What is launch complex 16?

Launch Complex 16 (LC-16) is a deactivated launch site at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, USA. It was originally built by the US Air Force in the 1950s for intercontinental ballistic missile tests. The first missile launch from LC-16 was carried out on July 1957.

In the 1960s, the complex was converted for use by NASA for the manned space program. It was used for test firing of the Apollo spacecraft's launch escape system. Three unmanned test flights of the system were conducted from LC-16 in 1963 and 1964. The complex was also used for testing the Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) for the Space Shuttle program.

After the completion of the Space Shuttle program, the launch site was deactivated in 1992. Today, the site is maintained by the 45th Space Wing and is open for tours as part of the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.