound-force (33,000 kN) thrust Saturn V rocket, which would be assembled vertically in a large hangar and transported on a mobile platform to one of several launch pads. Therefore, the decision was made to build a new LOC site located adjacent to Cape Canaveral on Merritt Island . NASA began land acquisition in 1962, buying title to 131 square miles (340 km ) and negotiating with

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5208-474: The ocean is changing rapidly on all scales, from huge features such as El Nino and La Nina, which can cover the entire equatorial Pacific, to tiny eddies swirling off the large Gulf Stream in the Atlantic Ocean . Measurements by TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason-1 show that mean sea level has been rising by about 3 mm (0.12 inches) a year since 1993. This is about twice the estimates from tide gauges for

5292-727: The payload instruments, and NASA's Launch Services Program at the Kennedy Space Center was responsible for the launch management and countdown operations. After completing the on-orbit commissioning of the spacecraft, CNES handed over operation and control of the spacecraft to NOAA in October 2008. CNES processed, distributed, and archived the research-quality data products that became available in 2009. EUMETSAT processed and distributed operational data received by its ground station to users in Europe and archived that data. NOAA processed and distributed operational data received by its ground stations to non-European users and archived that data along with

5376-479: The physics governing the general circulation of the ocean. TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason-1 observations provided the first global data for improving the performance of the numerical ocean models that are a key component of climate prediction models. Validated data products in support of improved weather, climate and ocean forecasts were distributed to the public within a few hours of observation. Beginning in 2009, other data products for climate research were made available

5460-471: The previous century, indicating a possible recent acceleration in the rate of sea level rise. The data record from these altimetry missions has given scientists important insights into how global sea level is affected by natural climate variability, as well as by human activities. TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason-1 made clear the importance of planetary-scale waves , such as Rossby and Kelvin waves . Thousands of kilometres wide, these waves are driven by wind under

5544-505: The reputation as "lightning capital of the United States". This makes extensive lightning protection and detection systems necessary to protect employees, structures and spacecraft on launch pads. On November 14, 1969, Apollo 12 was struck by lightning just after lift-off from Pad 39A, but the flight continued safely. The most powerful lightning strike recorded at KSC occurred at LC-39B on August 25, 2006, while shuttle Atlantis

5628-728: The risks of aerial spying, the U.S. accelerated surveillance satellite programs like CORONA . Satellites largely replaced aircraft overflights for surveillance after 1960. A weather satellite is a type of satellite that is primarily used to monitor the weather and climate of the Earth . These meteorological satellites, however, see more than clouds and cloud systems. City lights, fires , effects of pollution , auroras , sand and dust storms , snow cover, ice mapping, boundaries of ocean currents , energy flows, etc., are other types of environmental information collected using weather satellites. Weather satellite images helped in monitoring

5712-443: The rocket and payload processing facilities for all robotic missions launching in the U.S., overseeing their near launch processing and checkout. In addition to government missions, KSC performed this service for commercial and foreign missions also, though non-U.S. government entities provided reimbursement. NASA also funded Cape Canaveral Space Force Station launch pad maintenance and launch vehicle improvements. All this changed with

5796-465: The role of the ocean in climate change and improved weather and climate predictions. Data from these missions were used to improve ocean models, forecast hurricane intensity, and identify and track large ocean/atmosphere phenomena such as El Niño and La Niña . The data was also used in daily applications as diverse as routing ships, improving the safety and efficiency of offshore industry operations, managing fisheries and tracking marine mammals. Some of

5880-491: The satellite took some days; the final decommissioning activities on the satellite ended 9 October 2019, with the satellite rendered fully inactive. Because Jason-2 is orbiting at an altitude of over 1,300 km (810 mi), NASA estimates that it will remain in orbit for at least 500 to 1,000 years after decommissioning. The fourth spacecraft to be part of the Ocean Surface Topography Mission

5964-407: The sea surface. These instruments send a microwave pulse to the ocean's surface and time how long it takes to return. A microwave radiometer corrects any delay that may be caused by water vapor in the atmosphere . Other corrections are also required to account for the influence of electrons in the ionosphere and the dry air mass of the atmosphere. Combining these data with the precise location of

6048-465: The spacecraft makes it possible to determine sea-surface height to within a few centimetres (about one inch). The strength and shape of the returning signal also provides information on wind speed and the height of ocean waves. These data are used in ocean models to calculate the speed and direction of ocean currents and the amount and location of heat stored in the ocean, which, in turn, reveals global climate variations ". Another payload aboard Jason-2

6132-504: The state of Florida for an additional 87 square miles (230 km ). The major buildings in KSC's Industrial Area were designed by architect Charles Luckman . Construction began in November 1962, and Kennedy visited the site twice in 1962, and again just a week before his assassination on November 22, 1963. On November 29, 1963, the facility was named by President Lyndon B. Johnson under Executive Order 11129 . Johnson's order joined both

6216-402: The transition from research into operational mode. Responsibility for collecting these measurements moved from the space agencies to the world's weather and climate forecasting agencies, which use them for short-range, seasonal, and long-range weather and climate forecasting. "Spaceborne radar altimeters have proven to be superb tools for mapping ocean-surface topography, the hills and valleys of

6300-579: The two entities work very closely together, share resources, and operate facilities on each other's property. Though the first Apollo flights and all Project Mercury and Project Gemini flights took off from the then-Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, 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

6384-740: The use of satellites, such as Radarsat-1 and TerraSAR-X . According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Earth exploration-satellite service (also: Earth exploration-satellite radiocommunication service ) is – according to Article 1.51 of the ITU Radio Regulations (RR) – defined as: A radiocommunication service between earth stations and one or more space stations , which may include links between space stations, in which: This service may also include feeder links necessary for its operation. This radiocommunication service

6468-478: The volcanic ash cloud from Mount St. Helens and activity from other volcanoes such as Mount Etna . Smoke from fires in the western United States such as Colorado and Utah have also been monitored. Other environmental satellites can assist environmental monitoring by detecting changes in the Earth's vegetation, atmospheric trace gas content, sea state, ocean color, and ice fields. By monitoring vegetation changes over time, droughts can be monitored by comparing

6552-445: The west 25° each orbit, allowing a different section of the globe to be scanned with each orbit. Most are in Sun-synchronous orbits . A geostationary orbit , at 36,000 km (22,000 mi), allows a satellite to hover over a constant spot on the earth since the orbital period at this altitude is 24 hours. This allows uninterrupted coverage of more than 1/3 of the Earth per satellite, so three satellites, spaced 120° apart, can cover

6636-552: The whole Earth. This type of orbit is mainly used for meteorological satellites . Herman Potočnik explored the idea of using orbiting spacecraft for detailed peaceful and military observation of the ground in his 1928 book, The Problem of Space Travel . He described how the special conditions of space could be useful for scientific experiments. The book described geostationary satellites (first put forward by Konstantin Tsiolkovsky ) and discussed communication between them and

6720-508: Was also the first rocket launch from KSC. The Saturn V's first crewed launch on December 21, 1968, was Apollo 8 's lunar orbiting mission. The next two missions tested the Lunar Module : Apollo 9 (Earth orbit) and Apollo 10 (lunar orbit). Apollo 11 , launched from Pad A on July 16, 1969, made the first Moon landing on July 20. The Apollo 11 launch included crewmembers Neil Armstrong , Michael Collins , and Buzz Aldrin , and attracted

6804-529: Was being prepared for STS-115 . NASA managers were initially concerned that the lightning strike caused damage to Atlantis , but none was found. On September 7, 2004, Hurricane Frances directly hit the area with sustained winds of 70 miles per hour (110 km/h) and gusts up to 94 miles per hour (151 km/h), the most damaging storm to date. The Vehicle Assembly Building lost 1,000 exterior panels, each 3.9 feet (1.2 m) x 9.8 feet (3.0 m) in size. This exposed 39,800 sq ft (3,700 m ) of

6888-583: Was originally built and installed in 1969 and listed with the flagpole in the National Register of Historic Places in January 2000. In 2019, NASA celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Apollo program , and the launch of Apollo 10 on May 18. In summer of 2019, Lunar Module 9 (LM-9) was relocated to the Apollo/Saturn V Center as part of an initiative to rededicate the center and celebrate

6972-537: Was seriously considered, NASA announced its decision in April 1972 to use KSC for the shuttle. Since the Shuttle could not be landed automatically or by remote control, the launch of Columbia on April 12, 1981 for its first orbital mission STS-1 , was NASA's first crewed launch of a vehicle that had not been tested in prior uncrewed launches. In 1976, the VAB's south parking area was the site of Third Century America,

7056-475: Was the orbiters' primary end-of-mission landing site, although the first KSC landing did not take place until the tenth flight, when Challenger completed STS-41-B on February 11, 1984; the primary landing site until then was Edwards Air Force Base in California, subsequently used as a backup landing site. The SLF also provided a return-to-launch-site (RTLS) abort option, which was not utilized. The SLF

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