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Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

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Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is home to the United States Air Force Space Command’s 45th Space Wing. This is where many of today’s rocket launches take place, but it’s also the launch site of many American space pioneers including the first U.S. Earth satellite, the first U.S. astronaut, and the first U.S. astronaut in orbit, to name a few. While most of Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is closed to the public, you can tour the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse with an official lighthouse tour.

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Cali Villas

Cali Villas offers a boutique hotel experience with the privacy of a vacation rental.

Pure Aloha Surf School

Bringing you the best Hawaiian Surf Experience from the North Shore of Oahu here in Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral. Here at Pure Aloha Surf School we strive to make everyone comfortably learn the basics of surfing! We provide Beginner Surfing Lessons, Intermediate and Advance lessons. We have board rentals…

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Tropic Ice Cream

36+ flavors of hand dipped ice cream, oat based non dairy, sorbets. Hand spun milk shakes and malts using any flavor of ice cream. Specialty sundaes and Ice cream soda floats. Shaved ice with the option to add sweetened condensed milk.

Ellie Mae’s Tiki Bar

Neighborhood Tiki Bar and Restaurant which is both family and pet friendly!

Sassy Spoon Restaurant & Catering

Sassy Spoon, a culinary adventure like no other! Our restaurant is a fusion of flavors, offering a diverse and exciting menu that showcases the best of American, Indian, Chinese, Thai, Caribbean, and international cuisine. Sassy Spoon offers gourmet food at affordable prices.

Kik it Up! Enjoy more on your beach vacation. No Car or Parking Hassles to handle. Just scan the QR code, give it a kik and go! Orangekik Electric Scooters are Fun, Safe and Reliable. Wide, slip resistant floor boards, Dual handle Brakes, turning signals and an onboard phone charger/holder…

Checkmate Charters

Welcome to Checkmate Fishing Charters! Located just 45 minutes east of the Orlando International Airport, we provide the best fishing charters in Cocoa Beach and Cape Canaveral! Our full service, guided fishing charters bring the riveting experience of ocean fishing to you and your friends and family. Come chase the…

C Suite Fishing Charters

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TownePlace Suites by Marriott – Cape Canaveral / Cocoa Beach

Designed for longer stays, our property features fully equipped kitchens, lobby bar, poolside beverage service with covered seating. Hydro-stations throughout the hotel. 24-hr fitness and business center. Meeting space to accommodate groups up to 30. Balconies in select suites offering fantastic views of port, rocket launches and the Banana River.

Space Coast Recreational Rentals and Sales

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Spring Festival

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Civil War Living History Day

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St. Patrick’s Day River Cruise

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Space Coast State Fair

Field Manor Founders’ Day Fundraiser

Free Family Fun Surf Day

$39 million beach restoration project protects wildlife while protecting way of life.

$39 Million Beach Restoration Project Protects Wildlife While Protecting Way of Life. Beach restoration on Florida’s Space Coast began as an effort to protect the 72-mile-long coastline from threats posed by beach erosion and storms. Today, the project is receiving national recognition for creating healthy habitats for coastal wildlife and...

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Canaveral Tours

Explore the Natural Wonders and Historical Monuments of Cape Canaveral and Merritt Island

Merritt Island Wildlife Tour

Spaceflight and lighthouse tour, cruise ship port of call, lighthouse & spaceflight tour.

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Cape Canaveral Lighthouse & Spaceflight Tours transports you on a journey through the evolution of exploration as we visit the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse that guided the first explorers around the Florida coast, to the location that propelled our ships into orbit, and look toward the new frontier of planetary travel.

Canaveral Tours provides tours of the Canaveral Lighthouse and Canaveral Space Force Station. Our 4-hour tour provides the History of the Cape from early settlers to current space programs. The tour takes you to the lighthouse, where you are provided a guided tour by a Lighthouse Foundation guide. The tour route includes “abandoned in place” launch complexes from the beginning missile program. Visit Launch Complex 26 and step inside the blockhouse where we launched our first satellite into space. See the Redstone rocket on display that sent Alan Shephard and Gus Grissom into space. Walk where we first launched a man into space. Many exhibits of space artifacts and operations for the space program. Special events and private tours are also available.

Wildlife Group Tour

Our tour takes your group of up to 10 guests to the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge, Canaveral National Seashore and Indian River, home to over 500 species of wildlife including many that are threatened and endangered. A variety of habitats are found in the 140,000 acres and 24 miles of barrier island, including coastal dunes, saltwater marshes, pinewood flats, and hardwood hammocks. This protected area around the Kennedy Space Center and NASA facilities was created for the purpose of providing habitats for migratory birds, wildlife diversity, endangered and threatened species, and to grant access for recreation, observation, and education of wildlife activities.

Airboat & Hold a Gator Crawl

No sweat tour. We provide transportation and reservations for your Airboat Experience. Your tour guide provides information and stories about the surrounding landscape and wildlife of Florida during your trip. The knowledgeable tour guide will share information and multi-media presentations that give you a great overview of the ecology and history of the area keeping your group engaged and entertained.

Airboat rides at Midway  is a 5-star attraction with great boats and captains. You can enjoy their animal encounter and an opportunity to hold a Gator! There is a store with snacks, beverages, and every gator souvenir you might want.

Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

The Cape is an installation of Space Launch Delta 45 adjacent to Kennedy Space Center on Florida's Space Coast. Coupled with Patrick Space Force Base, the Cape functions as the World's Premier Gateway to Space.

Our primary museum exhibits on the Cape are located on Launch Complex 26, the Sands Space History Center, and Hangar C.

Located in Florida, the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station is also known as Cape Canaveral Auxiliary Space Force Base, Cape Canaveral Missile Test Annex, Cape Kennedy Air Force Station, Cape Canaveral Air Station, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES

Cape Canaveral Space Force Station was designated a National Historic Landmark on 16 April 1984 by the nation Park Service.

• National Register of Historic Places web site
• National Registry application form (PDF)
• National Historic Landmark Monument

Besides Cape Canaveral which is home to Patrick Space Force Base and our museum facilities, Vandenburg Air Force Base in California is also home to several other historic launch complexes of note.

LAUNCH COMPLEXES & RELATED FACILITIES

* Launch complex or pad planned but never built.

Launch Complexes

Launch complexes a, b, c, d, launch complexes 1-2, launch complexes 3-4, launch complex 5/6, launch complexes 7-8*, launch complexes 9-10, launch complex 11, launch complex 12, launch complex 13, launch complex 14, launch complex 15, launch complex 16, launch complex 17, launch complex 18, launch complex 19, launch complex 20, launch complexes 21 -22, launch complexes 23-24, launch complex 25, launch complex 26, launch complex 27*, launch complex 28*, launch complex 29, launch complex 30, launch complexes 31-32, launch complex 33*, launch complex 34, launch complex 35*, launch complex 36, launch complex 37 (active), launch complex 38*, ksc launch complex 39 (active), integrate-transfer-launch (itl) complex, launch complex 40 (active), launch complex 41 (active), launch complex 42*, launch complex 43, launch complex 44, launch complex 45, launch complex 46, launch complex 47, other launch sites, air launches on the eastern range, sea launches on the eastern range, cape and range facilities, weather balloon station, support aircraft for the eastern range, advanced range instrumentation aircraft (aria), barton freeway, bourne picnic pavilion, graduate engineering education system (genesys), guided missile control facility no.1, industrial area, mercury control center, morrell operations center (moc), mother nature and space technology, phillips parkway, pump station 1, range control center (rcc), support ships on the eastern range, historical sites, cape canaveral lighthouse, legend of the moon tree, old pioneer cemetery, original cape canaveral lighthouse site, sunday time capsule, related history, the lighthouse that never fails, markers, memorials, sites, and stories, memorial to cape industrial fatalities, organization and installation name history.

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Kennedy Space Center Offering Tours of Previously Restricted Areas for First Time Ever

Our country’s space history has never been easier to discover.

Good news for space enthusiasts! Florida's Kennedy Space Center is expanding their offerings with two new tours that offer visitors the chance to get a behind-the-scenes look at our country's early space program. Tour attendees are given never-before-granted access to areas of the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station previously closed to the public. For any budding astronauts in your life, a trip to the center may be the ultimate spring break destination !

The Cape Canaveral Early Space tour takes visitors to the historic site where America's space program was born on the coast of Florida in 1950. Before NASA built Kennedy Space Center, rockets were launched into Earth's orbit from pads at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The historic military site, now known as Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, includes the launch complexes for both the Mercury and Gemini missions, as well as a memorial site for the Apollo 1 crew. The 2.5-hour tour gives plenty of time to explore all three locations, as well as the Air Force Space & Missile Museum. The tour costs $25 for adults and $19 for children.

The second tour, the Cape Canaveral Rise to Spacetour, gives a more expansive space history education with a docent-led tour of restricted and historic areas of the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The $75, 4.5-hour tour begins in the Sands Space History Center, then continues to the Pad 26 Blockhouse and historic Hangar C, the first permanent and oldest surviving structure at the complex. Tour attendees will have the chance to see America's first intercontinental ballistic missile, as well as the historic launch sites for Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo 1 offered in the Early Space tour. The tour also offers the opportunity to see the historic Cape Canaveral Lighthouse.

WATCH: The Reason Visitors Leave Bananas, Not Flowers, On the Grave of America's Original Astronaut

To attend the special behind-the-scenes tours, guests must pre-register and provide a passport or government-issued ID. Tours leave by bus from the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Admission to the Kennedy Space Center is not included with the purchase of a tour ticket but it is required.

Do you have a space lover in your life who would love these new tours?

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Launch Into History with a Cape Canaveral Lighthouse & Space Tour

Cape Canaveral’s history is rooted in exploration. From the indigenous people who migrated to the area thousands of years ago to those brave pioneers who launched into the cosmos in the 50s. While not much is known of the early people who lived here, some museums and tours tell the story of America’s space program. One such tour, and the only authorized tour company to access the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, is Canaveral Lighthouse Tours. The standard tour is approximately 4 hours and covers a lot.

Disclosure: Some links on our site are affiliate links. If you purchase a linked item, we will make a commission, at no extra charge to you.

Table of Contents

Launch complex 9.

The first stop on your tour is at Launch Complex 9. It was used for testing the SM-64 Navaho missiles. The Navaho was a supersonic, nuclear-armed cruise missile. The Navaho program was canceled due to poor performance of the missile in testing. 8 of 11 test launches of the prototype failed. However, the complex now has a somber purpose. In the abandoned missile silos located on the site are much of the remains of the Space Shuttle Challenger. The debris was lowered into the silos in early 1987 and sealed with concrete caps. Your visit is a solemn reminder of the dangers of space exploration.

Cape Canaveral Lighthouse

The next stop along the tour is at the lighthouse. The Cape Canaveral Light, as it is known, is the only fully operational lighthouse owned by the United States Space Force. It is also the oldest standing structure on the Cape. The light was first established in 1848 to warn mariners of the shoals 13 nautical miles off the coast of the Cape. The original light was a conical brick tower that stood 65 feet (20 M) and was lit by 15 Lewis Lamps powered with whale oil. However, the light was heavily criticized with complaints that the light was too weak and too low to adequately warn ships until it was too late. 

In 1860, the US Government approved the construction of a new lighthouse to address these concerns. Construction was halted during the Civil War and resumed at its conclusion. Instead of brick, the replacement tower was to be made of cast iron plates. This was to reduce costs and allow the tower to be disassembled and reassembled at a new location to escape the encroaching sea. The interior of the tower was lined with bricks to add stability and insulation. This new lighthouse, completed in 1868, was outfitted with a first-order Fresnel Lens (pronounced Frey-nel). In a Fresnel Lens, hundreds of specially cut pieces of glass surround the lamp. The design intensifies the glow of the light into a single, intense beam that can be aimed in a specific direction. These lenses meant that the light could be seen from greater distances, increasing its safety for mariners navigating by it. 

The lower three levels of the lighthouse served as the living quarters for the keepers. There is a complete kitchen, living room, and bedrooms. The entrance is on the third floor and is accessible by an exterior staircase. This was to withstand flooding from storm surges and hurricanes. But, as anyone who visits Florida in the summer can attest, living in a cast iron lighthouse soon became unbearable. So keepers and their families built makeshift dwellings on the grounds until 1876 when the Government allocated $12,000 to construct permanent housing. These floors are accessible with the tour and are a great glimpse into what living in these would be like in the 19th Century.

When President Truman signed Public Law 60, on May 11, 1949, Cape Canaveral became the Joint Long Range Proving Ground. A site used for missile testing by the military. When rockets began launching from the Cape in the early 50s, all its residents were relocated except for the lighthouse keepers. But even they were relocated in 1960, with the automation of the light. Ownership transferred from the Coast Guard to the Air Force on December 14, 2000. In 2002, the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse Foundation was formed to preserve the history of the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse and provide tours to the public. 

Next to the lighthouse is Hangar C, the oldest missile assembly building on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. It was completed in July 1953. Only 3 years after the first rocket was launched from the Cape. For 3 years, from 1953 to 1956, it was the only permanent missile assembly building on the Cape. Because of this, nearly every type of Air Force long-range guided missile program between those years utilized the hangar. It also played a supporting role in the U.S. Navy’s Project Vanguard, the country’s first official satellite program and the second successful satellite program after the Army’s Explorer series. It remained an assembly building until 1994. Although similar to other Air Force hangars, missile assembly buildings such as Hangar C were configured differently. Along the sides of the large, open central space were labs, workshops, storage areas, and offices. 

Wernher von Braun and his Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA) teams were the first to use Hangar C.  Mr. von Braun even had an office on the second floor. Some of the other programs that used the hangar were the Bomarc surface-to-air ramjet missile, Navaho, Matador, Mace, and the tethered lighter-than-air (or TELTA) program. Today, the Air Force Space & Missile Museum showcases around 30 rocket and missile restorations.

Launch Complex 5/6 (and Launch Complex 26)

Your last stop is at Launch Complex 5/6, adjacent to Launch Complex 26. The name derives from the early practice of naming the complex after the pad number. Early launch complexes had a single pad making the naming very straightforward. Launch Complex 1 hosted pad 1 and so forth. However, Launch Complex 5/6 hosted two pads on a single complex, giving it a unique designator. Later, the naming practice of using a numeric designator for the launch complex with an alphabetic designator for the pad resulted in Pads 26A and 26B on Launch Complex 26. 

Complex 5/6 was the launch site of the early Mercury-Redstone flights. Including Mercury-Redstone 3 (MR-3) on May 5, 1961. It was the first manned launch by the United States with Alan Shepard onboard. Mercury-Redstone 4 (MR-4) followed on July 21, 1961, with Gus Grissom. Both were launched from Pad 5 and flew sub-orbital missions. The interior of the blockhouse contains much of the original equipment that was used to launch the Mercury Redstone flights.

Pad 5 has a full-sized replica of a Mercury-Redstone vehicle and Pad 6 has a launch ring set atop the pad scale. These pads were extensively modified for these missions and, as a result, were never used again after Grissom’s flight. 

Do I have to take a tour? 

Because the Lighthouse and Launch Complexes are located on Cape Canaveral Space Force Station (CCSFS), a pre-approved security clearance and escort are required. Canaveral Lighthouse Tours provided this with our reservation.

If I have a military ID, can I drive out myself?

No. Only personnel with working privileges for CCSFS can access the station without an approved tour. 

Can I go up into the lighthouse?

Yes. The first five floors are accessible and docents will escort you through and explain what you are seeing. However, you must be at least 48” tall and wear closed-toed shoes: no flip-flops, slip-on shoes, or high-heels.

Can I take pictures on the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse & Space Tour? 

Yes. You may take pictures throughout most of the tour. There are a few buildings you cannot photograph and the tour guides will tell you which buildings these are. 

How much is the tour?

Canaveral Lighthouse Tours has 4 options. Visit their website https://www.canaverallighthouse.tours/book-now/ for the most up-to-date pricing.

• Park Overview Explore Missions Zones
• Heroes and Legends Space Pioneers
• Behind the Gates Kennedy Space Center Bus Tour
• Race to the Moon Apollo Moon Landing
• Shuttle: A Ship Like No Other NASA's Space Shuttle Program
• NASA Now + Next Preparing for Journey to Mars
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• Plan Your Visit
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• Events Overview
• Event Calendar
• See A Launch
• Groups Overview Plan Events and Tours
• Youth Groups Programs and Field Trips
• Scouts Adventures for Scout Troops
• Private Events Events and Custom Tours
• International Programs and Custom Tours
• Camp KSC Day Camp for Students
• Educators Resources for Teachers
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View Rocket Launches & Be Inspired

Come face-to-face with space during special events at Kennedy Space Center. Visitors can watch rockets blast off, meet astronauts and celebrate holidays in space, just to name a few. Make space in your travels for unique and inspiring experiences during your Florida vacation.

SEE A LAUNCH

Upcoming Rocket Launches

Find out about upcoming rocket launch viewing opportunities from the visitor complex.

APR 07, 2024 | SpaceX Falcon 9 Bandwagon-1

NET APR 09, 2024 | ULA Delta IV Heavy NROL-70

NET MAY 6, 2024 | ULA Atlas V Boeing Starliner Crewed Flight Test

NET June 25, 2024 | SpaceX Falcon Heavy GOES-U

NET October 10, 2024 | SpaceX Falcon Heavy Europa Clipper

Featured events.

See what's happening at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

Meet Astronaut John Fabian

Meet Astronaut Bob Cenker

Meet Astronaut Steve Swanson

Meet Astronaut Mark Lee

Plan your trip.

Kennedy Space Center Official Guide

Train like an astronaut.

Astronaut Training Experience

Choose your journey.

Spaceport KSC

Access restricted areas with two new bus tours at Kennedy Space Center

Journey through history and gain access to restricted areas of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station onboard two new Kennedy Space Center bus tours.

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex’s bus tours have given visitors unprecedented access to locations around the birthplace of American space flight, and now the center offers two new tours –The Cape Canaveral Early Space Tour and the Cape Canaveral Rise to Space tour – available on select dates each week.

Cape Canaveral Early Space Tour

Visit the sites of the Mercury and Gemini launches while hearing stories about America’s unwavering spirit in the early days of space exploration.

The tour begins at the Air Force Space & Missile Museum at Cape Canaveral’s Pad 26, where the United States completed its first successful launch of a manmade satellite.

Journey through time as you view the sites of the Mercury and Gemini launches. Check out launch pads along the ocean’s shorefront, John Glenn’s Pad 14 Blockhouse launchpad, and Launch Complex 34’s moving memorial to the crew of Apollo 1.

Finish at the Apollo/Saturn V Center , a highlight for space enthusiasts.

Cape Canaveral Early Space Tour costs $25 per adult, $19 ages three-11, tax not included. Tours take place on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, starting at 11 a.m., and each tour is led by a space expert.

Cape Canaveral Rise to Space Tour

This tour grants access to restricted and historic areas of Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, accompanied by a space expert who will take guests to launch sites, the Sands Space History Center, the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse, and Hanger C (the oldest surviving structure at the Cape, built and used for missile assembly).

Tour groups will see artifacts in Hanger C, such as America’s first intercontinental ballistic missile, the Atlas; a Firebird missile, the only one known to still be in existence; and early space exploration artifacts, including “boiler plates” used in simulation training exercises during the Gemini and Apollo programs.

Closed-toe shoes are required, and guests must be age 14 or older to participate.

The tour –which takes place on – costs $75 per person, and does not include admission to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Tickets must be purchased at least five days in advance to allow for security protocols. Tours run on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, starting at 11 a.m.

Experiences included during each of the two bus tours may vary, depending on operational requirements, launch schedules, and availability.

Restrictions apply for all guests taking either tour, whether citizens of the U.S. or non-citizens.

All guests booking the tours must:

– pre-register for identity verification

– fill out a form prior to purchasing tickets, detailing each guest’s name, date of birth, country of birth, and passport or government-issued ID information

– bring their documentation and present it when requested (guests without documentation will not be allowed to join the tour)

– register with visitor complex security officers between 8:45 a.m. and 10 a.m. on the day of their tour

U.S. citizens ages 18 and up must present a government-issued driver’s license, passport, military ID, or U.S. state ID card.

International adult and child visitors must present an original, valid passport. Photocopies will not be accepted.

For more information, visit KennedySpaceCenter.com .

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Welcome to the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse

The Cape Canaveral Lighthouse has stood on the Cape for over 150 years. Situated amidst America’s Premier Gateway to Space, the lighthouse is owned by the United States Space Force and maintained as an active aid to navigation by the United States Coast Guard. Visits to the lighthouse, museum, and gift shop are available via prescheduled tours, only.  Open House for CCSFS badged personnel occurs every Wednesday from 10:00 – 1:00.  Hangar C will also be open during these hours.

We are open for scheduled tours, but since we are located on an active military installation, you cannot drive your own vehicle onto the facility.  Members of the public can only visit by taking a tour, which must be booked at least two days prior, to process through Space Force Security.  Active duty military with CAC cards may come onto the station to visit the lighthouse, but cannot escort non-badged visitors without prior approval of SLD 45.  Unlike most other military installations, a retired military ID will not gain you access to CCSFS.  You will have to take the public tour.  Please see our Visit page for tour information.  So make plans now to come visit us!

CAPE CANAVERAL LIGHTHOUSE VIRTUAL TOUR – created by the University of South Florida Center for Digital Heritage & Geospatial Information

CAPE CANAVERAL LIGHTHOUSE VIDEO

Check out our brochure .

Click Here for a short Spectrum News Florida on a Tankful segment about the lighthouse.

Click Here for a 12 minute video tour of the lighthouse presented by our Historian, Barbara Moser, produced by the Space Launch Delta 45 Public Affairs Office.

Click here for a 321 Liftoff Podcast about visiting the lighthouse.

Click here for a US Lighthouse Society podcast for the lighthouse.  This is an hour long podcast the first half of which is a discussion about Patos Island Light in Washington State.  The Cape Canaveral Light discussion is in the 2 nd half.

Latest News

Check out this video!   We celebrated National Lighthouse Day on August 7 th with close to 100 visitors.   Lighthouse Day is celebrated Aug. 7 in the United States to commemorate the act of the establishment and support of lighthouses by Congress in 1789. This year, lighthouses around the country participated in a video competition sponsored by the US Lighthouse Society.  Check out our entry and see the fun had by all.

On August 18-20 this year, the Kennedy Space Center Amateur Radio Club once again participated in the International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend from inside our museum.  This year they were able to take advantage for the first time of having permanent tie-downs for their radio tower in the parking lot between the lighthouse and Hangar C.  They made a total of 625 contacts with Amateur Radio operators.  Out of these, there were 15 contacts with other lighthouses and 3 lightships.  They made contact with 7 Canadians and 41 US States, including all East and West coast seaboard states.    We look forward to next year’s event!

The University of South Florida Center for Digital Heritage & Geospatial Information, just completed a virtual tour of the Cape Canaveral Light Station.  Many thanks for all their hard work and a great product that helps us share this national resource.   Cape Canaveral Lighthouse Virtual Tour

Our 4th Order Fresnel Lens on loan from the Coast Guard is now on display in th e Cape Canaveral Lighthouse Museum!

We now have a 4th Order Fresnel lens on loan from the U.S. Coast Guard. This type of lens is significant to the Cape Canaveral lighthouse as it was used twice in its history. During the Civil War, the old Winslow Lewis Lamp was removed from the original brick lighthouse when all lighthouses in the South were ordered to go dark.  After the war, a 4th Order Fresnel lens was installed in the brick lighthouse from 1865-1868, when the iron lighthouse was built and began using a 1st Order Fresnel lens. Later in 1893-1894 when the iron lighthouse was dismantled and moved a mile inland due to beach erosion concerns, a skeletal tower was built and used a 4th Order lens until the move was completed. The 4th Order lens now in the museum was made in America circa 1905 by the MacBeth-Evans Glass Company.  It’s just under 3-feet tall and likely weighs over 500 lbs.  This is definitely worth a special trip to see a Fresnel lens up close.

We had a great time on Saturday, July 15th with our quarterly Members and Brick Holders tour.  Over 60 people took advantage of this free opportunity on a beautiful day at the lighthouse.   If you’re not yet a member or brick holder, please consider becoming a member or buying a brick before our next quarterly tour so you can take advantage of this special FREE event, only open to those individuals.

Keep Brevard Beautiful partnered with us at the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse for the first ever Adopt-A-Landmark program.  This project was awarded the national Community Innovation Award by Keep America Beautiful.  Check out the video below to learn more.

The Cape Canaveral Lighthouse made #1 on the list of 10 best things to do in Cape Canaveral, Florida!  Check it out!

Merritt Island Now magazine published a wonderful follow-up article on our recent Lighthouse Keeper Grave Marker Program.  Click here to read it.

If you don’t have the time to take the regular full tour on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays (that includes space history), try our monthly special Lighthouse and Hangar C only tour.  You will be able to come just to the lighthouse for a 1+ hour visit.  You will also be able to see the tremendous collection of artifacts from the Air Force Space and Missile Museum Annex next door in Hangar C.    Click here to book your Lighthouse and Hangar C only tour, or any of Canaveral Tours’ small van tours .

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The Museums of Brevard (MOB) is a 501(C)3 nonprofit of interested museums and historic sites in Brevard County, Florida (including the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse).  Together we: advertise and promote each other’s facilities both individually and jointly; share activity information and coordinate upcoming events; share best practices and lessons learned in museum administration and management, including fundraising, grant writing and collections management; and assist other members with special requests.

Check out the MOB Brochure and see all the sites!

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Message from Our Foundation President

2023 was a particularly good year for the Lighthouse, we had over 18,000 visitors. But if January ‘24 is any indication, we are going to have a GREAT 2024 as far as visitors are concerned. We had a 79 % increase in the number of visitors this January vs January 2023. Of special note, we are seeing an increase in the number of educational tours; we had four tours in 2023 and in January alone we had three tours with more scheduled for the upcoming months, thanks to Lisa Wilson and Kate Chase, our Education Committee Co-chairs. .

At the beginning of February 2024, Cape Canaveral Lighthouse Foundation (CCLF) hosted the Florida Light-house Association (FLA) winter meeting. The meeting was held at the Beachside Motel in Cocoa Beach and was attended by sixty-six people, of which about sixty were from out of the area (more on this later). Becky Zingarelli was the main speaker, and she gave an outstanding speech explaining how we formed the museum and what we are planning to do with the next two cottages. In the afternoon, the group visited the lighthouse, and everyone was impressed with what CCLF had done since the last FLA visit in February 2019 when the museum was still under construction.

In the previous paragraph, I mentioned that about sixty people were from out of the area. This was important because the County wants to know if our Lighthouse brings visitors into the county to spend money on hotel rooms, meals, etc. before they invest in our future requests for grants. To meet their requirements, we have contracted with an independent study group to con-duct a Return-on-Investment analysis which will help determine our contribution to tourism in Brevard County. Hopefully, the results of this study will be used to qualify CCLF to receive a Brevard County Tourist Development Council (TDC) Capital Facilities Grant. The TDC was the source of our $500,000 grant in 2018 which allowed us to construct the museum.

Earlier this year, we received a TDC Cultural Support Grant of $25K. The purpose of that grant is to bring visitors to Brevard County. We must use half of the money, $12.5K on out of County marketing. We are currently spending about $5K on Orlando radio station WMFE NPR radio ads and about $8K on Facebook ads.

Every year I look forward to an annual event hosted by the US Space Force — Descendants Day. Once again CCLF is assisting the Space Force with Descendants Day on March 9, 2024. Descendants Day was started by the Air Force so that people could visit the cemeteries where their ancestors are buried at least once a year. Descendants Day is also a time to talk with the descendants and gain knowledge about the history of the Cape and the people who lived there before it became a military base. They are eager and happy to share stories about their ancestors and what it was like to live on the Cape. One of them told me that his grandfather killed 175 rattle snakes the first year he lived where the landing zones are now.

On a final note, we always include a Sponsor page in the Canaveral Beacon newsletter because our sponsors are an important part of community support, and a large contribution to all that CCLF has accomplished. Please check out the Lighthouse Sponsors on the last page (also, on the Sponsor Board in our museum) and give them your support when you can.

Please visit our website https://canaverallight.org for additional information.

Thank you for your help in keeping our light shining into the future.

Since the lighthouse is on an active military installation, it can only be reached by taking a tour

Our online shop is under construction. Please check back or visit our gift shop at the museum or Exploration Tower at Port Canaveral.

Explore and Learn

Learn about the Cape Canaveral lighthouses, from 1848 to the Space Age

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• [ April 8, 2024 ] WATCH: Paddle Through Glowing Waters During a Bioluminescence Kayak Tour On Florida’s Space Coast Accommodations
• [ April 8, 2024 ] PHOTO OF THE DAY: NASA Highlights the Gateway Space Station’s HALO Module Brevard News
• [ April 8, 2024 ] WATCH: FSU Commit, Cocoa Tigers DE Javion Hilson Earns MVP at Rivals Camp in Miami Brevard News
• [ April 8, 2024 ] OBITUARY: All World Travel Owner James Edwin Birdsall Passed Away April 1 at Age 81 Brevard News
• [ April 8, 2024 ] Brevard County Animal Services Offering Free Adoptions For the Month of April Brevard News

Home » Home » PHOTO OF THE DAY: NASA Highlights the Gateway Space Station’s HALO Module

PHOTO OF THE DAY: NASA Highlights the Gateway Space Station’s HALO Module

By NASA information center  //  April 8, 2024

Gateway will be first space station in lunar orbit

(NASA) – The Gateway space station’s HALO (Habitation and Logistics Outpost) module, one of two of Gateway’s habitation elements where astronauts will live, conduct science, and prepare for lunar surface missions, is one step closer to launch following welding completion in Turin, Italy.

HALO, shown in the above image from Oct. 23, 2023, will next undergo a series of stress tests to ensure its safety.

Upon successful completion, the future home for astronauts will travel to Gilbert, Arizona where Northrop Grumman will complete final outfitting ahead of launch to lunar orbit.

Gateway will be humanity’s first space station in lunar orbit as an essential element of the Artemis missions to return humans to the Moon for scientific discovery and chart a path for the first human missions to Mars.

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Is there a launch today? Upcoming rocket launch schedule for SpaceX, ULA, NASA in Florida

Follow florida today's space team for news and updates at floridatoday.com/space.

Florida's Space Coast is the home of NASA's Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, where a record-breaking 72 orbital launches took flight last year.

A total of 22 rockets lifted off by the end of March, and officials have projected the 2024 total could reach an unprecedented 111 launches — led by SpaceX. The company's Starlink internet-satellite constellation missions comprise the bulk of the Cape's launch total.

Following are the latest missions coming up from Cape Canaveral. All launches are listed in Eastern Daylight Time. Be aware: Dates and times are routinely subject to change for a variety of reasons.

For questions or comments, email FLORIDA TODAY Space Reporter Rick Neale at [email protected]. For more space news, visit floridatoday.com/space .

Tuesday, April 9: ULA Delta IV Heavy final launch

• Mission:  ULA's last Delta IV Heavy triple-core rocket will launch on the NROL-70 national security mission.
• Launch window: 12:53 p.m. (after a March 28 scrub).
• Trajectory: Due east.
• Location:  Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
• Local sonic boom: No.
• Booster landing:  None.
• Live coverage:  Starts two hours before liftoff at  floridatoday.com/space .

Wednesday, April 10: SpaceX Starlink 6-48

Though SpaceX has yet to publicly confirm this mission's existence, Federal Aviation Administration and National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency navigational warnings indicate a rocket launch window will open at midnight Wednesday:

• Mission:  A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch another batch of Starlink internet satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
• Launch window: Midnight to 4:31 a.m.
• Trajectory:  Southeast.
• Location: Launch Complex 40.
• Booster landing:  Drone ship out on the Atlantic Ocean.
• Live coverage:  Starts 90 minutes before liftoff at  floridatoday.com/space .

Monday, May 6: NASA’s Boeing Starliner crewed flight test

• Mission:  NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams will fly aboard a Boeing Starliner spacecraft and a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket to the International Space Station.
• Launch: TBA.
• Location: Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

Space is important to us and that's why we're working to bring you top coverage of the industry and Florida launches. Journalism like this takes time and resources. Please support it with a subscription here.

SpaceX launch recap: Bandwagon-1 mission Sunday from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida

Launch recap: Scroll down to review live coverage of the Sunday, April 7, liftoff of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

Welcome to FLORIDA TODAY's Space Team live coverage of tonight’s SpaceX Bandwagon-1 mission from KSC.

SpaceX is targeting 7:16 p.m. EDT — a half-hour before sunset — to launch a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 11 various spacecraft from pad 39A.

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The Falcon 9 will deploy these spacecraft into orbit on the Bandwagon-1 mission, marking the debut of SpaceX's latest "rideshare" program.

Cape Canaveral: Is there a launch today? Upcoming rocket launch schedule for SpaceX, ULA, NASA in Florida

After ascending along a northeasterly trajectory, the rocket's first-stage booster will target landing at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station 7½ minutes after liftoff — triggering Central Florida sonic booms.

And the Space Force's 45th Weather Squadron predicts odds of "go for launch" weather will exceed 95%.

SpaceX Falcon 9 booster lands

Update 7:25 p.m.:  The Falcon 9 first-stage booster just returned for a landing at SpaceX's Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, wrapping up its 14th mission.

Update 7:16 p.m.:  SpaceX has just launched the Falcon 9 rocket carrying 11 spacecraft into orbit from pad 39A at KSC.

SpaceX Falcon 9 launch coming up

Update 7:11 p.m.:  Five minutes before SpaceX's scheduled 7:16 p.m. Falcon 9 launch, the countdown appears to be proceeding as planned. A few key upcoming countdown milestones during the final minute. T-minus:

• 1 minute:  Command flight computer begins final prelaunch checks; propellant tank pressurization to flight pressure begins.
• 45 seconds:  SpaceX launch director verifies “go for launch.”
• 3 seconds:  Engine controller commands engine ignition sequence to start.
• 0 seconds:  Falcon 9 liftoff.

SpaceX launch webcast begins

Update 7:06 p.m.: SpaceX's launch webcast hosted on X (formerly Twitter) is now posted above, right below the countdown clock.

Liftoff is scheduled in 10 minutes from KSC.

SpaceX launch approaches under clear skies

Update 6:58 p.m.: This National Weather Service radar loop from the station at Melbourne Orlando International Airport shows clear, cloud-free skies across the Sunshine State peninsula.

SpaceX Falcon 9 fueling now underway

Update 6:50 p.m.: Falcon 9 fueling procedures are now underway at pad 39A, visual cues indicate.

That means tonight’s Bandwagon-1 countdown is now locked in to lift off at 7:16 p.m. without any delays, or else the launch must be postponed.

SpaceX launch prep underway in Brevard

Update 6:20 p.m.: Brevard County Emergency Management officials have activated the agency's launch operations support team ahead of SpaceX’s upcoming Falcon 9 launch.

SpaceX booster to land on drone ship

Update 6:10 p.m.:  Tonight's mission marks the 14th flight for this Falcon 9 first-stage booster, SpaceX reported.

The booster previously launched SES-22, ispace's HAKUTO-R MISSION 1, Amazonas-6, CRS-27 and nine Starlink missions, SpaceX reported.

Space Force weather forecast details

Update 5:51 p.m.: Thick cloud layers were the lone risk cited by the 45th Weather Squadron in its forecast for tonight's launch.

"A surface high-pressure center will drape over the Carolina-Georgia coastline by the primary launch window, causing light northeasterly winds and benign weather conditions," the forecast said.

For the latest news and launch schedule from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA's Kennedy Space Center, visit  floridatoday.com/space .

Rick Neale  is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY (for more of his stories,  click here .) Contact Neale at [email protected] . Twitter/X:  @RickNeale1

Space is important to us and that's why we're working to bring you top coverage of the industry and Florida launches. Journalism like this takes time and resources. Please support it with a subscription here.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: SpaceX launch recap: Bandwagon-1 mission Sunday from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida

SpaceX launches Starlink mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida

SpaceX knocks out early morning Starlink launch from Cape Canaveral

• Richard Tribou Orlando Sentinel (TNS)

The Space Coast saw its 23rd launch of the year early Friday with a SpaceX launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

The Falcon 9 rocket carrying 23 more of the company’s Starlink internet satellites lifted off from Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex 40 at 5:12 a.m.

The first-stage booster made its 14th flight and stuck another recovery landing downrange in the Atlantic on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas.

It was the 275th time SpaceX has recovered a Falcon 9 booster, part of the company’s efforts to reduce costs through reusability.

SpaceX has flown all but one of the launches from the Space Coast this year, with United Launch Alliance responsible for the other, a Vulcan Centaur launch in January.

ULA has its second flight lined up, though, with the last launch ever of a Delta IV Heavy set for next Tuesday from Canaveral’s Space Launch Complex 37 on a mission for the National Reconnaissance Office. That comes after a delay because of issues with a gaseous nitrogen line to the launch pad that thwarted a launch attempt last week.

But before that, SpaceX has one more Falcon 9 launch lined up, a new rideshare mission for multiple customers called Bandwagon-1 flying from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Pad 39-A during window that runs from 7:12-7:22 p.m. Sunday. The first-stage booster will make a recovery landing at Canaveral’s Landing Zone 1, which means one or more sonic booms may be heard on the Space Coast and other parts of Central Florida.

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