ini ▁ 1 2 , ▁launched ▁on ▁November ▁ 1 1 , ▁ 1 9 6 6 . ▁ ▁The ▁capabilities ▁of ▁the ▁Mercur y ▁Control ▁Center ▁were ▁in ade qu ate ▁for ▁the ▁flight ▁control ▁needs ▁of ▁Gem ini ▁and ▁Apol lo , ▁so ▁NASA ▁built ▁an ▁improved ▁Mission ▁Control ▁Center ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 3 , ▁which ▁it ▁decided ▁to ▁locate ▁at ▁the ▁newly ▁built ▁Mann ed ▁Space craft ▁Center ▁in ▁Houston , ▁Texas , ▁rather ▁than ▁at ▁C ana ver al ▁or ▁at ▁the ▁God d ard ▁Space ▁Fl ight ▁Center ▁in ▁Maryland . ▁ ▁The ▁Apol lo ▁program ' s ▁goal ▁of ▁landing ▁a ▁man ▁on ▁the ▁Moon ▁required ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁Sat urn ▁family ▁of ▁rock ets . ▁The ▁large ▁Sat urn ▁V ▁ro cket ▁necessary ▁to ▁take ▁men ▁to ▁the ▁Moon ▁required ▁a ▁larger ▁launch ▁facility ▁than ▁Cape ▁C ana ver al ▁could ▁provide , ▁so ▁NASA ▁built ▁the ▁Kennedy ▁Space ▁Center ▁located ▁west ▁and ▁north ▁of ▁C ana ver al ▁on ▁Mer rit ▁Island . ▁But ▁the ▁earlier ▁Sat urn ▁I ▁and ▁IB ▁could ▁be ▁launched ▁from ▁the ▁Cape ' s ▁La unch ▁Comple xes ▁ 3 4 ▁and ▁ 3 7 . ▁The ▁first ▁four ▁Sat urn ▁I ▁development ▁launch es ▁were ▁made ▁from ▁L C - 3 4 ▁between ▁October ▁ 2 7 , ▁ 1 9 6 1 , ▁and ▁March ▁ 2 8 , ▁ 1 9 6 3 . ▁These ▁were ▁followed ▁by ▁the ▁final ▁test ▁launch ▁and ▁five ▁oper