| Cape Canaveral is a well-known area in the State | | | | as a precursor to a bigger event in the Space |
| of Florida ( in the United States. It was the site of | | | | Race. The Shepard and Glenn missions were |
| many notable launches of spacecraft for space | | | | studies done by NASA regarding short-term |
| travel including Apollo 11, the first flight to the | | | | human survival in outer space, while the Gemini |
| moon. | | | | space flights were done to see if long-duration |
| The Start of the Space Age | | | | space flight was possible for humans. All of these |
| On October 4, 1957, the Union of Soviet Socialist | | | | missions were feasibility studies to prepare |
| Republics launched the first artificial satellite off | | | | mankind for the journey to the Moon. |
| Baikonur Cosmodrome and ignited the beginning | | | | The Apollo Missions |
| of the Space Race. At this time, the USSR and | | | | In a bid to gain an edge over the USSR following |
| the USA was engaged in a Cold War and the | | | | its failure to launch the first artificial satellite, the |
| Space Race was part of it. Naturally, the United | | | | United States announced in 1961 that it will put |
| States wished to catch up and made its own | | | | men on the Moon. This announcement paved the |
| attempt to launch an artificial satellite - nicknamed | | | | way for the Apollo program (1961-1975), a series |
| Vanguard TV3 - off Cape Canaveral Air Force | | | | of launches off Cape Canaveral aimed to conduct |
| Station. This was to be the first launch of United | | | | lunar landing operations by American astronauts. |
| States spacecraft off Cape Canaveral. | | | | The U.S. government then acquired 131 square |
| The launch was carried out on December 6, 1957. | | | | miles of land in Merritt Island by outright purchase |
| However, the launch was deemed a failure as the | | | | and negotiated with the state of Florida for an |
| rocket vehicle exploded upon launch after losing | | | | additional 87 square miles. All operations were to |
| thrust and crashing back into the launch pad. The | | | | be expanded to the new site, which was |
| accident is assumed to be caused by the breach | | | | subsequently named Launch Operations center in |
| of ignited fuel into the rocket's fuel system, | | | | July 1962, and finally to John F. Kennedy Space |
| although the true reason has never been revealed | | | | Center in November 1963. It was from this new |
| or confirmed. | | | | site that the Apollo missions and the later Space |
| The U.S. bounced back on its failures, though, | | | | Shuttle missions were launched. |
| successfully launching its first artificial satellite on | | | | Although it began with a failure - Apollo 1 burned |
| January 31, 1958. Dubbed "Explorer 1", the satellite | | | | on the launch pad killing its three astronauts |
| was the first to discover the Van Allen radiation | | | | including Gus Grissom of the Gemini project - the |
| belt - a belt of charged particles trapped in space | | | | Apollo program was largely successful. On July 16, |
| - although the discovery would only be confirmed | | | | 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on |
| later on during the launch of Explorer 3. | | | | the Moon, followed by several others until |
| The National Aeronautics and Space | | | | December 1972. The only other failure within the |
| Administration was created on July 28, 1958 to | | | | Apollo program is an in-space accident aboard |
| answer the U.S. Congress' perceived threat to the | | | | Apollo 13, a mission that was deemed a |
| U.S. security following the launch of Sputnik by the | | | | "successful failure" because the crew made it |
| USSR. It commenced operations on October 1, | | | | back safely to Earth. |
| 1958, with only four laboratories and 80 | | | | Later Missions and Current Status |
| employees but, after awhile, it incorporated the | | | | The Cape Canaveral area continued to be used as |
| Naval Research Laboratory and the Army Ballistic | | | | a launch pad for later space flights. Space Shuttle |
| Missile Agency to augment its academic ranks. | | | | Columbia, the first Space Shuttle to be fired into |
| What followed was a flurry of launches of | | | | space, was launched off JFK Space Center on |
| spacecraft, all of them using the Cape Canaveral | | | | April 12, 1981. Other shuttles were launched using |
| area as a base. Alan Shepard's space journey | | | | JFK Space Center. |
| aboard Freedom 7 was launched off the John F. | | | | JFK Space Center is also open to public visitors, |
| Kennedy Space Center on May 5, 1961. John | | | | with two museums and two IMAX theaters for |
| Glenn, the first human being to make a complete | | | | tourists. The Visitor Complex staff allows visitors |
| orbit around the Earth, and the Friendship 7 | | | | to tour the restricted facilities for a fee. |
| spacecraft was also launched off Cape Canaveral | | | | Residents living in the Florida area can easily |
| on February 20, 1962 as well as Gus Grissom and | | | | access the Kennedy Space Center Visitor |
| John Young aboard Gemini 3 on March 23, 1965. | | | | Complex. |
| All of these space missions, however, only served | | | | |