TheSpace Coast is a region in theU.S. state ofFlorida around theKennedy Space Center (KSC) andCape Canaveral Space Force Station. It is one of several"themed" coasts around Florida. All orbital launches from American soil carrying NASA astronauts (running fromProject Mercury in 1961 to the end of theSpace Shuttle program in 2011, and since 2020 using theSpaceX Dragon 2) have departed from either KSC or Cape Canaveral. The Space Force Station has also launched unmanned military and civilian rockets. Cities in the area includePort St. John,Titusville,Cocoa,Rockledge,Cape Canaveral,Merritt Island (unincorporated),Cocoa Beach,Melbourne,Satellite Beach,Indian Harbour Beach,Indialantic,Melbourne Beach,Palm Bay, andViera (unincorporated). Much of the area lies withinBrevard County. It is bounded on the south by theTreasure Coast, on the west byCentral Florida including Orlando (and is economically tied to that region), on the north byVolusia County, and on the east by the Atlantic Ocean.
One reason rockets are launched from the Space Coast has to do with the Earth's rotation. The Earth rotates from west to east, most quickly at the equator, and to take advantage of this, adding the speed of rotation to the orbital velocity of the rocket, it is most beneficial to launch eastward from a location near the equator. Launching from an uninhabited location on an easterly coast at low latitude, minimizing the danger posed by debris from a failed launch, is ideal both for the safety of the people on the ground and forfuel efficiency of the rocket. Given the high population densities in coastalTexas, South Florida, and Puerto Rico, the Space Coast is often considered the best location when all factors are taken into account.[1]
Many places near the Cape are named for subjects relating to the US space program including vehicles, astronauts, and the spaceport itself.
When the region became too heavily populated to be served by only onearea code, a local resident Robert Osband (aka Richard Cheshire)[15] discovered thatarea code 321 was not assigned to any other territory (though it was being considered for the suburban Chicago area).[notes 1] If each number is pronounced individually—"3, 2, 1"—the pronunciation resembles thecountdown before liftoff; thus, the resident petitioned for the code to be assigned to the Space Coast region. His efforts were popular among local residents and resulted in success; the new code officially became effective on November 1, 1999.[16][17]
Because it is home toKennedy Space Center andCape Canaveral Space Force Station the local area is popular with visitors to watch rocket launches in person. Over 100,000 people are believed to have been present in February 2018 for theFalcon Heavy test flight.[18] It is home toKennedy Space Center Visitor Complex,US Space Walk of Fame, and theAir Force Space and Missile Museum. Nearly 1 million people were present to watch thelast space shuttle launch in 2011. 150,000 people were present for theCrew Dragon Demo-2 launch. The area is also home to many space-themed businesses. 750,000 to 900,000 people gathered on the space coast to watch theApollo 11 launch in 1969.[19]
The area also sees Christmas tourism, as thousands of people attend theSurfing Santas festival inCocoa Beach (by Cape Canaveral) over the holiday season.[20] Cocoa Beach attracts all types of people looking for a vacation because of the beachy location. A weekend here may have people stopping by a surf museum or shopping at a tiki gallery.[21]
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Brevard Business News is a weekly newspaper inMelbourne, Florida, United States covering business news and trends for the Space Coast. Fred Krupski started Brevard Business News in 1981,[22] and Adrienne B. Roth purchased it in 1986. Other media outlets serving the Brevard County community include the Florida Today, Space Coast Daily, Hometown News, Spectrum TV 13 and numerous radio stations. Several national TV network affiliates based in Orlando also cover Brevard County news.[15]
