Launch Complex 18 Aerial LiDAR Map

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Construction of Launch Complex 18, a dual-pad launch facility, began in 1955. Launch Pad A was turned over to the U.S. Navy in November 1956 for testing of the Vanguard rocket. The Vanguard was intended to be the first United States’ launch vehicle to place a satellite into orbit during the International Geophysical Year (IGY) that ran from July 1957 to December 1958. The original blockhouse at LC 18 with a V-shaped east side is nearly identical to the blockhouses at LC 5/6 and LC 26 that were constructed in 1955-1956. There were several modifications to the LC 18 blockhouse that were made circa 1958. These additions, including earthen terrain used as hardened structural protection transformed the blockhouse into one unlike any other at Cape Canaveral.