Florida's Space Coast: The Impact of NASA on the Sunshine State

About this book

The story of how NASA transformed Florida's East Coast over half a century Florida's Space Coast tells the compelling story of America's half century in space exploration from the successful launch of the first two-stage rocket in 1950 through the latest space shuttle missions of 2000. Told from the unique viewpoint of the people who built the Spaceport, this book shows how the space program transformed the east central Florida coast from a traditional citrus production and tourist area to one of the most influential high-tech centers in the nation. Cape Canaveral was chosen as a missile launch site because of its many geographical advantages. However, in the early years of the space program, the area was far from an ideal place for NASA employees to raise their families. NASA brought in thousands of space-related workers, who, besides sending machines and men into space, had to meet the challenge of moving their families from urban environs to a rural southern county. This book engagingly recounts the parallel stories of the establishment of America's space program and its impact on the development of Brevard County.

Details

Format

Paperback

ISBN-13

9780813080550

Publisher

University Press of Florida

Published

March 5, 2024

Pages

228

Weight

12 oz

Subject

Social Science