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Cape Canaveral

Coordinates:28°28′N80°32′W/ 28.46°N 80.53°W/28.46; -80.53
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This article is about the area of Florida. For the city, seeCape Canaveral, Florida.For the port, seePort Canaveral.For the rocket launch sites, seeCape Canaveral Space Force StationandKennedy Space Center.

Cape Canaveral
Spanish:Cabo Cañaveral
Cape
View of Cape Canaveral from space in 1991
View of Cape Canaveral from space in 1991
Cape Canaveral is located in Florida
Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral
Location inFlorida
Cape Canaveral is located in the United States
Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral
Cape Canaveral (the United States)
Coordinates:28°28′N80°32′W/ 28.46°N 80.53°W/28.46; -80.53
LocationFlorida,United States
Offshore water bodiesAtlantic Ocean
Elevation3.1 m (10 ft)[1]

Cape Canaveral(Spanish:Cabo Cañaveral) is acapeinBrevard County, Florida,in theUnited States,near the center of the state'sAtlanticcoast. OfficiallyCape Kennedyfrom 1963 to 1973, it lies east ofMerritt Island,separated from it by theBanana River.It is part of a region known as theSpace Coast,and is the site of theCape Canaveral Space Force Station.Since many U.S. spacecraft have been launched from both the station and theKennedy Space Centeron adjacentMerritt Island,the two are sometimesconflatedwith each other.

Other features of the cape includePort Canaveral,one of the busiestcruise portsin the world, and theCape Canaveral Lighthouse.The city ofCape Canaverallies just south of the Port Canaveral District.[2]Mosquito Lagoon,theIndian River,Merritt Island National Wildlife RefugeandCanaveral National Seashoreare also features of this area.

History

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See also:Cape Canaveral, Florida
A section of a map from the 1584 edition ofAbraham Ortelius'sTheatrum Orbis Terrarum, Additamentum IIIshowing the nameC. de Cañareal

Humans have occupied the area for at least 12,000 years.[3]

During the middleArchaic period,from 5000BCto 2000 BC, theMount Taylor periodculture region covered northeast Florida, including the area around Cape Canaveral. Late in the Archaic period, from 2000 BC to 500 BC, the Mount Taylor culture was succeeded by theOrange culture,which was among the earliest cultures inNorth Americato produce pottery. The Orange culture was followed by theSt. Johns culture,from 500 BC until after European contact. The area around the Indian River was in the Indian River variant of the St. Johns culture, with influences from theBelle Glade cultureto the south.[4]

During thefirst Spanish colonial periodthe area around theIndian River,to the south of Cape Canaveral, was occupied by theAis people,while the area around theMosquito Lagoon,to the north of the Cape, was occupied by theSurruquepeople. The Surruque were allied with the Ais, but it is not clear whether the Surruque spoke aTimucua language,or a language related to theAis language.[5]

In the early 16th century, Cape Canaveral was noted on maps, although without being named. It was named bySpanishexplorers in the first half of the 16th century asCabo Cañaveral.The name "Canaveral" (cañaveralinSpanish,meaning 'reed bed' or 'sugarcaneplantation') is the third oldest surviving European place name in the United States.[note 1]The first application of the name, according to theSmithsonian Institution,was from the 1521–1525 explorations of Spanish explorerFrancisco Gordillo.[7]A point of land jutting out into an area of theAtlantic Oceanwith swift currents, it became a landing spot for many shipwrecked sailors. An early alternative name was "Cape of Currents". By at least 1564, the name appeared on maps.[7]

English privateerJohn Hawkinsand his journalist John Sparke gave an account of their landing at Cape Canaveral in the 16th century.[8]A Presbyterian missionary was wrecked here and lived among the Indians.[9]Other histories tell of French survivors fromJean Ribault's colony atFort Caroline,whose ship theTrinitéwrecked on the shores of Cape Canaveral in 1565, and built a fort from its timbers.[10][11]

In December 1571,Pedro Menéndezwas wrecked off the Coast of Cape Canaveral and encountered the Ais Indians.[12]From 1605 to 1606, theSpanish Governor of FloridaPedro de IbarrasentAlvaro Mexiaon a diplomatic mission to the Ais Indian nation. The mission was a success; diplomatic ties were made and an agreement for the Ais to receive ransoms for all the shipwrecked sailors they returned.[12]

The firstCape Canaveral Lighthousewas completed in January 1848 to warn ships of the coral shoals off the coast.[13]

The hurricane of August 1885, pushed a "wall of water" over the barrier island (elevation, 3.1 m (10 ft)) devastating Cape Canaveral and adjacent areas. The ocean waves flooded thehomesteadersand discouraged further settlement in the area. The beach near the lighthouse was severely eroded prompting its relocation 1.6 km (0.99 mi) west inland.[14]

The 1890 graduating class ofHarvard Universitystarted a gun club called the "Canaveral Club" at the Cape.[note 2]This was founded by C. B. Horton of Boston and George H. Reed. A number of distinguished visitors including presidentsGrover ClevelandandBenjamin Harrisonwere reported to have stayed here. In the 1920s, the grand building fell into disrepair and later burned to the ground.[15]

In the 20th century, several communities sprang up in Cape Canaveral with names like Canaveral, Canaveral Harbor, Artesia and De Soto Beach. While the area was predominantly a farming and fishing community, some visionaries saw its potential as a resort for vacationers. However, thestock market crash of 1929hampered its development.[16]In the 1930s, a group of wealthy journalists started a community called "Journalista Beach", now called Avon by the Sea. The Brossier brothers built houses in this area and started a publication entitled theEvening Star Reporterthat was the forerunner of theOrlando Sentinel.[17]

Construction ofPort Canaveralfor military and commercial purposes was started in July 1950 and dedicated on 4 November 1953.[18]Congressapproved the construction of a deep-water port in 1929, half a century after it was first petitioned by theU.S. Navyin 1878. It is now the major deep-water port ofCentral Florida.[19]

Rocket launch site

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Main article:Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Cape Canaveral Space Force Station,in green, occupies northern Cape Canaveral;Kennedy Space Center,in white, occupies northern Merritt Island

Cape Canaveral became the test site for missiles when the legislation for theJoint Long Range Proving Groundwas passed by the81st Congressand signed byPresidentHarry Trumanon 11 May 1949. Work began on 9 May 1950, under a contract with theDuval Engineering CompanyofJacksonville, Florida,to build the Cape's first paved access road and its first permanent launch site.[18]

The first rocket launched at the Cape was aV-2 rocketnamedBumper 8fromLaunch Complex 3on 24 July 1950. On 6 February 1959, the first successful test firing of aTitan intercontinental ballistic missilewas accomplished.NASA'sProject MercuryandGeminispace flights were launched from Cape Canaveral, as wereApolloflights using theSaturn IandSaturn IBrockets.[20]

Cape Canaveral was chosen for rocket launches to take advantage of the Earth's rotation. The linear velocity of the Earth's surface is greatest towards theequator;the relatively southerly location of the cape allows rockets to take advantage of this by launching eastward, in the same direction as the Earth's rotation. It is also highly desirable to have thedownrangearea sparsely populated, in case of accidents; an ocean is ideal for this.[21]The east coast of Florida has logistical advantages over potential competing sites.[18]TheSpaceport Florida Launch Complex 46of theCape Canaveral Space Force Stationis the easternmost near the tip of the cape.[21]

In 1999, theNorth American Numbering Plan Administrationallocated telephonearea code 321(as in a launchcountdown) to the Cape Canaveral area in homage to its spacefaring heritage.[22]

Name changes

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A post office in the area was built and listed in theU.S. Post Officeapplication as "Artesia" and retained this name from 1893 to 1954.[23]It was "Port Canaveral" from 1954 to 1962, and then the City of Cape Canaveral from 1962 to 1963, when a larger post office was built.

In 1963, PresidentLyndon Johnsonissued anexecutive orderrenaming the area "Cape Kennedy", after PresidentJohn F. Kennedy,who had set the goal of landing on theMoon.After Kennedy's assassination in November 1963, his widow,Jacqueline Kennedy,suggested to Johnson that renaming the Cape Canaveral facility would be an appropriate memorial. Johnson recommended the renaming of the entire cape, announced in a televised address on November 28, 1963, six days after the assassination, onThanksgivingevening.[24][25][26][27]Accordingly, Cape Canaveral was officiallyrenamedCape Kennedy.[21][28]Kennedy's last visit to the space facility was on 16 November 1963, six days before his death;[29][30] [31]thefinalMercurymission had concluded six months earlier.

Although the name change was approved by theU.S. Board on Geographic Namesof theDepartment of the Interiorin December 1963,[32]it was not popular in Florida from the outset,[28][33][34]especially in the borderingcity of Cape Canaveral.In May 1973, theFlorida Legislaturepassed a law restoring the former 400-year-old name,[35][36]and the Board went along. The name restoration to Cape Canaveral became official on 9 October 1973.[37][38]SenatorTed Kennedyhad stated in 1970 that it was a matter to be decided by the citizens of Florida.[34]TheKennedy familyissued a letter stating they "understood the decision". NASA'sKennedy Space Centerretains the "Kennedy" name.[39]

TheGemini,[40]Apollo,[41]and the firstSkylabmissions were all launched while the area was named Cape Kennedy.[42]The first crewed launch under the restored name of Cape Canaveral wasSkylab 4,the final Skylab mission, on 16 November 1973.[43][44]

Notes

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  1. ^Floridawas named earlier, April 2, 1513, byPonce de Leon,whose men also namedLas Tortugas,nowDry Tortugas.From the account by Spanish historianAntonio de Herrera y Tordesillaspublished in 1601[6]
  2. ^The 1865Jules VernenovelFrom the Earth to the Moonlocated its "Baltimore Gun Club" which sent the mission to the Moon about 100 miles away.Mike Gruntman(2004).Blazing the Trail: The Early History Spacecraft and Rocketry.Library of Flight. Reston, Virginia: International Academy of Aeronautics and Astronautics. p. 302.ISBN978-1563477058.

References

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  1. ^"Cape Canaveral Map (Florida)".Yellow Maps. Archived fromthe originalon 28 December 2016.Retrieved13 October2013.
  2. ^"Cargo Destinations Locator Map"(PDF).Port Canaveral Official Website. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 13 August 2012.Retrieved13 October2013.
  3. ^Zimmerman, Vera"The First Settlers, 10,000 BC to 1820"ArchivedDecember 14, 2007, at theWayback MachineRetrieved on August 11, 2007
  4. ^Milanich, Jerald T. (1994).Archaeology of Precolumbian Florida.Gainesville, Florida: University Press of Florida. pp. 887–95, 244–247.ISBN0-8130-1273-2.
  5. ^Hann, John H. (2003).Indians of Central and South Florida 1513–1763.Gainesville, Florida: University Press of Florida. p. 6.ISBN0-8130-2645-8.
  6. ^Stewart, George R. (1945).Names on the Land: An Historical Account of Place-Naming in the United States.New York: Random House. pp. 11–13.
  7. ^ab"The History of Cape Canaveral, Chapter 1: Cape Canaveral Before Rockets (B.C.–1948)".Spaceline, Inc.Retrieved29 December2008.
  8. ^Chatelain, Verne E. (1941),The defenses of Spanish Florida: 1565 to 1763,Carnegie Institution of Washington publication, Nr. 511, Carnegie Institution, p. 10,OCLC603544979
  9. ^Ranson, Robert (1989),East Coast Florida Memoirs 1837 to 1886(reprint ed.), Florida Classics Library,ISBN9780912451091
  10. ^Osborne 2008, p. 3
  11. ^Brammer, Robert (2 October 2018)."District Court finds the Shipwreck Discovered off the Coast of Florida is la Trinité from the Lost French Colony of Fort Caroline".Library of Congress.Retrieved23 November2022.
  12. ^abRouse, Irving (1981).Survey of Indian River Archaeology.Yale University Publications in Anthropology 45.ISBN978-0-404-15668-8.
  13. ^"Img_0338 (Cape Canaveral Lighthouse Florida heritage marker)"ArchivedJune 18, 2013, at theWayback MachineCape Canaveral Lighthouse Foundation Retrieved on November 10, 2012
  14. ^Williams, John M. and Duedall, Iver W."Florida Hurricanes and Tropical Storms, Revised Edition" (from National Sea Grant Digital Library)ArchivedApril 4, 2014, at theWayback Machinepage 7 University Press of Florida
  15. ^Osborne 2008, pp. 18–20
  16. ^Osborne 2008, pp. 39–42
  17. ^Osborne 2008, p. 40
  18. ^abc"Evolution of the 45th Space Wing"ArchivedJune 13, 2011, at theWayback Machine.Patrick Air Force Base Official Website Retrieved on October 13, 2013
  19. ^"A Proud History"ArchivedOctober 16, 2013, at theWayback MachinePort Canaveral Official Website Retrieved on October 13, 2013
  20. ^Lethbridge, Clifford J. (2013)"Cape Canaveral Launch Chronology, From July 1950 to September 2013"Spaceline.org Retrieved on October 13, 2013
  21. ^abc"Historical Programs – Cape Canaveral – The Cape Canaveral Name"Kennedy Space Center official website Retrieved on October 13, 2013 Archived from theoriginalon October 6, 2013
  22. ^"3-2-1, Call Cape Canaveral".The New York Times.23 November 1999. p. 6.Retrieved13 October2013.
  23. ^Osborne 2008, p. 42
  24. ^"It's Cape Kennedy now".Daytona Beach Morning Journal.Florida. Associated Press. 29 November 1963. p. 1.
  25. ^Webb, Alvin B. Jr. (29 November 1963)."Cape Canaveral now Cape Kennedy".Eugene Register-Guard.Florida. UPI. p. 4A.
  26. ^Warden, Philip (29 November 1963)."Canaveral renamed for John F. Kennedy".Chicago Tribune.p. 1, sec. 1.
  27. ^"Cape's space center named for Kennedy".Chicago Tribune.30 November 1963. p. 3, sec. 1.
  28. ^ab"Cape Kennedy remains despite the opposition".The Victoria Advocate.Texas. Associated Press. 8 December 1963. p. 7A.
  29. ^"JFK views test firing of Polaris".Eugene Register-Guard.Oregon. Associated Press. 16 November 1963. p. 1A.
  30. ^"Kennedy watches firing".Sarasota Herald-Tribune.Florida. UPI. 17 November 1963. p. 1.
  31. ^Young, Robert (17 November 1963)."Stage missile show at Cape for Kennedy".Chicago Tribune.p. 1, sec. 1.
  32. ^Osborne 2008, p. 88
  33. ^"Canaveral's name change isn't simple".Chicago Tribune.Associated Press. 30 November 1963. p. 3, sec. 1.
  34. ^ab"Senators ask for Canaveral".Daytona Beach Morning Journal.Florida. Associated Press. 26 November 1970. p. 17.
  35. ^"House approves renaming Cape Kennedy".Daytona Beach Morning Journal.Florida. 19 May 1973. p. 2A.
  36. ^Fla. S.B. 217, ch. 73-369 (1973)
  37. ^Lethbridge, Clifford J."Cape History".Spaceline.org.Retrieved23 March2011.
  38. ^"Cape Kennedy is now Cape Canaveral".Lakeland Ledger.(Florida). (Washington Post). 10 October 1973. p. 8A.
  39. ^Hoyt, Clark (16 February 1972)."Senate Hearing Slated on Renaming Cape".Miami Herald.Retrieved23 November2022.
  40. ^"Gemini success spurs space hopes".Eugene Register-Guard.Oregon. Associated Press. 9 April 1964. p. 2A.
  41. ^"Astronaut says: 'Little late, but good show!'".Eugene Register-Guard.Oregon. Associated Press. 7 December 1972. p. 1A.
  42. ^"Skylab linkup due today".Eugene-Register-Guard.Oregon. wire services. 28 July 1973. p. 1A.
  43. ^"Skylab astronauts set for 9:01 launch today".Daytona Beach Morning Journal.Florida. 16 November 1973. p. 1A.
  44. ^"Third Skylab crew fired aloft".Spokane Daily Chronicle.Washington. Associated Press. 16 November 1973. p. 1.

Sources

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