Space Coast

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Location of Florida's Space Coast Space Coast Florida.png
Location of Florida's Space Coast
Florida's Space Coast surrounding Merritt Island, seen from the International Space Station SpaceCoastFromSpaceStation.jpg
Florida's Space Coast surrounding Merritt Island, seen from the International Space Station

The Space Coast is a region in the U.S. state of Florida around the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. It is one of several "themed" coasts around Florida. All orbital launches from American soil carrying NASA astronauts (running from Project Mercury in 1961 to the end of the Space Shuttle program in 2011, and since 2020 using the SpaceX Dragon 2) have departed from either KSC or Cape Canaveral. The Space Force Station has also launched unmanned military and civilian rockets. Cities in the area include Port St. John, Titusville, Cocoa, Rockledge, Cape Canaveral, Merritt Island (unincorporated), Cocoa Beach, Melbourne, Satellite Beach, Indian Harbour Beach, Indialantic, Melbourne Beach, Palm Bay, and Viera (unincorporated). Most of the area lies within Brevard County. It is bounded on the south by the Treasure Coast, on the west by Central Florida including Orlando (and is economically tied to that region), on the north by Volusia County, and on the east by the Atlantic Ocean.

Contents

One reason rockets are launched from the Space Coast has to do with the Earth's rotation. The Earth rotates from west to east, most quickly at the equator, and to take advantage of this, adding the speed of rotation to the orbital velocity of the rocket, it is most beneficial to launch eastward from a location near the equator. Launching from an uninhabited location on an easterly coast at low latitude, minimizing the danger posed by debris from a failed launch, is ideal both for the safety of the people on the ground and for fuel efficiency of the rocket. Given the high population densities in coastal Texas, South Florida, and Puerto Rico, the Space Coast is often considered the best location when all factors are taken into account. [1]

Space-named landmarks (outside KSC and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station)

Many places near the Cape are named for subjects relating to the US space program including vehicles, astronauts, and the spaceport itself.

Telephone area code

When the region became too heavily populated to be served by only one area code, a local resident Robert Osband (aka Richard Cheshire) [13] discovered that area code 321 was not assigned to any other territory (though it was being considered for the suburban Chicago area). [notes 1] If each number is pronounced individually—"3, 2, 1"—the pronunciation resembles the countdown before liftoff; thus, the resident petitioned for the code to be assigned to the Space Coast region. His efforts were popular among local residents and resulted in success; the new code officially became effective on November 1, 1999. [14] [15]

Tourism

Because it is home to Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station the local area is popular with visitors to watch rocket launches in person. Over 100,000 people are believed to have been present in February 2018 for the Falcon Heavy test flight. [16] It is home to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, US Space Walk of Fame, and the Air Force Space and Missile Museum. Nearly 1 million people were present to watch the last space shuttle launch in 2011. 150,000 people were present for the Crew Dragon Demo-2 launch. The area is also home to many space-themed businesses. 750,000 to 900,000 people gathered on the space coast to watch the Apollo 11 launch in 1969. [17]

The area also sees Christmas tourism, as thousands of people attend the Surfing Santas festival in Cocoa Beach (by Cape Canaveral) over the holiday season. [18] Cocoa Beach attracts all types of people looking for a vacation because of the beachy location. A weekend here may have people stopping by a surf museum or shopping at a tiki gallery. [19]

Media

Brevard Business News is a weekly newspaper in Melbourne, Florida, United States covering business news and trends for the Space Coast. Fred Krupski started Brevard Business News in 1981, [20] and Adrienne B. Roth purchased it in 1986. Other media outlets serving the Brevard County community include the Florida Today, Space Coast Daily, Hometown News, Spectrum TV 13 and numerous radio stations. Several national TV network affiliates based in Orlando also cover Brevard County news. [13]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ This includes most of the county except the Southern portion.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kennedy Space Center</span> United States space launch site in Florida

The John F. Kennedy Space Center, located on Merritt Island, Florida, is one of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) ten field centers. Since 1968, KSC has been NASA's primary launch center of American spaceflight, research, and technology. Launch operations for the Apollo, Skylab and Space Shuttle programs were carried out from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 and managed by KSC. Located on the east coast of Florida, KSC is adjacent to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS). The management of the two entities work very closely together, share resources, and operate facilities on each other's property.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brevard County, Florida</span> County in Florida, United States

Brevard County is a county in the U.S. state of Florida. It is on the Atlantic coast of eastern Central Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 606,612, making it the 10th-most populated county in Florida. The official county seat is located in Titusville. A secondary center of county administration, including a circuit courthouse, was built in 1989 in the planned community of Viera, Florida, the geographic center of the county.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape Canaveral, Florida</span> Small city in Florida, US

Cape Canaveral is a city in Brevard County, Florida. It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 9,912 at the 2020 US census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cocoa, Florida</span> City in Florida, US

Cocoa is a city in Brevard County, Florida. The population was 19,041 at the 2020 United States Census, up from 17,140 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville Metropolitan Statistical Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cocoa Beach, Florida</span> City in Florida

Cocoa Beach is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The population was 11,354 at the 2020 United States Census, up from 11,231 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Palm Bay–Melbourne–Titusville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Merritt Island, Florida</span> Census-designated place in Florida, United States

Merritt Island is a peninsula, commonly referred to as an island, in Brevard County, Florida, United States, located on the eastern Florida coast, along the Atlantic Ocean. It is also the name of an unincorporated town in the central and southern parts of the island and a census-designated place (CDP).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rockledge, Florida</span> City in Florida

Rockledge is the oldest city in Brevard County, Florida. The city's population was 27,678 at the 2020 Census, up from 24,926 at the 2010 United States Census, and is part of the Palm Bay−Melbourne−Titusville Metropolitan Statistical Area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape Canaveral Space Force Station</span> Military rocket launch site in Florida

Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS) is an installation of the United States Space Force's Space Launch Delta 45, located on Cape Canaveral in Brevard County, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Space Coast Regional Airport</span> Airport in Florida, United States of America

Space Coast Regional Airport is in Titusville, Florida, United States, on Columbia Boulevard and Washington Avenue in Brevard County. Formerly known, and still colloquially referred to, as Ti-Co (Titusville-Cocoa) Airport, it is the nearest commercial airport to the Kennedy Space Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Playalinda Beach</span> Beach in Florida, United States

Playalinda Beach is a beach located on Florida's east coast in Canaveral National Seashore near Titusville, Florida.

Brevard Public Schools is a school district serving Brevard County, Florida, and based in Viera, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canaveral National Seashore</span> National Seashore in Florida, U.S.

The Canaveral National Seashore (CANA) is a National Seashore located between New Smyrna Beach and Titusville, Florida, in Volusia and Brevard Counties. The park, located on a barrier island, was created on January 3, 1975, by an act of Congress. The park is split between Brevard and Volusia counties, with 9 miles of the seashore in Brevard County, and 15 miles of the seashore in Volusia County. CANA consists of 24 miles of beaches, dunes, mangrove wetlands, and a large portion of the Mosquito Lagoon. The Canaveral National Seashore is also the longest expanse of undeveloped land along the East Coast of Florida. The Canaveral National Seashore is home to more than 1,000 plant species and 310 bird species. CANA occupies 57,662 acres (23,335 ha). There are 3 major beach sections in the seashore. The southern section is Playalinda Beach, the middle section is Klondike Beach, and the northern section is Apollo Beach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NASA Causeway</span> Bridge in Florida, United States of America

The NASA Causeway, is an east–west expressway in Brevard County, Florida, containing two causeways. The first causeway connects the Florida mainland to Merritt Island and later, over the private second causeway, connects Merritt Island to Cape Canaveral. As such, the NASA Causeway is the main route connecting points of interest in Titusville, Florida to the Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Operations and Checkout Building</span> Historic American spaceflight facility in Cape Canaveral, Florida

The Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building (O&C) is a historic building on Merritt Island, Florida, United States. The five-story structure is in the Industrial Area of NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Its has twin-block facilities that include the crew quarter dormitories for astronauts, suit-up preparations prior to their flights, and the other is a large spacecraft workshop used for manufacturing and checking activities on crewed spacecraft. On January 21, 2000, it was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Environmental issues in Brevard County</span>

Environmental issues in Brevard County in Florida United States are highlighted by the amount of waterline, the amount of wetlands, the quantity of residents and visitors to the area, as well as the usual threat to air quality from commuters. Assisting in this is the Florida Space Coast Clean Cities Coalition which is headquartered in Brevard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Space Coast Area Transit</span>

Space Coast Area Transit is the public transit system serving the communities in Brevard County, Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NASA Railroad</span> Short-line railroad at the Kennedy Space Center

The NASA Railroad is a Class III industrial short-line railroad at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The railroad consists of 38 miles (61 km) of track connecting the mainline of the Florida East Coast Railway and trackage at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. NASA uses the railroad to deliver large or bulk materials to support its operations, particularly solid rocket boosters and chemicals such as helium and oxygen for rocket fuel.

Brevard County has a county government, municipal governments, and various Florida state and U.S. federal agencies.

References

  1. ↑ "Why is Cape Canaveral America's Launch Spot?". VisitSpaceCoast.com. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  2. ↑ "City Facilities - Alan Shepard Park". City of Cocoa Beach. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Apollo Elementary School" . Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  4. ↑ "Atlantis Elementary School" (PDF). Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  5. ↑ "Discovery Elementary School" . Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  6. ↑ "Endeavour Elementary Magnet: About Us" . Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  7. ↑ "Schools Listing". Archived from the original on 23 March 2013. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  8. ↑ "Cocoa Beach, Florida: "I Dream of Jeannie" TV Town". RoadsideAmerica.com. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  9. ↑ "Mila Elementary School" . Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  10. ↑ Saggio, Jessica (August 11, 2015). "So what does the name MILA Elementary actually mean?". Florida Today. Melbourne, Florida. p. 1B. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
  11. ↑ "spacecoastsurge.com - spacecoastsurge Resources and Information". www.spacecoastsurge.com. Archived from the original on 3 February 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  12. ↑ "Space Coast Florida - Space View Park". visitspacecoast.com. Retrieved February 3, 2023.
  13. 1 2 Cheshire, Richard. "How I Got My Own Area Code". Archived from the original on 2005-08-28. Retrieved 2019-08-29.
  14. ↑ Osband, Robert. "Spacey Ideas - A Chronology of Events regarding Area Code 321". spaceyideas.com. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  15. ↑ "Countdown Starts For New Area Code On Space Coast". 18 January 2000. Archived from the original on 18 January 2000. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  16. ↑ Kelly, Emre. "SpaceX Falcon Heavy with Block 5 boosters targeted for fall launch from KSC". Florida Today.
  17. ↑ "Tourism: Apollo's Forgotten Legacy". The Planetary Society.
  18. ↑ "Florida Today". www.floridatoday.com. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  19. ↑ "Cape Canaveral Tours: Visit Cape Canaveral for Space Coast History". www.visitflorida.com. 2018-02-06. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  20. ↑ Mathers, Sandra. "She Mastered World Of Weekly Newspapers", Orlando Sentinel , April 18, 1997. Retrieved on May 26, 2011.
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