In 1962 , John Glenn became the first U.S. citizen to orb the Earth , riding into infinite on circuit card the Friendship 7 space capsule , which conduct off from Cape Canaveral ’s Launch Complex 14 . More than 60 age later , that same old launchpad will be put to novel use after being delegate to a individual space speculation to set up its reusable rocket salad .
Stoke Space was yield the purpose of Launch Complex 14 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida by Space Launch Delta 45 , the companyannouncedin a statement on Tuesday .
“ We are over the Moon stimulate by this opportunity , ” Julia Black , director of range surgical operation at Stoke Space , said in the financial statement . “ To be entrust with the reactivation of the historical Launch Complex 14 is an honor , and we count forward to sum up to its well distinguished achievement for America ’s place course of study . ”
An illustration of Stoke Space’s fully reusable rocket.Illustration: Stoke Space
The U.S. Space Force began implement its young Launch Pad Allocation Strategy , allowing more individual space companies to take off from Cape Canaveral . The first round of drinks of launching pad parceling let in four small companies : ABL Space , Phantom Space , Vaya Space , and Stoke Space . The specify launch pads have been largely unused for year , and are being reactivated to hold the commercial-grade launch vehicles for upcoming launches . In term of the other digs allocations , Phantom Space and Vaya place both got Launch Complex 13 and ABL distance draw Launch Complex 15 .
Launch Complex 14 was build in 1957 to support the launch of the Atlas rocket . NASA Astronaut Glenn was part of the space representation ’s Mercury project and plunge on add-in the Friendship 7 , after which he spent about five hour in space and perform three ambit around Earth . That first orbital tripper for a U.S. cosmonaut shew that the Mercury space vehicle could in fact work in place .
The space industry has come a foresightful way since then and it continues to grow apace with the increasing number of private blank companies with orbital ambitiousness . Stoke Space is one such company , found in 2019 by two former Blue Origin rocket locomotive engineer . By the beginning of 2021 , the caller hadraised$9.1 million in ejaculate funding to develop and build its full reusable skyrocket ( yes , that ’s a reusable first and 2d leg ) .
The company still has a farsighted route ahead of it to put its design to work , but now it has a launch launchpad for its future launch fomite . “ We ’re standing on the shoulders of hulk , ” Andy Lapsa , Centennial State - beginner and CEO of Stoke Space , said in the caller ’s statement . “ As we bring LC-14 back to biography and carry its legacy into the future , we will be sure to do so in a fashion that keep its exist story and give homage to those who came before us . ”
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