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( Kennedy Space Center) The John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is the NASA space vehicle launch facility and Launch Control Center (spaceport) on Merritt Island, Brevard County, Florida, United States. The site is near Cape Canaveral, midway between Miami and Jacksonville, Florida. It is 34&_160;miles (55&_160;km) long and around 6&_160;miles (10&_160;km) wide, covering 219&_160;square miles (567&_160;km²). A total of 13,500 people work at the site as of early 2008.^[1] There is a visitor center and public tours; KSC is a major tourist destination for visitors to Florida. Because much of KSC is a restricted area and only nine percent of the land is developed, the site also serves as an important wildlife sanctuary; Mosquito Lagoon, Indian River, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and Canaveral National Seashore are also features of this area.

Operations are currently controlled from Launch Complex 39, the location of the Vehicle Assembly Building. The two launch pads are 3&_160;miles (5&_160;km) to the east of the assembly building. The KSC Industrial Area, where many of the Center's support facilities and the administrative Headquarters Building are located, are found 5&_160;miles (8&_160;km) south.

Kennedy Space Center's only launch operations are at Launch Complex 39. All other launch operations take place at the adjacent Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS), which is operated by the US Air Force.

The announcement of the lunar program led to an expansion of operations from the Cape to the adjacent Merritt Island. NASA began acquisition in 1962, taking title to 131&_160;square miles (340&_160;km²) by outright purchase and negotiating with the state of Florida for an additional 87&_160;square miles (230&_160;km²). In July 1962, the site was named the Launch Operations Center. The buildings were initially designed by Charles Luckman.^[2] It was renamed the John F. Kennedy Space Center in November 1963, after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. (The surrounding Cape Canaveral was also renamed Cape Kennedy, but this change was unpopular with local residents and the cape reverted to the original name in 1973.)

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