Cape Canaveral LC3
Launch Complex 3 - Launch Site: Cape Canaveral. Launch Pads: 1. Latitude: 28.4658 N. Longitude: 80.5362 W. Bomarc, Polaris A1, V-2, X-17.

This complex was built to support the Bomarc interceptor missile program, but also supported Bumper, Jason, Redstone, X-17 and Polaris ballistic missile operations. The Air Force accepted Complex 3 in November 1951. The location had already supported the Cape's first major launch - Bumper 8 - on 24 July 1950. Following the last Bomarc launch in April 1960, some Bomarc support facilities were converted into a medical support area for Project Mercury. Later the complex supported tethered aerostat programs from 1983 through 1989.

  • 1950 July 24 14:29 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. Bumper-WAC Bumper 8 Apogee: 50 km (31 mi). Bumper No. 8, a German V-2 with a 320 kg Army-JPL Wac Corporal, was fired from the Long-Range Proving Ground at Cape Canaveral at a very low angle of attack. The first-stage V-2 climbed 16 km before it exploded. The second-stage Corporal separated successfully, however, and traveled another 24 km. This was the first missile launch from Cape Canaveral.
  • 1950 July 29 11:25 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: V-2. Bumper-WAC Bumper 7 Apogee: 35 km (21 mi). Range: 305 km (189 mi). Bumper No. 7 was the second missile launch from Cape Canaveral. This was to be a maximum range test of a two-stage vehicle, to study the problems in staging. The launch was delayed because of moisture in the vehicle. But when finally launched, the WAC achieved the highest sustained speed in the atmosphere to that date (Mach 9/2500 m/s) and 35.2 km altitude before impacting 305 km downrange.
  • 1953 January 23 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Bomarc. Failure. Bomarc 621-2 Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
  • 1953 June 10 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Bomarc. Failure. Bomarc 623-1 Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
  • 1953 July 27 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Bomarc. Failure. Bomarc 623-2 Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
  • 1953 September 4 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Bomarc. Failure. Bomarc 623-3 Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
  • 1954 August 5 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Bomarc. Failure. Bomarc 623-7 Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
  • 1954 October 25 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Bomarc. Bomarc 623-8 Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
  • 1954 November 24 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Bomarc. Bomarc 623-9 Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
  • 1955 January 19 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Bomarc. Bomarc 623-10 Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
  • 1955 February 24 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Bomarc. Bomarc 623-21 Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
  • 1955 March 3 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Bomarc. Bomarc 623-11 Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
  • 1955 May 5 - Ramjet test mission Launch Vehicle: Bomarc. Failure. Bomarc 623-22 Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
  • 1955 May 23 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 QTV Q-2 Apogee: 11 km (6 mi).
  • 1955 May 23 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 QTV Q-1 Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).
  • 1955 June 13 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: X-17. Failure. X-17 HTV Q-4
  • 1955 June 23 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 HTV H-1 Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
  • 1955 June 30 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 HTV H-3 Apogee: 9.00 km (5.50 mi).
  • 1955 July 14 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 HTV H-2 Apogee: 10 km (6 mi).
  • 1955 July 27 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Bomarc. Failure. Bomarc 623-12 Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
  • 1955 August 25 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Bomarc. Bomarc 623-23 Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
  • 1955 August 26 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 D-1 Apogee: 3.00 km (1.80 mi).
  • 1955 September 23 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: X-17. Failure. X-17 D-2 Apogee: 5.00 km (3.10 mi).
  • 1955 September 29 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Bomarc. Bomarc 623-24 Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
  • 1955 November 17 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Bomarc. Bomarc 623-25 Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
  • 1955 November 30 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Bomarc. Bomarc 623-26 Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
  • 1955 December 1 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 D-3 Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).
  • 1956 January 20 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 D-4 Apogee: 132 km (82 mi).
  • 1956 March 5 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 D-5 Apogee: 116 km (72 mi).
  • 1956 March 15 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Bomarc. Bomarc 623-14 Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
  • 1956 April 14 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Bomarc. Bomarc 623-15 Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
  • 1956 April 17 - Re-entry Vehicle Test mission Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 R-1 Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).
  • 1956 June 19 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Bomarc. Bomarc 623-17 Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
  • 1956 June 26 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 D-6A Apogee: 140 km (80 mi). USAF X-17 flight test program started at Cape Canaveral to study reentry problems by simulating reentry velocities and conditions with three-stage solid-fuel Lockheed X-17. A total of 26 X-17 flights were conducted until March 1957.
  • 1956 July 13 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Bomarc. Bomarc 623-18 Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
  • 1956 July 17 - 4203-3 re-entry vehicle test flight Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 R-2 Apogee: 142 km (88 mi).
  • 1956 July 27 - 4203-4 re-entry vehicle test flight Launch Vehicle: X-17. Failure. X-17 R-3
  • 1956 August 18 - 4203-2 re-entry vehicle test flight Launch Vehicle: X-17. Failure. X-17 R-4
  • 1956 August 23 - 4203-5 re-entry vehicle test flight Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 R-5 Apogee: 142 km (88 mi). A five-stage, solid-fuel rocket test vehicle, the world's first, was launched to a speed of mach 15 from Wallops Island, Va. by the NACA Langley Aeronautical Laboratory's Pilotless Aircraft Research Division.
  • 1956 August 28 - 4203-6 re-entry vehicle test flight Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 R-6 Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).
  • 1956 September 8 - 4203-7 re-entry vehicle test flight Launch Vehicle: X-17. Failure. X-17 R-7 Apogee: 394 km (244 mi).
  • 1956 October 1 - 4203-8 re-entry vehicle test flight Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 R-8 Apogee: 145 km (90 mi).
  • 1956 October 5 - 4203-9 re-entry vehicle test flight Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 R-9 Apogee: 117 km (72 mi).
  • 1956 October 12 - Operational Test mission Launch Vehicle: Bomarc. Bomarc 624-6 Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
  • 1956 October 13 - 4203-10 re-entry vehicle test flight Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 R-10 Apogee: 102 km (63 mi).
  • 1956 October 18 - 4203-11 re-entry vehicle test flight Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 R-11 Apogee: 155 km (96 mi).
  • 1956 October 25 - 4203-12 re-entry vehicle test flight Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 R-12 Apogee: 124 km (77 mi).
  • 1956 November 5 - 4203-13 re-entry vehicle test flight Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 R-13 Apogee: 118 km (73 mi).
  • 1956 November 16 - 4203-14 re-entry vehicle test flight Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 R-14 Apogee: 107 km (66 mi).
  • 1956 November 23 - 4203-15 re-entry vehicle test flight Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 R-15 Apogee: 143 km (88 mi).
  • 1956 November 29 - Operational Test mission Launch Vehicle: Bomarc. Bomarc 624-2 Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
  • 1956 December 3 - 4203-16 re-entry vehicle test flight Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 R-16 Apogee: 125 km (77 mi).
  • 1956 December 11 - 4203-17 re-entry vehicle test flight Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 R-17 Apogee: 144 km (89 mi).
  • 1957 January 8 - 4203-18 re-entry vehicle test flight Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 R-18 Apogee: 140 km (80 mi).
  • 1957 January 15 - 4203-19 re-entry vehicle test flight Launch Vehicle: X-17. Failure. X-17 R-19 Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).
  • 1957 January 29 - 4203-20 re-entry vehicle test flight Launch Vehicle: X-17. Failure. X-17 R-20
  • 1957 February 7 - 4203-21 re-entry vehicle test flight Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 R-21 Apogee: 107 km (66 mi).
  • 1957 February 14 - 4203-22 re-entry vehicle test flight Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 R-22 Apogee: 141 km (87 mi).
  • 1957 March 1 - 4203-23 re-entry vehicle test flight Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 R-23 Apogee: 151 km (93 mi).
  • 1957 March 11 - 4203-A3 re-entry vehicle test flight Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 R-24 Apogee: 134 km (83 mi).
  • 1957 March 21 - 4203-A4 re-entry vehicle test flight Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 R-25 Apogee: 103 km (64 mi).
  • 1957 April 13 - 4-204-1A? re-entry vehicle test flight Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 VI-1 Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).
  • 1957 June 27 - 4-204-1B? re-entry vehicle test flight Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 4-204-1 Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).
  • 1957 July 16 - Re-entry Vehicle Test mission Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 4-204-2 Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).
  • 1957 July 19 - Re-entry Vehicle Test mission Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 3-204-1 Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).
  • 1957 July 22 - Re-entry Vehicle Test mission Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 R-26 Apogee: 114 km (70 mi).
  • 1957 August 9 - Re-entry Vehicle Test mission Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 3-204-2 Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).
  • 1957 August 16 - Re-entry Vehicle Test mission Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 5-204-1 Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).
  • 1957 September 3 - Re-entry Vehicle Test mission Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 1-204-6 Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).
  • 1957 October 23 - Re-entry Vehicle Test mission Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 1-204-7 Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).
  • 1957 October 24 - Re-entry Vehicle Test mission Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 3-204-3 Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).
  • 1957 November 8 - Re-entry Vehicle Test mission Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 3-204-4 Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).
  • 1957 November 15 - Re-entry Vehicle Test mission Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 1-204-8 Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).
  • 1957 December 11 - Re-entry Vehicle Test mission Launch Vehicle: X-17. X-17 1-204-9 Apogee: 100 km (60 mi).
  • 1958 January 17 - Test mission Launch Vehicle: Polaris A1. Polaris TV 1-204-10 Apogee: 500 km (310 mi).
  • 1959 July 14 - Operational Test mission Launch Vehicle: Bomarc. Bomarc 631-2 Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
  • 1959 August 12 - Operational Test mission Launch Vehicle: Bomarc. Bomarc 631-3 Apogee: 20 km (12 mi).
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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