Kennedy Space Center

John F. Kennedy Space Center is the official NASA space vehicle launch facility.

Located north of Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach on Merritt Island, it has been used by the government since 1949. President Harry Truman established the Joint Long Range Proving Grounds to test missiles.

The Cape Canaveral location was chosen because it allowed launches over the ocean, the climate allows for year-round launches, and since it is closer to the equator than most other parts of the United States, it allows rockets to get a boost from the earth's rotation.

With the founding of NASA in 1958, the Station became a major launch site. The Redstone, Jupiter, Pershing, Polaris, Thor, Atlas, Titan, and Minuteman missiles were all launched from there.

The announcement of the lunar program in the 1950s led to an expansion of the program. NASA bought up the surrounding land from the State of Florida.

It was named the Launch Operations Center in 1962, and then renamed the John F. Kennedy Space Center in November 1963, shortly after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Alan Shepard set a major milestone when he became the first American to be launched into space during his 15 minute flight on May 5, 1961. The next hurdle was crossed when John Glenn sat atop an Atlas Rocket on February 20, 1962, and became the first American to orbit the earth.

The Apollo program used the Saturn V, a three stage rocket, to send men to the moon.

Launch Complex 39 was a massive new launch center built to accommodate the new launcher. It included a hangar which held 4 Saturn V rockets, The Vehicle assembly building (the largest building in the world in area at 180 million cubic feet), and a transportation system from the hangar to the launch pad which carried 5440 tons, a 446 foot movable service structure, and a control center. The complex was completed in 1966.

Apollo 11 was launched on July 16, 1969, and Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the moon at 10:56 PM on July 20.

Kennedy Space Center is now the launch site for the Space Shuttle the first reusable orbiter. The Space Shuttle is launched piggy-backed to a rocket, and returns to land like a glider airplane. NASA reused the complex 39 Apollo infrastructure for the Shuttle.

The first shuttle launch was of Columbia on April 12, 1981. When the Challenger disaster occurred on January 12, 1986, the program took a hiatus until Sept, 29, 1988.

As the Shuttle program matures and reaches the end of its commission, newer and more efficient launch systems are being developed.

The land that the Kennedy Space Center sits on is 34 miles long and 6 miles wide, cover 219 square miles. Much of the land is used as a buffer to keep population centers away from the launches. Only 9% of the land is developed, and the rest is set aside as a wildlife sanctuary.

About 170,000 people work at Kennedy Space Center. The only launch operations are at Launch Complex 39. All other launch operations take place at Cape Canaveral Air force Station, operated by the U. S. Air Force.

The Kennedy Space Center Visitor complex is a major tourist attraction. It features a number of museums, two IMAX theaters and public bus tours which includes a stop at the Apollo-Saturn V Center. There you can see a full-sized, restored Saturn V launch vehicle, an Apollo capsule and other space related object objects. Also featured are the Astronaut Memorial, and the Center for space Education, which includes a resource center for teachers.

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