Cape Canaveral

Legendary Countdown Preceded the First Moon Landing Mission

By Bob Granath | February 8, 2024

A countdown first was used as part of a rocket’s launch to the Moon in the 1929 science-fiction movie “Frau im Mond” (Woman in the Moon). Ironically, a countdown led to the voyage of Neil Armstrong, Mike Collins and Buzz Aldrin completing the first mission to actually land humans on the Moon 40 years later. The day Apollo 11 lifted off on its extraordinary flight, July 16, 1969, hundreds of millions on every continent around the world watched and listened on live television to what became the most famous countdown.

Launch Countdown Tradition Began with a Silent Movie

By Bob Granath | January 26, 2024

The familiar count backwards to zero leading to the launch of a rocket did not originate with missiles fired from Cape Canaveral. It began with an Austrian filmmaker recruiting a spaceflight pioneer to recommend ways to add drama and realism to a 1929 science-fiction movie about a fictitious trip to the Moon. German rocket enthusiasts soon began including countdowns to their rocket tests. It later continued in their work in the U.S. leading to the historic first actual lunar flight by humans.

Dragon Re-entry Creates Rare Spectacle for Earthbound Viewers

By Bob Granath | September 18, 2023

A rocket thundering into space is a familiar sight for residents of Florida’s Space Coast. In the past two years, more than once a week windows rattle as launch vehicles send satellites to orbit and spacecraft on missions beyond Earth. However, those who were outside on a recent evening witnessed a rare spectacle. A spacecraft streaked across the night sky as four astronauts aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere.

SFA Message: Everyone Plays Role in Flight Safety, Mission Success

By Bob Granath | June 26, 2023

With the beginning of Project Mercury, NASA initiated efforts to stress the new program was more than hardware. Rockets and spacecraft had been launching from Cape Canaveral for the better part of a decade. The new flight safety emphasis focused on missions including people. The purpose was simple, but crucial. Everyone involved in human spaceflight plays a role in flight safety and mission success.

Cooper’s Mission Helped Prove ‘Man has a Place in Space’

By Bob Granath | May 15, 2023

Between May 15 and 16, 1963, 60 years ago, NASA astronaut Gordon Cooper flew the longest American human spaceflight to date. The goal of Project Mercury was to determine if people could survive the rigors of riding a rocket to orbit around the Earth and, once there, perform useful work. Cooper not only demonstrated humans could, he demonstrated his expert piloting skills by performing a pinpoint landing after many of the spacecraft systems failed.

Women Supporting Early Space Efforts Traveled a Difficult Road

By Bob Granath | March 21, 2023

When NASA’s Kennedy Space Center became operational in the summer of 1962, very few woman held jobs beyond secretarial or housekeeping positions. Today, they serve in leadership posts, engineering jobs and other key roles alongside their male counterparts. Retired spaceport engineer and NASA astronaut Nicole Stott spoke to employees at the Florida spaceport inspiring women to take full advantages of opportunities now offered.

How Did the United States Take the Lead in the ‘Space Race?’

By Bob Granath | October 26, 2022

One of the most memorable periods of the 20th Century is known as the “Space Race” between the United States and the Soviet Union. While the Russians got off to a fast start with many impressive firsts, Americans quickly pulled ahead and met the goal of landing humans on the Moon. But, historians do not universally agree on when the competition actually began and at what point NASA took the lead.

Schirra Proved Astronauts Can Successfully Control a Spacecraft

By Bob Granath | October 18, 2022

“I’m having a ball up here drifting,” said NASA astronaut Wally Schirra as he orbited the Earth six times during the Mercury-Atlas 8, the agency’s fifth manned space flight — 60 years ago. He proved that if the pilot was allowed to take control of the flight, he could conserve fuel and solve problems as they arise.

Kennedy Space Center: Celebrating 60 Years of Launching the Future

By Bob Granath | July 20, 2022

In the decade after the first rocket lifted off into the skies above Cape Canaveral, the launch site became the focal point of America’s efforts to explore beyond Earth. To meet President John F. Kennedy’s goal of landing a man on the Moon, a expansive new site was needed. That location became NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, a premier multi-user spaceport now commemorating its 60th anniversary.

Cape Canaveral: Historic Launch Pad for Exploration Beyond Earth

By Bob Granath | July 6, 2022

Marianna Triplett was working at the Pentagon, continuing the effort to transfer millions of men and women back to civilian life after they served in the military during World War II. One day during 1948, a U.S. Army general called her into his office and said he wanted to transfer her to Florida to assist with a “hush-hush secret program.” The new effort building Cape Canaveral Space Force Station would lead to some of the most historic achievements of the decades to come.

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