Inside NASA's Hangar AE: Mission-Critical Control Rooms at Cape Canaveral

Situation

NASA's Launch Services Program (LSP) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station required a state-of-the-art control room environment within the historic Hangar AE facility. The facility supports uncrewed launch operations for NASA's most critical missions, including planetary exploration.

Challenge

The Mission Director's Center (MDC) needed to accommodate 41 console positions with 34-inch ultra-high-definition monitors, a 32-foot mission video wall, and multiple Launch Vehicle Data Centers (LVDCs) — all while meeting strict ISO 11064 ergonomic standards and supporting multi-mission, multi-tenant operations.

Solution

Fountainhead designed and built a comprehensive mission-critical control room environment including the Mission Director's Center with 41 custom console positions, 3 multi-purpose Launch Vehicle Data Centers, and integrated video wall systems. Every element was engineered for 24/7 uncrewed launch support with ISO 11064 compliance.

Results

The Hangar AE control room environment has supported some of NASA's most important missions, including the Mars 2020 mission that deployed the Perseverance rover. The multi-tenant design allows multiple launch providers to operate simultaneously, maximizing the facility's efficiency for America's space program.