Kennedy Spaceport Launch Complex

The Kennedy Spaceport Launch Complex was inaugurated on Florida's east coast in 1962 as the NASA Launch Operations Center. It was renamed in late 1963 to honor John F. Kennedy, the American president who put the United States on the path to the moon. This was the launch site for all of the country's manned space missions, from the one-man Mercury program and Gemini's first circling of the Earth to all of the Apollo moon flights. More recently, it has been the venue for NASA's Space Shuttle launches.

The Kennedy Spaceport Launch Complex publishes its launch schedule well in advance so that visitors may arrange to be in the area to observe lift-off. Many tour operators arrange for busloads of spectators to be taken to sites at a safe distance from the launch pads, where unimpeded views of the events are available. However, most of the facilities at the complex itself are closed to the public when launches are in progress.

The Kennedy Spaceport Launch Complex is located at State Road 405, Cape Canaveral, Florida 32899. On non-launch days, its Kennedy Space Complex Visitor Center is open from 9am to 6pm, with bus tours starting at 10am and departing continuously every 15 minutes until 2:45pm. General Admission tickets are priced at $41 plus tax for adults, or $31 plus tax for children aged 3 to 11.