Today in the history of astronomy, the facility that eventually will become the Cape Canaveral Spaceport and Kennedy Space Center is established. | Published: May 11, 2026 The first rocket launches at Cape Canaveral -- the Bumper V-2 on July 24, 1950. Credit: NASA After the end of World War II, the U.S. military searched for a location for a new long-range missile testing facility, having found the existing White Sands Proving Grounds in New Mexico to be too small. After a failed attempt to establish the site in California, the Committee on Long Range Proving Grounds recommended Cape Canaveral, Florida. The location was ideal, with a large flight path area over the Atlantic Ocean and away from population centers and shipping lanes. The weather would allow for year-round operation, the Earth’s rotation near the equator would give rocket launches an extra punch, and a series of nearby islands would function perfectly as downrange tracking stations.…