Long before Space Shuttles were lifting off from the Kennedy Space Center, what is now the Cape
Canaveral Air Force Station was launching America's rockets. You don't hear too much about Cape Canaveral
Air Force Station today, other than the fact that it launches unmanned missions. You'll see
it on TV or in the news if the mission is popular (the Mars mission), if disaster strikes (the explosion of a Delta II rocket
in 1997), or if the mission is controversial (Cassini). Other than that, most of the general public doesn't get
to see Cape Canaveral Air Force Station unless they visit it (usually as a side trip
to Kennedy Space Center).
Some areas of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station can be seen on the Kennedy Space Center's
"Then and Now" bus tour. Other than that, the general public doesn't get to see
much of the facility. In 1996, I was given a tour by the director of the Air Force
Space & Missile Museum. He spent
all day escorting me to the various facilities at the Air Force Station, and patiently watched me burn off roll
after roll of film.
I set this site up to give a "guided tour" of the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. I've included
more than 50 of the better pictures I had taken, and added over 30 from other
sources (including historical photos). In 2005, a Mission Flight Controller Officer named Steve Sanders contacted me
and offered to help me tell the story of the Cape. Since January of 2005, Steve
has generously provided hundreds of photos as well as an insider's view of the
Cape, and this website has nearly doubled in size. I hope you enjoy it!
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For best results:
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to zoom in on photos. This tour will work best at resolutions of 800x600 or better.
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The CCAFS Virtual Tour content and unattributed photos are Copyright ©1996-2008 by Rob
Svirskas.
This is not an official Air Force or NASA site. Endorsement by Cape Canaveral Air
Force Station, the Air Force Space & Missile Museum, the United States Air Force, or NASA is neither expressed nor
implied.