The Advanced Technology Development Center is being established to provide a national proving ground for the research, development, demonstration, testing, and qualification of spaceport and range technologies. ATDC can serve as a prototype spaceport where industry, Government, and academia can work in partnership to improve the technology and safety of future space initiatives. The goal of this integrated systems test facility is to provide a cost-effective, highly flexible, and capable testbed for a broad scope of activities ranging from individual component development and test to integration and testing of a wide variety of high-fidelity "iron birds" equipped with prototype systems that function as a complete flight system and can simulate the entire flight regime. ATDC will also concentrate on proving new processing technologies that will reduce the operations cost of launch processing activities.

ATDC's human resources are drawn from the world's leading operators of launch processing systems at KSC and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS). Located at Space Launch Complex 20 at CCAFS, ATDC's current configuration is capable of conducting safe, secure operations with gaseous nitrogen , liquid nitrogen, and liquid oxygen. Future capabilities will be added over the next few years to support a full spectrum of technologies and processes to realize spaceports of the future.