Tag: U.S. Air Force

First Launch From ‘The Cape’ Leads to 75 Years of Historic Triumphs

First Launch From ‘The Cape’ Leads to 75 Years of Historic Triumphs

On a warm morning during the summer of 1950, 75 years ago, a small group of engineers and technicians launched a two-stage rocket from the east coast of Florida. The missile was the first to take flight from a new government installation called the Long Range Proving Ground. It was hardly noticed, but it was the first rocket launched from Cape Canaveral.

New Vision Ignited Commercial Revolution at Florida’s Spaceport

New Vision Ignited Commercial Revolution at Florida’s Spaceport

Well before the final Space Shuttle touched down in 2011, the burgeoning commercial space industry was expressing interest in expanding business pursuits in space. At the same time, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center found itself in a unique position. For over 30 years most of the center’s resources were dedicated for the expressed purpose of supporting the Space Shuttle Program. Now Kennedy was left with excess facilities and capacity with no program requirements or funding.