Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 34

Launch Complex 34
	LC-34 with Saturn I rocket SA-4 on 28 March 1963
Launch site	Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Location	28.52182°N ; 80.561258°W
Short name	LC-34
Operator	US Air Force
Total launches	7
Launch pad(s)	1
Orbital inclination ; range	28° - 57°
Status
Launch history
Status	Inactive
First launch	SA-1, 27 October 1961
Last launch	Apollo 7, 11 October 1968
Associated; rockets	Saturn I; Saturn IB

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 34 (LC-34) is a launch site at Merritt Island, Cape Canaveral, Florida. LC-34 and its twin to the north, LC-37, were used by NASA as part of the Apollo Program, to launch Saturn I and IB rockets.

Notably, it was the site of the Apollo 1 fire, which claimed the lives of astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee, on January 27, 1967.

History

Construction

Work began on LC-34 in 1960, and it was formally dedicated on June 5, 1961. The complex consisted of a launch platform, umbilical tower, mobile service tower, fueling facilities, and a blockhouse. Two steel flame deflectors were mounted on rails to allow placement beneath the launch platform. The service tower was likewise mounted on rails, and it was towed to a position 185 meters west of the pad before launch. At 95 meters high, it was the tallest structure at LC-34.

The blockhouse, located 320 meters from the pad, was modeled after the domed reinforced concrete structure at LC-20. During a launch, it could accommodate 130 people as well test and instrumentation equipment. Periscopes afforded views outside of the windowless facility.

Saturn I series

LC-34 saw its first launch on October 27, 1961. The first Saturn I, Block I, mission SA-1, lofted a dummy upper stage on a suborbital trajectory into the Atlantic. The subsequent three Saturn I launches took place at LC-34, ending with SA-4 on March 28, 1963. The six ensuing Saturn I, Block II launches were conducted at LC-37.

Saturn IB series

LC-34 was extensively modified to support Saturn IB launches, which began in February 1966. New anchor points were built to fasten the service structure in place during high winds. Access arms on the umbilical tower were rebuilt to match the larger rocket. At the 67-meter level, the swing arm was outfitted with a white room to permit access to the command module at the top of a rocket.

Two Saturn IBs (AS-201 and AS-202) were successfully launched from LC-34 before the fire brought Apollo activities at the spaceport to an abrupt halt. After the fire, extinguishing equipment were installed at the top of the umbilical tower, and a slide wire was set up to provide astronauts a quick escape in the event of an emergency.

The first manned Apollo launch – Apollo 7 on October 11, 1968 – was the last time LC-34 was used. NASA considered reactivating both LC-34 and LC-37 for the Apollo Applications Program, but instead LC-39B was modified to launch Saturn IBs.

Launch Complex 34 today

LC-34 today. The plaque (below) is on the right rear column.

After the decommissioning of LC-34, the umbilical tower and service structure were razed, leaving only the launch platform standing at the center of the pad. It serves as a memorial to the crew of Apollo 1. A dedicatory plaque affixed to the structure bears the inscription:

LAUNCH COMPLEX 34

Friday, 27 January 1967
1831 Hours

Dedicated to the living memory of the crew of the Apollo 1:

U.S.A.F. Lt. Colonel Virgil I. Grissom
U.S.A.F. Lt. Colonel Edward H. White, II
U.S.N. Lt. Commander Roger B. Chaffee

They gave their lives in service to their country in the ongoing exploration of humankind's final frontier. Remember them not for how they died but for those ideals for which they lived.

Another plaque reads:

IN MEMORY OF THOSE WHO MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE SO OTHERS COULD REACH FOR THE STARS

AD ASTRA PER ASPERA
(A ROUGH ROAD LEADS TO THE STARS)

GOD SPEED TO THE CREW OF APOLLO 1

Also surviving at the LC-34 site are the two flame deflectors and the blockhouse.

Launch history

This is a complete list of all launches made from LC-34.

Date	Time (GMT)	Launch Vehicle	Mission	Payload	Remarks
October 27, 1961	15:06	Saturn I	SA-1	(none)	First use of LC-34, First flight of Saturn I.
April 25, 1962	14:00	Saturn I	SA-2	Highwater	Self-destruct detonated after completion of mission to test effects of water at high altitudes on communications.
November 16, 1962	17:45	Saturn I	SA-3	Highwater	Self-destruct detonated after completion of mission to test effects of water at high altitudes on communications.
March 28, 1963	20:11	Saturn I	SA-4	(none)
February 26, 1966	15:06	Saturn IB	AS-201	Apollo CSM	First flight of Saturn IB and Apollo Spacecraft
August 25, 1966	17:15	Saturn IB	AS-202	Apollo CSM
October 11, 1968	15:02	Saturn IB	Apollo 7	Manned Apollo CSM	First manned Apollo flight, last use of LC-34

References

Moonport: A History of Apollo Launch Facilities and Operations

External links

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