Cape Canaveral
FAQFrequently asked questions
What is Cape Canaveral and where is it?
This is a cape on the Atlantic coast of Florida, in Brevard County. It became famous not for beaches, but for rockets - the US Space Force station and the Kennedy Space Center are located here.
Why are rockets launched from here?
The cape faces east, so the rockets launch in the direction of Earth's rotation and steal some speed from the planet for free. Plus the ocean is ahead - if something goes wrong, it will fall into the water, not on your head.
What can a tourist see here?
Kennedy Space Center guest complex with exhibits and bus tours. It gathers more than three million visitors a year, so it is unlikely that you will be able to be alone with the rocket.
Where did the name come from?
Spanish navigators called the place Cañaveral - that is, "cape cane", because there was enough of it here. Space came much later.
Has this cape always been called that?
Almost. From 1964 to 1973, he visited Cape Kennedy in honor of the president, and then the old name was returned. And the first rocket (trophy German V-2 named Bumper 8) took off from here back in 1950.
