1984 Pictorial Map of Cape Canaveral, Kennedy Space Center, Florida

A lively 1984 pictorial map of Spaceport USA, the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida, produced by the Space Center itself. Made during the early days of the space shuttle era, it celebrates this new chapter in the storied legacy of America's Space Program.

A Closer Look

Displaying most of Merritt Island and Cape Canaveral, the map focuses on NASA facilities and launch sites. Roads, rail lines, security gates, the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and Canaveral National Seashore, the Space Center's Visitors Center, the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), and more features are labeled. Within and surrounding the map are illustrations of wildlife, rockets, space shuttles, a lunar rover, a command module, and a lunar module, among other references to the space program and the location on Cape Canaveral. The verso discusses tours of the Space Center, the history of the complex, and the exciting new developments brought about by the space shuttle program.

The Space Coast

When the space race between the Soviet Union and the United States began in the 1950s, the U.S. government sought a suitable location for crewed flights, ideally as close as possible to the Equator. In 1958, Cape Canaveral was chosen as an ideal site, and by 1962, construction was complete. Initially known as the Launch Operations Center, it was renamed after John F. Kennedy following his assassination. From the Mercury and Gemini missions, through the storied Apollo program, and finally through the Space Shuttle program, the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral have been the center of the U.S. Space Program. Over the years, facilities were added for tourism, education, and research, reflecting the importance and influence of the missions launched from the Space Center. In recent years, commercial space companies such as SpaceX have increasingly utilized the launch pads and other Cape Canaveral facilities. It is also the home of the Artemis Program, NASA's planned return to the moon.

Publication History and Census

This map was produced by the Kennedy Space Center. It is undated, but notations at the bottom of the verso indicate a date of 1984. Other examples from the mid-1980s feature minor changes and different print dates.