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73-712: The John F. Kennedy Space Center ( KSC , originally known as the NASA Launch Operations Center ), located on Merritt Island , Florida , is one of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration 's (NASA) ten field centers . Since 1968, KSC has been NASA's primary launch center of American spaceflight, research, and technology. Launch operations for the Apollo , Skylab and Space Shuttle programs were carried out from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 and managed by KSC. Located on

146-578: A factory on Merritt Island from 1978 to 2012. At one time it employed 1200 people. It closed the plant in 2013. Merritt Island extends some 46 mi (74 km) from the Volusia County line to Dragon Point near Melbourne . It connects to the Florida mainland where SR 3 now intersects US 1 in Volusia County . To the west it is separated from the mainland by the Indian River and

219-473: A general order renaming the military launch site Cape Kennedy Air Force Station . Located on Merritt Island, Florida , the center is north-northwest of Cape Canaveral on the Atlantic Ocean, midway between Miami and Jacksonville on Florida's Space Coast , due east of Orlando . It is 34 miles (55 km) long and roughly six miles (9.7 km) wide, covering 219 square miles (570 km). KSC

292-555: A home in nearby Cocoa Beach ), though it was filmed entirely in Los Angeles . Merritt Island The population was 34,518 at the 2020 census, down from 34,743 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . NASA 's John F. Kennedy Space Center is located on Merritt Island to the north of the town, and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

365-405: A month. The frequent number of flights allowed for quick evolution of the vehicles, as engineers gathered data, learned from anomalies and implemented upgrades. In 1963, with the intent of KSC ELV work focusing on the ground support equipment and facilities, a separate Atlas/Centaur organization was formed under NASA's Lewis Center (now Glenn Research Center (GRC) ), taking that responsibility from

438-582: A plant there. Arnott Air Suspension Products , develops and sells aftermarket automotive air suspension products, is also headquartered in Merritt Island. Merritt Island has a redevelopment agency funded by the county. Merritt Island has several schools. Public schools are operated by Brevard Public Schools : Private schools: The Merritt Island Public Library, though a part of the Brevard County Library System ,

511-640: A record-breaking 650 million television viewers. Apollo 12 followed four months later. From 1970 to 1972, the Apollo program concluded at KSC with the launches of missions 13 through 17. On May 14, 1973, the last Saturn V launch put the Skylab space station in orbit from Pad 39A. By this time, the Cape Kennedy pads 34 and 37 used for the Saturn IB were decommissioned, so Pad 39B was modified to accommodate

584-511: A science and technology display commemorating the U.S. Bicentennial . Concurrent with this event, the U.S. flag was painted on the south side of the VAB. During the late 1970s, LC-39 was reconfigured to support the Space Shuttle. Two Orbiter Processing Facilities were built near the VAB as hangars with a third added in the 1980s. KSC's 2.9-mile (4.7 km) Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF)

657-414: A single pad, the complex is capable of being expanded to two at a later date. As a part of promoting commercial space industry growth in the area and the overall center as a multi-user spaceport, KSC leases some of its properties. Here are some major examples: The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, operated by Delaware North since 1995, has a variety of exhibits, artifacts, displays and attractions on

730-488: Is a major central Florida tourist destination and is approximately one hour's drive from the Orlando area. The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex offers public tours of the center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. From 1967 through 1973, there were 13 Saturn V launches, including the ten remaining Apollo missions after Apollo 7. The first of two uncrewed flights, Apollo 4 (Apollo-Saturn 501) on November 9, 1967,

803-1218: Is a public general aviation airport located on South Merritt Island and run by the Titusville-Cocoa (TICO) Airport Authority. Executive Order 11129 Look for Executive Order 11129 on one of Misplaced Pages's sister projects : [REDACTED] Wiktionary (dictionary) [REDACTED] Wikibooks (textbooks) [REDACTED] Wikiquote (quotations) [REDACTED] Wikisource (library) [REDACTED] Wikiversity (learning resources) [REDACTED] Commons (media) [REDACTED] Wikivoyage (travel guide) [REDACTED] Wikinews (news source) [REDACTED] Wikidata (linked database) [REDACTED] Wikispecies (species directory) Misplaced Pages does not have an article with this exact name. Please search for Executive Order 11129 in Misplaced Pages to check for alternative titles or spellings. You need to log in or create an account and be autoconfirmed to create new articles. Alternatively, you can use

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876-781: Is a state-designated special library district. Since Merritt Island is an unincorporated area of Brevard County, in 1965 the area applied for, and was designated, a special library district under Chapter 65-1289 by the Florida Legislature . In 2005, the Florida House of Representatives codified all special acts and amendments, in regards to the Merritt Island Public Library District, under HB 1079. The residential areas of Merritt Island, East and West Merritt Island, are only accessible by causeway or drawbridge at all points. The island

949-470: Is among the longest runways in the world. On October 28, 2009, the Ares I-X launch from Pad 39B was the first uncrewed launch from KSC since the Skylab workshop in 1973. Beginning in 1958, NASA and military worked side by side on robotic mission launches (previously referred to as unmanned), cooperating as they broke ground in the field. In the early 1960s, NASA had as many as two robotic mission launches

1022-422: Is land and 76.8 km (29.7 sq mi), or 62.88%, is water. To the north, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge , along with a narrow barrier island that make up Canaveral National Seashore , offer an unpopulated protected buffer area for rocket launches at Kennedy Space Center . There are about 356 species of birds on the peninsula, one of the most diverse in the country. Migratory birds join

1095-427: Is linked by causeways, [REDACTED] SR 520 ( Merritt Island Causeway ), [REDACTED] , State Road 404 (Pineda Causeway), [REDACTED] , State Road 405 , [REDACTED] , State Road 406 , and [REDACTED] SR 528 , to the barrier island to its east and the mainland to the west. Mathers Bridge connects the southernmost area to the barrier island. [REDACTED] SR 3 , a four-lane highway, connects

1168-453: Is located north of the space center. The central part of Merritt Island, previously known as Merritt City, is home to the majority of the population and includes the local high school, library, and shopping district. The southern area is heavily residential, with centralized light commercial and light industrial areas. Merritt Island owes its name to the King of Spain . The entire island

1241-677: The Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway . To the east it is separated by the Mosquito Lagoon and the Banana River from the barrier island on which Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach stand. The east side of Merritt Island splits and is divided by Sykes Creek and Newfound Harbor. In the north, the Haulover Canal , first dug in the 19th century, separates the island from the mainland. To the west,

1314-667: The Commercial Space Launch Act of 1984 , after which NASA only coordinated its own and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ELV launches. Companies were able to "operate their own launch vehicles" and utilize NASA's launch facilities. Payload processing handled by private firms also started to occur outside of KSC. Reagan's 1988 space policy furthered the movement of this work from KSC to commercial companies. That same year, launch complexes on Cape Canaveral Air Force Force Station started transferring from NASA to Air Force Space Command management. In

1387-639: The Intracoastal Waterway ; and its southern latitude, which gives a velocity advantage to missions launched in easterly near-equatorial orbits. Disadvantages included: its inability to safely launch military missions into polar orbit , since spent boosters would be likely to fall on the Carolinas or Cuba; corrosion from the salt air; and frequent cloudy or stormy weather. Although building a new site at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico

1460-562: The Kennedy Space Center for workers from the more densely populated central and southern sections of the island. The lift station near the Pineda Causeway was built to handle 9,000,000 US gal (34,000,000 L) per day. It became overloaded after Hurricane Irma in 2017. Trucks were used to dispose of the excess which rose to 12,000,000 US gal (45,000,000 L) daily. Merritt Island Airport

1533-749: The Mars Science Laboratory have been processed at KSC before being transferred to a launch pad on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. On 16 November 2022, at 06:47:44 UTC the Space Launch System (SLS) was launched from Complex 39B as part of the Artemis I mission. As the International Space Station modules design began in the early 1990s, KSC began to work with other NASA centers and international partners to prepare for processing before launch onboard

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1606-575: The Moon required the large three-stage Saturn V rocket, which was 363 feet (111 meters) tall and 33 feet (10 meters) in diameter. At KSC, Launch Complex 39 was built on Merritt Island to accommodate the new rocket. Construction of the $ 800 million project began in November 1962. LC-39 pads A and B were completed by October 1965 (planned Pads C, D and E were canceled), the VAB was completed in June 1965, and

1679-573: The Operations and Checkout Building , which houses the astronauts' dormitories and suit-up area, a Space Station factory , and a 3-mile (4.8 km) long Shuttle Landing Facility . There is also a Visitor Complex on site that is open to the public. Since 1949, the military had been performing launch operations at what would become Cape Canaveral Space Force Station . In December 1959, the Department of Defense transferred 5,000 personnel and

1752-483: The Space Shuttle Atlantis , Vehicle Assembly Building , Crawlerway, and Operations and Checkout Building . KSC has one National Historic Landmark , 78 National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) listed or eligible sites, and 100 Archaeological Sites. Florida's peninsular shape and temperature contrasts between land and ocean provide ideal conditions for electrical storms, earning Central Florida

1825-523: The Space Shuttle program (1981–2011). Since December 1968, all launch operations have been conducted from launch pads A and B at LC-39. Both pads are on the ocean, 3 miles (4.8 km) east of the VAB. From 1969 to 1972, LC-39 was the "Moonport" for all six Apollo crewed Moon landing missions using the Saturn V, and was used from 1981 to 2011 for all Space Shuttle launches. Human missions to

1898-651: The Space Station Processing Facility . The following are current programs and initiatives at Kennedy Space Center: The KSC Industrial Area, where many of the center's support facilities are located, is 5 miles (8 km) south of LC-39 . It includes the Headquarters Building , the Operations and Checkout Building and the Central Instrumentation Facility . The astronaut crew quarters are in

1971-543: The Wayback Machine or through their more up-to-date Flickr gallery . A new Headquarters Building was completed in 2019 as part of the Central Campus consolidation. Groundbreaking began in 2014. The center operated its own 17-mile (27 km) short-line railroad . This operation was discontinued in 2015, with the sale of its final two locomotives. A third had already been donated to a museum. The line

2044-476: The article wizard to submit a draft for review, or request a new article . Search for " Executive Order 11129 " in existing articles. Look for pages within Misplaced Pages that link to this title . Other reasons this message may be displayed: If a page was recently created here, it may not be visible yet because of a delay in updating the database; wait a few minutes or try the purge function . Titles on Misplaced Pages are case sensitive except for

2117-445: The 1990s, though KSC was not performing the hands-on ELV work, engineers still maintained an understanding of ELVs and had contracts allowing them insight into the vehicles so they could provide knowledgeable oversight. KSC also worked on ELV research and analysis and the contractors were able to utilize KSC personnel as a resource for technical issues. KSC, with the payload and launch vehicle industries, developed advances in automation of

2190-457: The CDP, the population was spread out, with 21.8% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 19.8% of 65 or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.3 males. Merritt Island is under the administrative care of the local county government , with water being handled by

2263-426: The CDP. The population density was 2,044.6 inhabitants per square mile (789.4/km ). There were 15,813 housing units at an average density of 895.9 per square mile (345.9/km ). The racial makeup of the CDP was 90.22% White , 5.31% African American , 0.41% Native American , 1.65% Asian , 0.06% Pacific Islander , 0.68% from other races , and 1.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.83% of

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2336-660: The Center Director, library, film and photo archives, a print shop and security. When the KSC Library first opened, it was part of the Army Ballistic Missile Agency. However, in 1965, the library moved into three separate sections in the newly opened NASA headquarters before eventually becoming a single unit in 1970. The library contains over four million items related to the history and the work at Kennedy. As one of ten NASA center libraries in

2409-617: The ELV launch and ground operations to enable competitiveness of U.S. rockets against the global market. In 1998, the Launch Services Program (LSP) formed at KSC, pulling together programs (and personnel) that already existed at KSC, GRC, Goddard Space Flight Center , and more to manage the launch of NASA and NOAA robotic missions. Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and VAFB are the primary launch sites for LSP missions, though other sites are occasionally used. LSP payloads such as

2482-642: The Launch Operations Center (aka KSC). Though almost all robotics missions launched from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS), KSC "oversaw the final assembly and testing of rockets as they arrived at the Cape." In 1965, KSC's Unmanned Launch Operations directorate became responsible for all NASA uncrewed launch operations, including those at Vandenberg Space Force Base . From the 1950s to 1978, KSC chose

2555-876: The Launch Operations Directorate. Starting with the fourth Gemini mission, the NASA launch control center in Florida ( Mercury Control Center , later the Launch Control Center ) began handing off control of the vehicle to the Mission Control Center in Houston , shortly after liftoff; in prior missions it held control throughout the entire mission. Additionally, the center manages launch of robotic and commercial crew missions and researches food production and in-situ resource utilization for off-Earth exploration. Since 2010,

2628-570: The Missile Firing Laboratory to NASA to become the Launch Operations Directorate under NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center . President John F. Kennedy 's 1961 goal of a crewed lunar landing by 1970 required an expansion of launch operations. On July 1, 1962, the Launch Operations Directorate was separated from MSFC to become the Launch Operations Center (LOC). Also, Cape Canaveral was inadequate to host

2701-930: The O&;C; before it was completed, the astronaut crew quarters were located in Hangar S at the Cape Canaveral Missile Test Annex (now Cape Canaveral Space Force Station ). Located at KSC was the Merritt Island Spaceflight Tracking and Data Network station (MILA), a key radio communications and spacecraft tracking complex. Facilities at the Kennedy Space Center are directly related to its mission to launch and recover missions. Facilities are available to prepare and maintain spacecraft and payloads for flight. The Headquarters (HQ) Building houses offices for

2774-472: The Saturn IB, and used to launch three crewed missions to Skylab that year, as well as the final Apollo spacecraft for the Apollo–Soyuz Test Project in 1975. As the Space Shuttle was being designed, NASA received proposals for building alternative launch-and-landing sites at locations other than KSC, which demanded study. KSC had important advantages, including its existing facilities; location on

2847-612: The Space Center will experience 5 to 8 inches of sea level rise by the 2050s. Launch Complex 39A, the site of the Apollo 11 launch, is the most vulnerable to flooding, and has a 14% annual risk of flooding beginning in 2020. Since KSC's formation, ten NASA officials have served as directors, including three former astronauts (Crippen, Bridges and Cabana): In addition to being frequently featured in documentaries, Kennedy Space Center has been portrayed on film many times. Some studio movies have even gained access and filmed scenes within

2920-566: The Space Shuttles. KSC utilized its hands-on experience processing the 22 Spacelab missions in the Operations and Checkout Building to gather expectations of ISS processing. These experiences were incorporated into the design of the Space Station Processing Facility (SSPF), which began construction in 1991. The Space Station Directorate formed in 1996. KSC personnel were embedded at station module factories for insight into their processes. From 1997 to 2007, KSC planned and performed on

2993-522: The Visitor Complex to make room for an upcoming high-tech attraction entitled "Heroes and Legends". The attraction, designed by Orlando-based design firm Falcon's Treehouse, opened November 11, 2016. In March 2016, the visitor center unveiled the new location of the iconic countdown clock at the complex's entrance; previously, the clock was located with a flagpole at the press site. The clock was originally built and installed in 1969 and listed with

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3066-550: The area after a British merchant ship ran aground. In the 1760s, the Elliott Plantation grew and processed sugar cane . Remains of the plantation can be found in the Wildlife Refuge . In April 1788, French botanist André Michaux traveled to Merritt Island, near Cape Canaveral , and spent five days looking at the local plants. He wrote a letter on April 24, 1788, from St Augustine. He reported discovering

3139-458: The building to the elements. Damage occurred to the south and east sides of the VAB. The shuttle's Thermal Protection System Facility suffered extensive damage. The roof was partially torn off and the interior suffered water damage. Several rockets on display in the center were toppled. Further damage to KSC was caused by Hurricane Wilma in October 2005. The conservative estimate by NASA is that

3212-446: The center has worked to become a multi-user spaceport through industry partnerships, even adding a new launch pad ( LC-39C ) in 2015. There are about 700 facilities and buildings grouped throughout the center's 144,000 acres (580 km). Among the unique facilities at KSC are the 525-foot (160 m) tall Vehicle Assembly Building for stacking NASA's largest rockets, the Launch Control Center , which conducts space launches at KSC,

3285-582: The civilian LOC and the military Cape Canaveral station ("the facilities of Station No. 1 of the Atlantic Missile Range") under the designation "John F. Kennedy Space Center", spawning some confusion joining the two in the public mind. NASA Administrator James E. Webb clarified this by issuing a directive stating the Kennedy Space Center name applied only to the LOC, while the Air Force issued

3358-438: The country, their collection focuses on engineering, science, and technology. The archives contain planning documents, film reels, and original photographs covering the history of KSC. The library is not open to the public but is available for KSC, Space Force, and Navy employees who work on site. Many of the media items from the collection are digitized and available through NASA's KSC Media Gallery Archived December 6, 2020, at

3431-518: The earliest spears and arrowheads . Biochemical analyses have shown, for example, that Clovis tools were used in the hunting of camelids. The Pleistocene , or Quaternary , megafaunal extinction also coincided, roughly, with the appearance of the Clovis culture. By between 800 - 900 BC , permanent Native American structures were erected in the area. Their mounds populated the lagoon margin. In 1605, Spanish explorer Álvaro Mexía visited

3504-430: The east coast of Florida, KSC is adjacent to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS). The management of the two entities work very closely together, share resources, and operate facilities on each other's property. Though the first Apollo flights and all Project Mercury and Project Gemini flights took off from the then-Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the launches were managed by KSC and its previous organization,

3577-532: The flag or bigflower paw-paw, Asimina obovata ( Annona grandiflora Bartr. ). In 1837, Fort Ann was constructed on the east coast of Merritt Island, near present-day Haulover Canal , to protect the area against the local Seminoles . Merritt Island's recent history dates back to the mid-19th century, and centers on the growth of citrus , with an emphasis on the cultivation of oranges as well as pineapples . The Indian River oranges and grapefruit come from this sandy area. Freezes temporarily destroyed

3650-816: The flagpole in the National Register of Historic Places in January 2000. In 2019, NASA celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Apollo program , and the launch of Apollo 10 on May 18. In summer of 2019, Lunar Module 9 (LM-9) was relocated to the Apollo/Saturn V Center as part of an initiative to rededicate the center and celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo Program. NASA lists the following Historic Districts at KSC; each district has multiple associated facilities: There are 24 historic properties outside of these historic districts, including

3723-453: The gates of the space center. If extras are needed in those scenes, space center employees are recruited (employees use personal time during filming). Films with scenes at KSC include: The location appears as a major plot point in the finale of Stone Ocean , the 6th part of the manga and anime series JoJo's Bizarre Adventure . KSC is also one of the two primary settings of the 1965–1970 television series I Dream Of Jeannie (along with

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3796-547: The ground integration tests and checkouts of station modules : three Multi-Element Integration Testing (MEIT) sessions and the Integration Systems Test (IST). Numerous issues were found and corrected that would have been difficult to nearly impossible to do on-orbit. Today KSC continues to process ISS payloads from across the world before launch along with developing its experiments for on orbit. The proposed Lunar Gateway would be manufactured and processed at

3869-621: The history and future of human and robotic spaceflight. Bus tours of KSC originate from here. The complex also includes the separate Apollo/Saturn V Center , north of the VAB and the United States Astronaut Hall of Fame , six miles west near Titusville . There were 1.5 million visitors in 2009. It had some 700 employees. It was announced on May 29, 2015, that the Astronaut Hall of Fame exhibit would be moved from its current location to another location within

3942-444: The infrastructure by late 1966. The complex includes: Launch Complex 48 (LC-48) is a multi-user launch site under construction for small launchers and spacecraft. It will be located between Launch Complex 39A and Space Launch Complex 41 , with LC-39A to the north and SLC-41 to the south. LC-48 will be constructed as a "clean pad" to support multiple launch systems with differing propellant needs. While initially only planned to have

4015-490: The island for many years. To this day, the northern portion of the island remains slightly less developed, with a few areas remaining as cattle pasture or citrus land. The small towns on the island vanished with the coming of the Space Age , and now only live on in the names of streets and historic churches. In 1988, citizens defeated a proposed incorporation into a city, 77% opposed to 23% in favor. Sea Ray Boats operated

4088-644: The island is connected by causeways to mainland Brevard County near Titusville and Cocoa on its northern end, and in Melbourne on its southern end. To the east the island is connected to Cape Canaveral by the Crawlerway , and by causeways to Cocoa Beach and Satellite Beach . According to the United States Census Bureau , the CDP has a total area of 122.2 km (47.2 sq mi), of which 45.4 km (17.5 sq mi)

4161-595: The local pineapple industry in the late 1890s. Freed slaves constructed small towns in the area after the Civil War , including Haulover, Clifton, and Shiloh. The island's population grew in the 1950s and 1960s as the Space Race began and nearby NASA expanded. Construction of a barge canal to the Intracoastal Waterway from the Atlantic Ocean (for power plant oil shipments) cut off the northern half of

4234-528: The local tribes living in the Indian River area. He interacted with the local tribe of Ais people , part of the native province of Ulumay. Merritt Island is the prominent island on a color map he drew of the area, a copy of which is in the archives at the Library of Congress and the archives in Seville , Spain . Within a few years, all but a handful of these natives were dead from an epidemic that plagued

4307-480: The more resident wildlife , including alligators , manatees , dolphins , sea turtles , bald eagles , ospreys , bobcats , and the elusive Florida panther . A number of bald eagle nests are monitored atop power line poles along SR 3 within Kennedy Space Center. There are about 12,000 feral pigs in North Merritt Island. Licensed trappers catch about 2,000 annually, which keeps the population even. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service would like to reduce

4380-471: The neighboring city of Cocoa . The county maintains operations for the sheriff's office, fire department, emergency medical services, and sewage systems. According to the 2000 Census: There are light industrial fabrication centers on the Merritt Island Airport , and NASA -related industrial activities to support the Space Shuttle , which was retired in summer of 2011, and other rocket launches on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station . Air Liquide operates

4453-490: The new launch facility design required for the mammoth 363-foot (111 m) tall, 7,500,000-pound-force (33,000 kN) thrust Saturn V rocket, which would be assembled vertically in a large hangar and transported on a mobile platform to one of several launch pads. Therefore, the decision was made to build a new LOC site located adjacent to Cape Canaveral on Merritt Island . NASA began land acquisition in 1962, buying title to 131 square miles (340 km) and negotiating with

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4526-460: The population. Merritt Island has or had 23 named communities, all unincorporated, including: As of the 2020 United States census , there were 34,518 people, 13,790 households, and 8,600 families residing in the CDP. As of the 2010 United States census , there were 34,743 people, 14,247 households, and 9,385 families residing in the CDP. As of the census of 2000, there were 36,090 people, 14,955 households, and 10,049 families residing in

4599-409: The population. In 2000, there were 14,955 households, out of which 27.1% had children under the age of 18, 52.9% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband, and 32.8% were non-families. Of households, 26.8% were solely individuals and 11.4% had a lone resident of 65 or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.86. In 2000, in

4672-492: The region up to approx. 11,000 years ago, when a larger North-American extinction event caused the majority of native megafauna to die out; this was possibly due to climate change caused by the advancing and/or retreating of the glacial maximum , thus affecting natural resources and weather conditions. Later, more pressures on wildlife would have come from the arrival of the Clovis culture , who became prolific hunters with their distinct, fluted stone weaponry—including some of

4745-439: The reputation as "lightning capital of the United States". This makes extensive lightning protection and detection systems necessary to protect employees, structures and spacecraft on launch pads. On November 14, 1969, Apollo 12 was struck by lightning just after lift-off from Pad 39A, but the flight continued safely. The most powerful lightning strike recorded at KSC occurred at LC-39B on August 25, 2006, while shuttle Atlantis

4818-443: The rocket and payload processing facilities for all robotic missions launching in the U.S., overseeing their near launch processing and checkout. In addition to government missions, KSC performed this service for commercial and foreign missions also, though non-U.S. government entities provided reimbursement. NASA also funded Cape Canaveral Space Force Station launch pad maintenance and launch vehicle improvements. All this changed with

4891-449: The state of Florida for an additional 87 square miles (230 km). The major buildings in KSC's Industrial Area were designed by architect Charles Luckman . Construction began in November 1962, and Kennedy visited the site twice in 1962, and again just a week before his assassination on November 22, 1963. On November 29, 1963, the facility was named by President Lyndon B. Johnson under Executive Order 11129 . Johnson's order joined both

4964-448: Was also the first rocket launch from KSC. The Saturn V's first crewed launch on December 21, 1968, was Apollo 8 's lunar orbiting mission. The next two missions tested the Lunar Module : Apollo 9 (Earth orbit) and Apollo 10 (lunar orbit). Apollo 11 , launched from Pad A on July 16, 1969, made the first Moon landing on July 20. The Apollo 11 launch included crewmembers Neil Armstrong , Michael Collins , and Buzz Aldrin , and attracted

5037-527: Was being prepared for STS-115 . NASA managers were initially concerned that the lightning strike caused damage to Atlantis , but none was found. On September 7, 2004, Hurricane Frances directly hit the area with sustained winds of 70 miles per hour (110 km/h) and gusts up to 94 miles per hour (151 km/h), the most damaging storm to date. The Vehicle Assembly Building lost 1,000 exterior panels, each 3.9 feet (1.2 m) x 9.8 feet (3.0 m) in size. This exposed 39,800 sq ft (3,700 m) of

5110-435: Was costing $ 1.3 million annually to maintain. Launch Complex 39 (LC-39) was originally built for the Saturn V , the largest and most powerful operational launch vehicle until the Space Launch System , for the Apollo crewed Moon landing program . Since the end of the Apollo program in 1972, LC-39 has been used to launch every NASA human space flight, including Skylab (1973), the Apollo–Soyuz Test Project (1975), and

5183-511: Was part of a land grant given by the King to a nobleman named Merritt. Paleontological excavations in the area have unearthed the remains of numerous megafauna and other extinct species, including many herbivorous ungulates , artiodactyls ( camelids , peccaries ), perissodactyls ( equids , tapirs ), proboscideans ( mammoths , mastodons ), rodents ( beaver , capybara , porcupine ), tortoises and xenarthrans ( armadillos , glyptodonts ). These species, and many more, thrived in

5256-536: Was seriously considered, NASA announced its decision in April 1972 to use KSC for the shuttle. Since the Shuttle could not be landed automatically or by remote control, the launch of Columbia on April 12, 1981 for its first orbital mission STS-1 , was NASA's first crewed launch of a vehicle that had not been tested in prior uncrewed launches. In 1976, the VAB's south parking area was the site of Third Century America,

5329-475: Was the orbiters' primary end-of-mission landing site, although the first KSC landing did not take place until the tenth flight, when Challenger completed STS-41-B on February 11, 1984; the primary landing site until then was Edwards Air Force Base in California, subsequently used as a backup landing site. The SLF also provided a return-to-launch-site (RTLS) abort option, which was not utilized. The SLF

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