Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science Space Policy Edition: Return to Launch — Cape Canaveral's unlikely history
Apr 3, 2026
Stephen C. Smith, author of Return to Launch and longtime Kennedy Space Center communicator, traces Cape Canaveral's unlikely rise. He explores geography and Cold War strategy, early V-2 tests and Apollo's boom‑and‑bust, Mexico's odd role in site choice, eminent domain shaping the spaceport, and how Space Florida pivoted the region toward commercial launches.
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Military Needs, Not Orbits, Drove Early Site Choice
- Cape Canaveral became a finalist not for orbital mechanics but for military test launches aimed at regional targets; El Centro was first choice until Mexico denied overflight.
- Overflight denial after a guidance error at White Sands pushed the Pentagon toward Cape Canaveral.
The First V-2 Launches Were Run From a Concrete Slab
- The first V-2 launches at Cape used a concrete slab, painter's scaffolding, a round table brought from Germany, and cables to a guard shack as launch control.
- Early launch infrastructure was improvised, near where today's Complexes 1–4 and Blue Origin's 36 sit.
Wartime Infrastructure Seeded The Spaceport
- Preexisting military facilities like Banana River Naval Air Station and a natural bight port made the Cape more attractive and useful beyond launches.
- WWII seaplane and anti-submarine needs left infrastructure later repurposed for space and naval test activities.
