Image above: At Launch Pad 39B at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the view from a fisheye lens reveals nearly all of the crawler track panels on the pad's surface have been removed. The concrete surface beneath the panels and the catacomb roof below will be inspected for water damage and repaired. Image credit: NASA/Jim Grossman
› View Larger Image

Paving the Way to Tomorrow

Imagine a spaceport of the future, where a variety of space vehicles are preparing for launch or departing Earth on missions to expand humanity's reach into space. At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Ground Systems Development and Operations Program, formerly known as the 21st Century Ground Systems Program, is propelling this vision forward, leading the center's transformation from a historically government-only launch complex to a spaceport bustling with activity involving government and commercial vehicles alike.

The program's primary objective is to prepare the center to process and launch the next-generation vehicles and spacecraft designed to achieve NASA's goals for space exploration. To achieve this transformation, program personnel are developing the necessary ground systems while refurbishing and upgrading infrastructure and facilities to meet tomorrow's demands. This modernization effort keeps flexibility in mind, in order to accommodate a multitude of government, commercial and other customers.

Drawing on five decades of experience -- and excellence -- in processing and launch, the Ground Systems Development and Operations Program is paving the way to the spaceport's future.

› Ground Systems Development and Operations Fact Sheet (1.7MB PDF)
› Orion Facilities at Kennedy Space Center (1.1 MB PDF)
› Firing Rooms Fact Sheet (1.6MB PDF)
› Launch Equipment Test Facility Fact Sheet (2.1MB PDF)
› Vehicle Assembly Building Fact Sheet (1.6MB PDF)
› Launch Pad 39B Fact Sheet (2.7MB PDF)
› Crawler-Transporter Fact Sheet (2.3MB PDF)
› Mobile Launcher Fact Sheet (1.7MB PDF)