Doom and gloom sells newspapers. The idea that the whole “Space Coast” including Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is going to fall off into the Atlantic Ocean after the shuttle program retires is false. Kennedy Space Center was created and has evolved to meet the changing needs of America's manned space program, initially in competition with the Soviet Union. What is today KSC was authorized in 1958 during the administration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The facility was originally known as the Launch Operations Directorate (LOD), reporting to the Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama.

President John F. Kennedy's 1961 goal of a lunar landing before 1970 led to an expansion of NASA operations from a few buildings in the Industrial Area of Cape Canaveral Missile Test Annex (later Air Force Station), notably Hangar S, to Merritt Island. NASA began land acquisition in 1962, buying title to 131 square miles (340 km2) and negotiating with the state of Florida for an additional 87 square miles (230 km2).
KSC’s future is unclear but here are a just a few visions of the future for this historic space port:

*KSC will continue to provide launch services for NASA and that the center will be involved in processing the agency's next crew capsule.
*By 2016 or 2017 commercial rockets will be taking off and being recovered and processed along with preparations for that first big flight away from Planet Earth.”
*KSC to evolve into a center for scientific research and emerging technologies.
* Commercial cargo and crew that will fly from Kennedy Space Center or Cape Canaveral Air Force Station as soon as 2012 for cargo.
* Evolution of KSC into a "multiuse spaceport" that will support both government and commercial launches.
* Development of the congressionally designed Space Launch System that would launch from Launch Complex 39 at KSC.
* An increase in space research and development on the Space Coast.

The space program will continue to thrive on the East Coast of Florida due to the driven and talented folks that still call the area home. All you have to look at is their telephone area code: (321)