Kennedy Space Center

The Kennedy Space Center is a NASA launch facility and research site in Brevard County on Florida's Atlantic coast. The grounds include several launch pads, a tall rocket assembly building, and various facilities for preparing crewed and uncrewed spaceflight missions.

The facility opened in 1962 as the Launch Operations Center and was renamed after President Kennedy one year later. It launched the Apollo moon missions in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later the Space Shuttle program.

The facility welcomes visitors who gather to watch rocket launches or explore public exhibits about crewed spaceflight. Astronauts and engineers work here on missions that capture the technical interest of many Americans and international guests, making the center a living place of science.

The center offers guided bus tours across the grounds that give visitors access to areas not otherwise open. Those wanting to see a launch should check public launch calendars beforehand and arrive early, as many spectators gather at viewing spots.

Some launch pads sit right on the water, so rockets lifting off pass over marshland and coastal areas that also serve as a protected wildlife refuge. This pairing of spaceflight and nature creates unusual sightings, such as alligators or eagles near technical installations.

Location: Brevard County

Inception: July 1, 1959

Elevation above the sea: 3 m

Part of: Eastern Range

Website: http://nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/home

GPS coordinates: 28.58528,-80.65083

Latest update: December 3, 2025 07:59