Landing Zones 1 and 2
{{short description|SpaceX's landing facility at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station}}
{{about|the Florida landing zones|LZ-4, the California landing zone|SpaceX Landing Zone 4}}
{{Infobox launch pad
|name = Landing Zone 1 and 2
|image = File:ORBCOMM-2 First-Stage Landing (23271687254).jpg
|caption = The first-stage booster core B1019 of Falcon 9 flight 20 approaching Landing Zone 1 in December 2015
|site = Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
|coordinates = {{Coord|28|29|09|N|80|32|40|W|display=inline,title}}
|short = LZ-1, LZ-2
|operator = SpaceX
|paddetails = {{Infobox launch pad/pad
|designation = LZ-1
|landing = yes
|status = Active
|landings = 52 (51 successful, 1 failure)
|first_landing = 21 December 2015 (Falcon 9 flight 20)
|last_landing = 21 April 2025 (SpaceX CRS-32)
|rockets = Falcon 9 Full Thrust, Falcon Heavy, Falcon 9 Block 5
}} {{Infobox launch pad/pad
|designation = LZ-2
|landing = yes
|status = Active
|landings = 12 (all successful)
|first_landing = 6 February 2018 (Falcon Heavy test flight)
|last_landing = 22 April 2025 (Bandwagon-3)
|rockets = Falcon Heavy, Falcon 9 Block 5
}}
}}
Landing Zone 1 and Landing Zone 2, also known as LZ-1 and LZ-2 respectively, are landing facilities at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station used by SpaceX. They allow the company to land the first stage of its Falcon 9 rocket or the two side boosters of its Falcon Heavy rocket.
The facilities were built on land leased in February 2015 on the site of Launch Complex 13.{{cite press release |title=45th Space Wing, SpaceX sign first-ever landing pad agreement at the Cape |url=http://www.patrick.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/733027 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624143505/http://www.patrick.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/733027 |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 24, 2016 |publisher=45th Space Wing Public Affairs |date=10 February 2015 |access-date=10 February 2015}}{{cite news |last1=Gruss|first1=Mike |title=SpaceX Leases Florida Launch Pad for Rocket Landings |url=http://m.space.com/28510-spacex-leases-florida-launch-pad-falcon-landings.html |access-date=12 February 2015 |work=Space.com |date=10 February 2015 }} Landing Zone 1 saw its first use on 21 December 2015 when B1019 touched down during Falcon 9 flight 20. Landing Zone 2 was added ahead of the first Falcon Heavy test flight on 6 February 2018. During a Falcon Heavy launch, both LZs are used, allowing the two side boosters to land simultaneously.
Site
Landing Zones 1 and 2 are located at the location of Launch Complex 13, which has been demolished and replaced by two circular landing pads {{convert|282|feet}} in diameter and marked with a stylized X from the SpaceX company logo.{{cite news|last1=Davenport|first1=Christian|title=Elon Musk's SpaceX returns to flight and pulls off dramatic, historic landing|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2015/12/21/elon-musks-spacex-pulls-off-dramatic-historic-landing/|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=21 December 2015|language=en-US}} Four more {{convert|150|ft|}} diameter pads were initially planned to be built to support the simultaneous recovery of additional boosters used by the Falcon Heavy, although only one extra pad has been built. Planned infrastructure additions to support operations includes improved roadways for crane movement, a rocket pedestal area, remote-controlled fire suppression systems in case of a landing failure, and a large concrete foundation, away from the future three landing pads, for attaching the booster stage when taking the rocket from vertical to horizontal orientation.{{cite web|title=Draft Environmental Assessment for the Space Exploration Technologies Vertical Landing of the Falcon Vehicle and Construction at Launch Complex 13 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Florida |url=http://www.patrick.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-141107-004.pdf |date=October 2014 |work=USAF |access-date=2015-12-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150108071150/http://www.patrick.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-141107-004.pdf |archive-date=2015-01-08 }}
Operations at the facility began after seven earlier landing tests by SpaceX, five of which involved intentional descents into the open ocean, followed by two failed landing tests on an ocean-going platform.{{cite web | url=http://www.floridatoday.com/story/tech/science/space/spacex/2015/01/05/spacex-try-landing-booster-sea-platform/21309969/ |title=SpaceX to try landing booster on a sea platform |author=James Dean |work=Florida Today |date=6 January 2015 |access-date=8 February 2015 }}
{{cite news |last1=Graham|first1=William |title=SpaceX Falcon 9 ready for DSCOVR mission |url=http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2015/02/spacex-falcon-9-dscovr-mission/ |access-date=8 February 2015 |work=NASASpaceFlight.com |date=8 February 2015 }}
As of March 2, 2015, the Air Force's sign for LC-13 was briefly replaced with a sign identifying it as Landing Complex.{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/SpaceX/photos/pb.353851465130.-2207520000.1426377300./10155718820020131/?type=3&theater|title=SpaceX - SpaceX's Photos - Facebook|work=facebook.com}} The site was renamed Landing Zone prior to its first use as a landing site.
{{cite news |last1=Bergin|first1=Chris |title=SpaceX Falcon 9 Static Fires ahead of OG2 RTF mission |url=http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2015/12/spacex-static-fire-falcon-9-og-2-rtf/ |access-date=2015-12-19 |publisher=NASASpaceFlight.com |date=2015-12-18 |quote=All that is currently known for this mission is SpaceX’s ambition to conduct a historic landing on its new Cape Canaveral landing pad, officially known as LZ-1 (Landing Zone -1), but also tagged “X.}}
{{cite news |title=Rocket landing at Cape Canaveral planned after SpaceX launch |date=2015-12-19 |url=https://spaceflightnow.com/2015/12/19/rocket-landing-at-cape-canaveral-planned-after-sundays-spacex-launch/ |work=SpaceflightNow |access-date=2015-12-21 }}
Elon Musk indicated in January 2016 that he thought the likelihood of successful landings for all of the attempted landings in 2016 would be approximately 70 percent, hopefully rising to 90 percent in 2017, and cautioned that the company expects a few more failures.{{cite tweet|user=elonmusk|number=689299216607232000|title=My best guess for 2016: ~70% landing success rate (so still a few more RUDs to go), then hopefully improving to ~90% in 2017|author=Elon Musk|date=19 January 2016|author-link=Elon Musk}}
In July 2016, SpaceX applied for permission to build two additional landing pads at Landing Zone 1 for landing the boosters from Falcon Heavy flights.{{cite news|last1=Santana|first1=Marco|title=SpaceX seeks approval for two additional landing pads on Space Coast|url=http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/space/os-spacex-landing-pads-space-coast-20160718-story.html|access-date=20 July 2016|publisher=Orlando Sentinel|date=18 July 2016}}
In May 2017, construction on a second, smaller pad began, called Landing Zone 2. This pad is located about {{convert|1017|feet}} to the northwest of the first pad and is used for landing Falcon Heavy side boosters.{{cite web |title=LZ-1 to LZ-2 distance estimate |url=https://imgur.com/gallery/8Qf09 |website=imgur |publisher=JerWah |access-date=12 September 2018}} By June 2017, the landing pad was modified with a radar reflective paint, to aid with landing precision.{{cite tweet|user=elonmusk|author=Elon Musk|number=871228411494014976|date=4 June 2017|title=@Pandora659 Yeah, pretty much dead center. We painted the target area with radio reflective paint, which helps the radar be more precise.}}
Falcon 9 boosters mostly land on LZ-1 pad and rarely land on LZ-2, except in cases when a Cape Canaveral launched booster cannot land on LZ-1, as a previous booster is still sitting on that pad, as in case of Hakuto-R Mission 1's booster B1073.5 on 11 December 2022. The LZ-1 was already occupied by Oneweb Flight#15's booster B1069.4 launched on 8 December 2022, so LZ-2 was used by a Falcon 9 for the first time.
Landing history
{{col-float}}
= LZ-1 =
{{#invoke:Chart | bar chart
| float = center
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| height = 320
| stack = 1
| group 1 = 1:1:6:1:1:3:1:4:6:14:4
| group 2 = 0:0:0:1:2:0:0:1:4:1:0
| group 3 = 0:0:0:1:0:0:0:0:0:0:0
| group 4 = 0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0
| colors = SeaGreen : CornflowerBlue : FireBrick : Black
| group names = Falcon 9 Success: Falcon Heavy Success : Falcon 9 Failure : Falcon Heavy Failure
| x legends = 2015:'16:'17:'18:'19:'20:'21:'22:'23:'24:'25
}}
{{col-float-break}}
= LZ-2 =
{{#invoke:Chart | bar chart
| float = center
| width = 420
| height = 320
| stack = 1
| group 1 = 0:0:0:0:0:0:0:1:0:1:1
| group 2 = 0:0:0:1:2:0:0:1:4:1:0
| group 3 = 0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0
| group 4 = 0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0:0
| colors = SeaGreen : CornflowerBlue : FireBrick : Black
| group names = Falcon 9 Success: Falcon Heavy Success : Falcon 9 Failure : Falcon Heavy Failure
| x legends = 2015:'16:'17:'18:'19:'20:'21:'22:'23:'24:'25
}}
{{col-float-end}}
= Booster landings =
{{Excerpt|List of Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy launches|Booster landings|hat=no|templates=-col}}
= Detailed history =
For landings at sea, see Autonomous spaceport drone ship
After approval from the FAA, SpaceX accomplished its first successful landing at the complex with Falcon 9 flight 20 on December 22, 2015 UTC;
{{cite news |last1=Graham|first1=William |title=SpaceX returns to flight with OG2, nails historic core return |url=http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2015/12/spacex-rtf-core-return-attempt-og2/ |access-date=2015-12-21 |publisher=NASASpaceFlight.com |date=2015-12-21 |quote=During Monday’s launch, the first stage made its historic return to LZ-1 and successfully landed in a milestone event for SpaceX.}} this was the 8th controlled-descent test of a Falcon 9 first stage.{{cite news |last1 = Dean|first1 = James|title = SpaceX wants to land next booster at Cape Canaveral|url = http://www.floridatoday.com/story/tech/science/space/spacex/2015/12/01/spacex-wants-land-next-booster-cape-canaveral/76576142/|access-date = 2 December 2015|work = Florida Today|date = 2015-12-01}} A second successful landing at LZ-1 took place shortly after midnight, local time (EDT) on July 18, 2016, as part of the CRS-9 mission, which was the Falcon 9's 27th flight.[http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/spacex-launch-iss-docking-port-nasa-1.3683338 SpaceX launches space station docking port for NASA], The Associated Press, July 18, 2016 The third successful landing was by the CRS-10 mission's first stage on February 19, 2017, which was the Falcon 9's 30th flight.{{cite news |url=https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/02/19/historic-launch-pad-back-in-service-with-thundering-blastoff-by-spacex/ |title=Historic launch pad back in service with thundering blastoff by SpaceX |work=Spaceflight Now |first=Stephen |last=Clark |date=19 February 2017 |access-date=5 March 2017}} Landing Zone 2 was first used by the maiden launch of Falcon Heavy on February 6, 2018, when the rocket's two side boosters touched down on LZ-1 and LZ-2.{{cite news|last1=Gebhardt|first1=Chris|title=SpaceX successfully debuts Falcon Heavy in demonstration launch from KSC – NASASpaceFlight.com|url=https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2018/02/spacex-debut-falcon-heavy-demonstration-launch/|access-date=7 February 2018|work=NASASpaceFlight.com|date=6 February 2018}}
File:Landing Zone 1 (23267877284).jpg|A person standing in the middle of the main landing pad demonstrates its size.
File:Landing Zone 1 (23787738692).jpg|Sign at entrance to Landing Zone 1 site
File:ORBCOMM-2 First-Stage Landing (23604164970).jpg|Launch and landing traces of Falcon 9 Flight 20, from launch pad SLC-40 to landing pad LZ-1
File:Falcon 9 Flight 20 OG2 first stage post-landing (23273082823).jpg|First stage of Falcon 9 Flight 20 on the pad shortly after landing
File:Falcon 9 first stage at LZ-1(two).jpg|Recovery operations after Falcon 9 Flight 20 landing
File:Dual Booster Return - the simulation made real today (39411414724).jpg|Double return of Falcon Heavy test flight boosters
{{sticky header}}
class="wikitable sortable sticky-header" |
scope="col" | Date (UTC)
! scope="col" | Mission ! scope="col" | Launch vehicle ! scope="col" | Flight № ! colspan=2 scope="col" | Landing Zone ! scope="col" | Landing ! colspan=2 scope="col" | Result |
---|
December 22, 2015 01:39
| OG2-F2 | Falcon 9 Full Thrust | 20 | colspan=2 | LZ-1 | File:ORBCOMM-2 (23282658734).jpg | colspan=2 {{Success}} |
July 18, 2016 04:53
| Falcon 9 Full Thrust | 27 | colspan=2 | LZ-1 | File:CRS-9_(27776231183).jpg | colspan=2 {{Success}} |
February 19, 2017 14:47
| Falcon 9 Full Thrust | 30 | colspan=2 | LZ-1 | 150px | colspan=2 {{Success}} |
May 1, 2017 11:24
| NROL-76 | Falcon 9 Full Thrust | 33 | colspan=2 | LZ-1 | 150px | colspan=2 {{Success}} |
June 3, 2017 21:15
| Falcon 9 Full Thrust | 35 | colspan=2 | LZ-1 | 150px | colspan=2 {{Success}} |
August 14, 2017 16:39
| Falcon 9 Block 4 | 39 | colspan=2 | LZ-1 |File:CRS-12 Mission (36438808381).jpg | colspan=2 {{Success}} |
September 7, 2017
| Falcon 9 Block 4 | 41 | colspan=2 | LZ-1 | 150px | colspan=2 {{Success}} |
December 15, 2017
| Falcon 9 Full Thrust | 45 | colspan=2 | LZ-1 | 150px | colspan=2 {{Success}} |
January 8, 2018
| Zuma | Falcon 9 Block 4 | 47 | colspan=2 | LZ-1 | 150px | colspan=2 {{Success}} |
February 6, 2018
| Falcon Heavy | FH #1 | LZ-1 | LZ-2 | {{Success}} | {{Success}} |
December 5, 2018
| 65 | colspan=2 | LZ-1 | | colspan=2 {{Failure}} |
April 11, 2019
| Falcon Heavy |FH #2 | LZ-1 | LZ-2 |File:Arabsat-6A Mission (40628434483).jpg | {{Success}} | {{Success}} |
June 25, 2019
|STP-2 |Falcon Heavy |FH #3 |LZ-1 |LZ-2 |File:STP-2 Mission (48129269942).jpg | {{Success}} | {{Success}} |
July 25, 2019
B1056.2 |73 | colspan="2" |LZ-1 |File:CRS-18_Mission_(48380511427).jpg | colspan=2 {{Success}} |
March 7, 2020
B1059.2 |82 | colspan="2" |LZ-1 | | colspan=2 {{Success}} |
August 30, 2020
|SAOCOM 1B B1059.4 |92 | colspan="2" |LZ-1 | | colspan=2 {{Success}} |
December 19, 2020
B1059.5 |103 | colspan="2" |LZ-1 | | colspan=2 {{Success}} |
June 25, 2021
B1060.8 |123 | colspan="2" |LZ-1 | | colspan=2 {{Success}} |
January 13, 2022
|136 | colspan="2" |LZ-1 | | colspan=2 {{Success}} |
January 31, 2022
B1052.3 |138 | colspan="2" |LZ-1 | | colspan=2 {{Success}} |
May 25, 2022
B1061.8 |156 | colspan="2" |LZ-1 | | colspan=2 {{Success}} |
November 1, 2022
|USSF-44 |Falcon Heavy |FH #4 |LZ-1 |LZ-2 | | {{Success}} | {{Success}} |
December 8, 2022
|OneWeb #15 B1069.4 |188 | colspan="2" |LZ-1 | | colspan="2" {{Success}} |
December 11, 2022
|Hakuto-R Mission 1{{cite web | url=https://ispace-inc.com/news/?p=1903 | title=Ispace }} B1073.5 |189 | colspan="2" |LZ-2 | | colspan=2 {{Success}} |
January 3, 2023
B1060.15 |195 | colspan="2" |LZ-1 | | colspan=2 {{Success}} |
January 10, 2023
|OneWeb #16 B1076.2 |196 | colspan="2" |LZ-1 | | colspan="2" {{Success}} |
January 15, 2023
|USSF-67 |Falcon Heavy |FH #5 |LZ-1 |LZ-2 | | {{Success}} | {{Success}} |
March 9, 2023
|OneWeb #17 B1062.13 |209 | colspan="2" |LZ-1 | | colspan="2" {{Success}} |
May 21, 2023
B1080.1 |226 | colspan="2" |LZ-1 | | colspan="2" {{Success}} |
July 29, 2023
|EchoStar 24 (Jupiter 3) B1064.3, B1065.3 |FH #7 |LZ-1 B1064.3 |LZ-2 B1065.3 | | {{Success}} | {{Success}} |
August 26, 2023
B1081.1 |249 | colspan="2" |LZ-1 | | colspan="2" {{Success}} |
October 13, 2023
B1064.4, B1065.4 |FH #8 |LZ-1 B1064.4 |LZ-2 B1065.4 | | {{Success}} | {{Success}} |
November 10, 2023
B1081.2 |271 | colspan="2" |LZ-1 | | colspan="2" {{Success}} |
December 29, 2023
B1064.5, B1065.5 |FH #9 |LZ-1 B1064.5 |LZ-2 B1065.5 | | {{Success}} | {{Success}} |
January 3, 2024
|Ovzon-3 B1076.10 |287 | colspan="2" |LZ-1 | | colspan="2" {{Success}} |
January 18, 2024
B1080.5 |291 | colspan="2" |LZ-1 | | colspan="2" {{Success}} |
January 30, 2024
B1077.10 |295 | colspan="2" |LZ-1 | | colspan="2" {{Success}} |
February 8, 2024
|PACE B1081.4 |296 | colspan="2" |LZ-1 | | colspan="2" {{Success}} |
February 14, 2024
B1078.7 |298 | colspan="2" |LZ-2 | | colspan="2" {{Success}} |
February 15, 2024
|IM-1 Nova-C Odysseus lunar lander B1060.18 |299 | colspan="2" |LZ-1 | | colspan="2" {{Success}} |
March 4, 2024
B1083.1 |305 | colspan="2" |LZ-1 | | colspan="2" {{Success}} |
March 21, 2024
B1080.6 |312 | colspan="2" |LZ-1 | | colspan="2" {{Success}} |
April 7, 2024
|Bandwagon-1, SmallSat Rideshare B1073.14 |320 | colspan="2" |LZ-1 | | colspan="2" {{Success}} |
June 25, 2024
B1072.1, B1086.1 |FH #10 |LZ-1 B1072.1 |LZ-2 B1086.1 | | {{Success}} | {{Success}} |
August 4, 2024
B1080.10 |360 | colspan="2" |LZ-1 | | colspan="2" {{Success}} |
August 15, 2024
|WorldView Legion 3 & 4 (2 Sats) B1076.16 |364 | colspan="2" |LZ-1 | | colspan="2" {{Success}} |
September 12, 2024
B1078.13 |373 | colspan="2" |LZ-1 | | colspan="2" {{Success}} |
September 28, 2024
B1085.2 |378 | colspan="2" |LZ-1 | | colspan="2" {{Success}} |
November 5, 2024
B1083.5 |389 | colspan="2" |LZ-1 | | colspan="2" {{Success}} |
November 11, 2024
B1067.23 |392 | colspan="2" |LZ-1 | | colspan="2" {{Success}} |
February 4, 2025
|WorldView Legion 5 & 6 (2 Sats) B1086.4 |433 | colspan="2" |LZ-1 | | colspan="2" {{Success}} |
March 14, 2025
B1090.2 |446 | colspan="2" |LZ-1 | | colspan="2" {{Success}} |
March 24, 2025
B1092.2 |451 | colspan="2" |LZ-1 | | colspan="2" {{Success}} |
April 21, 2025
B1092.3 |462 | colspan="2" |LZ-1 | | colspan="2" {{Success}} |
April 22, 2025
|Bandwagon-3, SmallSat Rideshare B1090.3 |463 | colspan="2" |LZ-2 | | colspan="2" {{Success}} |
June 11, 2025
B1094.2 | | colspan="2" |LZ-1 | | colspan="2" {{Planned}} |
See also
style="float:right;"
|{{commons category|Landing Zone 1}} |{{commons category|Landing Zone 2}} |
- SpaceX reusable launch system development program
- Autonomous spaceport drone ship, used to recover first stage boosters at sea
{{-}}
Notes
{{Notelist}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ca6x4QbpoM Computer animation of planned launch and landing of Falcon Heavy boosters] (SpaceX)
{{Merritt Island}}
{{SpaceX|state=collapsed}}
Category:Cape Canaveral Space Force Station