The Space Program
In 1962, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) built a space launch center at Cape Canaveral in Brevard County, Florida (the site had long been used to test missiles), and in 1963, NASA acquired almost 90,000 acres on Merritt Island to build a complex that would be named Kennedy Space Center. The Gemini space program sent 19 launches from 1962 to 1966, ten of which were manned space flights. The Apollo program sent men to the moon: on July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first persons to land on the moon. Shortly after landing, Neil Armstrong became the first person to walk on the moon. The next program, the Shuttle program, experienced triumph and tragedy: during the course of the program, satellites were deployed and space walks were made, but during the 10th launch of the space shuttle Challenger, the vehicle exploded shortly after liftoff, killing all aboard.
Today NASA is sending spacecraft like the Rover and the Cassini to investigate Mars and Saturn, respectively. With the Voyager, NASA is exploring interstellar space, while its Asteroid Hunter spacecraft is surveying asteroids and comets.
Read a capsule history of the space program here.
http://fcit.usf.edu/florida/lessons/capecan/capecan1.htm
The following NASA link provides resources for educators and students.
