An entire chapter of U.S. history has been written at the John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Located on the east coast of Florida approximately midway between Jacksonville and Miami, the 140,000 acres (56,700 hectares) controlled by the Center represent a melding of technology and nature. Wildlife thrives here, alongside the immense steel-and-concrete structures of the nation's major launch base. KSC is a national wildlife refuge, and part of its coastal area is a national seashore by agreement between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Department of the Interior. KSC extends about 34 miles (55 kilometers) from north to south and measures 10 miles (16 kilometers) at its widest point. Located primarily on Merritt Island, the facility is bounded on the east by the Atlantic Ocean and the Banana River, and on the west by the Indian River. The northern boundary is some 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of Daytona Beach, and the southern tip is just across the Banana River from Port Canaveral.

The nerve center of KSC is Launch Complex 39. This is the location of the Vehicle Assembly Building, where Saturn V vehicles were once prepared for launch. This massive building is now the NASA assembly site for the Space Shuttle.

Some 3.5 miles (5.6 kilometers) to the east of the assembly building are the two launch pads where journeys into space begin. Five miles (eight kilometers) south is the KSC Industrial Area, where many of the Center's support facilities are located. First Apollo and now Shuttle crews prepare here for the next mission. Here also are the administrative headquarters for KSC operations, the offices of the Center director and other NASA and contractor managers.

Spaceport USA, the KSC visitors center, is located on the NASA Causeway (an extension of State Road 405), south of Titusville, and six miles east (9.6 kilometers) from U.S. Highway 1. Available to visitors at no cost are displays of spacecraft, rockets and space equipment; space and aeronautic exhibits; and space science films and demonstrations.

As the role of the spaceport changed with the demands of the national space program, the organization of KSC altered to meet those needs. In keeping with NASA's philosophy of using private industry and the nation's universities wherever possible, the majority of KSC employees work for aerospace contractors. In addition to the work tasks required to assemble, process and launch the Space Shuttle, its payloads and crews, a variety of support functions are necessary to keep this large installation operating.

KSC is one of 12 NASA field installations spread across the nation.

Source: The Kennedy Space Center

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