Thread: Space-X
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Old February 23rd 10, 03:25 AM posted to sci.space.history
Brian Thorn[_2_]
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Default Space-X

On Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:35:34 -0500, wrote:

Thanks. I think I found it on Google Earth. Now this brings up another question.
What's the difference between KSC and Cape Canaveral? I thought Canaveral was
just the geographic location, or place name in Florida where the KSC is located.


Cape Canaveral is a geographic feature on the Florida east coast where
the Air Force established its Long Range Proving Ground in the early
1950s. It is separated from the mainland by the Banana River and the
Indian River, with Merritt Island between the two rivers. "Missile
Row" gantries and launch pads eventually occupied the shore northward
to an area called the False Cape where the shoreline began to merge
westward back to the Florida mainland. This area was designated Cape
Canaveral Air Force Station (briefly Cape Kennedy AFS). When NASA was
tasked with putting a man on the moon in 1961, it needed much more
land for the big Saturn rockets it needed for the job. After
considering launch sites elsewhere, NASA decided to establish its own
facilities on Merritt Island, with the launch pads on the coast at the
False Cape. After the assassination, this area was named John F.
Kennedy Space Center. The northernmost pad of Cape Canaveral Air Force
Station is technically on KSC property, but is operationally
controlled by the Air Force. The unoccupied land around KSC is
maintained by the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and seaside
land NASA once planned for more launch pads is the Canaveral National
Seashore.

Brian