NASA and the Space Program Change Florida

Florida: Mooonport USA

This film is a tribute to the space program, produced by the Florida Development Commission. Beginning with a Mercury launch sequence, it shows a thriving aerospace industry in its prime.

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Menu for an Astronaut

This film shows new food processes, including freeze drying orange juice into a powder, created to feed the astronauts.

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Apollo and Gemini

This film includes actual footage from outer space, along with scenes from Cape Kennedy and the construction of various spacecraft.

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Mathematics and Science in Florida Schools (1957)

When the Soviet Union launched the world's first man-made orbital satellite, Sputnik I, in 1957, many in the United States began scrutinizing the nation's programs for math and science education. In this report, State Superintendent of Public Education Thomas D. Bailey explains Florida's standard math and science curriculum.

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Advancing Education in Florida (1957)

During the panic over math and science education following the Soviet Union's launch of Sputnik I in 1957, some education experts feared that math and science would be over-emphasized to the point of excluding the social sciences and other subjects. In this letter, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Thomas D. Bailey addresses this issue.

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Early Admissions to Stetson University (1958)

Following the Soviets’ launch of Sputnik I in 1957, a number of Florida high schools and colleges began creating new programs to funnel advanced students into science and technology-related degree programs and careers. This document describes Stetson University’s early college admission program and its relationship to the post-Sputnik concerns about American education.

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Brevard County Students' Mercury Tracking Station (1963)

"There is no similar project, space oriented, which so forcefully demonstrates the national space leadership Florida is providing."

Many Floridians believed part of the challenge of getting ahead of the Soviets in space age technology was making scientific and technical careers interesting to more students. This series of letters documents a project sponsored by the Society of American Military Engineers to introduce Brevard County students to aerospace technology.

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Space Tour Brochure

Space travel quickly became a popular theme in Florida tourism during the 1960s. This brochure describes the kinds of activities included in a typical tour of Cape Kennedy.

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Kennedy Space Center Brochure

This brochure gives tour information for the Kennedy Space Center. It also promotes the area's motels, restaurants, drive-ins, fishing, swimming, surfing, boating and golf courses.

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