As the place where aircraft launch into space, the Kennedy Space Center is truly where space exploration begins. In this first of a three-part series, you'll learn why the Kennedy Space Center continues to be one of the most impactful sites in aviation history.

Everyone has heard of NASA, but you won't get the full picture unless you understand the significance of the Kennedy Space Center. This book covers the Kennedy Space Center's history, from its beginnings post-World War II to its involvement in current launches. Far from being a sideshow for NASA, it's an essential part of NASA's operations.

Think about it...all the breakthroughs in the past century or so have not only been made by studying space but by exploring it. Sending spaceships, astronauts, and even animals into space has been some of humankind's greatest achievements.

And this is why the Kennedy Space Center's work is so important. Through its various expeditions through space, people have been able to learn more about space than if they simply studied it from Earth.

In other words, if the launch pad is where the action happens, then the Kennedy Space Center is the nucleus of it all.

If you're passionate about what shaped space aviation into what it is today and how modern space exploration continues to evolve, then Kennedy Space Center is for you.

This is not a simple guide to the Kennedy Space Center visitor complex. Neither is it a bunch of chronological facts. Instead, here's what you'll find in this book:

• • • Expert insight from a licensed commercial pilot and experienced aviator.

  • • A comprehensive understanding of the people and events that shaped the Kennedy Space Center, from the history of the Apollo Era to stories about heroes like Jim Lovell and Mary Jackson.