50 YA: NASA Buys more land for Cape Canaveral

View from the 1960's.

50 Years ago, the US Senate approved a resolution granting NASA funds to purchase more land for the expansion of Cape Canaveral launch facilities. The Air Force station at Cape Canaveral would continue to be used throughout the Mercury and Gemini programs, and would include the testing for Apollo 1. However, plans for the Apollo Program required an enlargement of the launch area and the construction of larger, more complex launch structures.

Map of launch facilities.

Looking at the map, Cape Canaveral US Air Force Station extends from the bottom of the Cape through to LC 41, where Atlas rockets are still launched today. North of that area, is actual NASA Kennedy Space Center land, hosting the Apollo program launch pads and the great trackway from the VAB (Vehicle Assembly Building) to the 2 complexes which were used for Apollo and the Space Shuttles until just recently.