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