Launch Control Center
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This article is about the Launch Control Center at Kennedy Space Center. For underground facilities used to launch ICBMs, see Launch control center (ICBM).
The Launch Control Center (LCC) is a four-story building located at Kennedy Space Center, and is used for the supervision of launches from Launch Complex 39. In practice, this means that the LCC handles all manned spaceflights from KSC. Attached to the southeast corner of the Vehicle Assembly Building, the LCC contains offices; telemetry, tracking and instrumentation equipment; the automated Launch Processing System; and four firing rooms.
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[edit] Firing room
The firing room is the headquarters from which launch operations are supervised and controlled. Responsibility for the booster and spacecraft remains with the LCC until it clears the launch tower; at this point, responsibility is handed over to the Mission Control Center at Johnson Space Center.
Flights have been controlled from the firing rooms at the LCC since the Apollo program. Extensive renovation of Firing Room 4 finished in 2006.
[edit] Important positions in the firing room
[edit] Launch Director (LD)
The Launch Director is the head of the launch team, and is responsible for making the final "go/no go" decision for launch after polling the relevant team members.
[edit] Flow Director (FD)
The Flow Director is responsible for the preparation of the spacecraft for launch, and remains in the LCC in an advisory capacity.
[edit] NASA Test Director (NTD)
The NASA Test Director is responsible for all pre-launch testing, whether involving the flight crew, the orbiter, the external tank/solid rocket booster, or ground support equipment. The NTD is also responsible for the safety of all personnel on the pad after fuelling has occurred. Reports to the Launch Director.
[edit] Orbiter Test Conductor (OTC)
The Orbiter Test Conductor is in charge of all pre-flight checkout and testing of the orbiter, and manages the engineers in the firing room who monitor the orbiter's systems. OTC is an employee of a contractor rather than of NASA.
[edit] Ground Launch Sequencer Engineer (CGLS)
The Ground Launch Sequencer Engineer is responsible for monitoring the operation of the automated Ground Launch Sequencer system, which controls the countdown from T-9 minutes until launch. After this point, they are in charge of implementing a manual hold if necessary. The request for a hold is phrased "CGLS, give cutoff."
