Launch Pads, Spaceports & Cosmodromes!

A spaceport (or cosmodrome) is a site for launching spacecraft into orbit around Earth on interplanetary trajectories and can include the launch complex infrastructure, storage facilities and possibly production factories. A spaceport may even include runways for the takeoff or landing winged launch vehicles such as the Space Shuttles, Buran or Dream Chaser vehicles!

rocket-liftoff

Locations

Sites in Asia

  • Jiuquan Satellite Launch, China – The first manned Chinese launch was made here in 2003.
  • Xichang Satellite Launch Center, China – Launches the Long March rockets.
  • Uchinoura Space Center (Kagoshima), Japan – Used for various satellites.
  • Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SHAR), India - India’s rocket launch centre.
  • Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan – The first location to achieve orbital flight of a satellite (1957 with Sputnik) and human flight in 1961 (Vostok 1).
  • Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russia – The new Russian spaceport to be complete in 2018 which is intended to reduce Russia's dependency on the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

Center Sites in Europe

  • Peenemünde, Germany – This is where the V-2 rockets (first to reach space) were launched from.
  • Plesetsk Cosmodrome, Russia – Originally an ICBM site, but used for various orbital launches.

Sites in North America

  • Cape Canaveral, Florida – NASA’s famous launch location for its Project Mercury and Project Gemini.
  • Kennedy Space Center, Florida – NASA’s primary location for launching the Apollo, Space Shuttle and future manned flights. SpaceX's Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy operates from here too!
  • Mojave Air and Space Port, California – The private spaceport where Virgin Galactic operates.
  • Vandenberg Air Force Base, California – Primarily used for military satellite launches such as Atlas, but also Falcon 9.
  • Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) – Near Wallops Flight Facility where Orbital ATK launches Antares from.

Sites in South America

  • Guiana Space Centre, French Guiana – The major European spaceport which launches satellites from the advantageous position near the equator (primarily with the Ariane 5).

Sites in Oceania

  • Rocket Lab Launch Facility, Mahia, New Zealand – Launch location of the Electron rocket.

Launch Sites in the Pacific Ocean from the Odyssey mobile platform by Sea Launch of Zenit rockets!

 
Peenemünde
Soyuz launch pad
Baikonur Cosmodrome
Cape Canaveral
Vandenberg Air Force Base
Vandenberg Air Force Base
Plesetsk Cosmodrome
Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center
French Guiana
Tanegashima Space Center
Tanegashima Space Center
Chinese Launch Site
Plesetsk Cosmodrome
NASA's Wallops Flight Facility
Centre Spatial Guyanais
Satish Dhawan Space Centre
Sea Launch Location
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Peenemünde
Soyuz launch pad
Baikonur Cosmodrome
Cape Canaveral
Vandenberg Air Force Base
Vandenberg Air Force Base
Plesetsk Cosmodrome
Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center
French Guiana
Tanegashima Space Center
Tanegashima Space Center
Chinese Launch Site
Plesetsk Cosmodrome
NASA's Wallops Flight Facility
Centre Spatial Guyanais
Satish Dhawan Space Centre
Sea Launch Location
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