Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A
The pad in January 2024 during the launch of Axiom Mission 3 with the SpaceX Starship launch tower in the background | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Interactive map of Launch Complex 39A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Launch site | Kennedy Space Center | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Location | Merritt Island, Florida | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 28°36′30″N 80°36′16″W / 28.60833°N 80.60444°W | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (EST) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
• Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (EDT) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Short name | LC-39A | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Established | 1962 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operator | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Launch pad | 2, plus 2 landing sites | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Orbital inclination range | 28.5–55, 66–145° | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Launch Complex 39--Pad A | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Area | 160 acres (65 ha) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Built | 1964–1968 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MPS | John F. Kennedy Space Center MPS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NRHP reference No. | 99001638 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Added to NRHP | January 21, 2000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Active pads
Active pads not used for launches
Inactive leased pads
Inactive unleased pads
Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) is the first of Launch Complex 39's three launch sub-complexes, located at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Merritt Island, Florida. The main launch pad, along with Launch Complex 39B, was built in the 1960s to accommodate the Saturn V launch vehicle, and has been used to support NASA crewed space flight missions, including the historic Apollo 11 moon landing and the Space Shuttle. Since 2014 the site has been leased by SpaceX and supports launches of the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets. As of November 2025, SpaceX is expanding the site to support Starship operations. Other plans include adding two landing zones for Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets to conduct "Return-to-launch-site" landings.