Kennedy's Environmental Program

Cultural Resources Overview

Kennedy's Environmental Program - Cultural Resources
Cultural Resources Help Us To Learn

Learning About Previous Accomplishments

Cultural resources are precontact or historic remains and indicators of past human activities. They include artifacts, sites, structures, landscapes, and objects of importance to a culture or community for scientific, traditional, religious, or other reasons. The Federal Government recognizes the value of irreplaceable cultural resources and has passed numerous laws to protect these resources such as the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), and the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA). Information on NASA’s Cultural Resources Management Program can be found here: Cultural Resource Management | NASA

KSC contains both precontact and historic cultural resources which tell the story of those who lived on and used the land in the past as well as the story of NASA’s historically significant contributions to science, technology, and space exploration. KSC has an active cultural resources management program which focuses both on archaeology and historic architecture and engineering and employs personnel to manage these cultural resources and compliance with federal laws related to their protection.

Cultural Resources at Kennedy Space Center

KSC Historic Properties
National Historic Landmarks
Historic Properties Booklet

Surveys and Studies

2011 Survey of NASA owned properties 45-50 years old
2015 Survey of NASA owned facilities built in the 1970’s

2016 Survey of NASA owned Real Property
Agency-wide Space Shuttle Program Survey: Cover Part I Part II
BOSU Survey

CCAFS Survey & Evaluation

HMP South & Boresight Control Building Historic Survey
Jay Jay Bridge, Railroad System, and Locomotives

KSC Space Shuttle Survey Report

KSC Survey & Evaluation of 45 Buildings 45-50 Years Old
NASA-owned CCAFS Industrial Area Historic Survey

SSPF Survey & Evaluation

Kennedy Historic American Building Survey (HABS) and Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) Recordation Efforts

ARF Manufacturing Building

Haulover Canal Bridge

Indian River Bridge

Kennedy's Environmental Program - Cultural Resources

Construction Date: 1964—1965
Builder: B. B. McCormick and Sons of Titusville, Florida
Length of Bridge: Approximately 2,993 feet for the Indian River Bridge
Historic Significance: For its association with the Apollo program, Space Shuttle Program, the International Space Station for Space Exploration and Community Planning and Development, Transportation, and Engineering.
HAER: FL-8-C (8BR2957) Haulover Canal Bridge: HAER
HAER: FL-45 (8BR2956) NASA Causeway Bridge (Indian River Bridge): HAER

Related FMSF: Indian River Bridge

Kennedy's Environmental Program - Cultural Resources

Description
The 1964 Indian River Bridge is a divided, four-lane, double-leaf bascule bridge on NASA Causeway West, also known as SR 405, which crosses over the Indian River (Figure 63). The bridge connects Titusville, Florida, to KSC traveling east and is located approximately four miles west of the KSC Industrial Area. The bridge has reinforced concrete approaches, aluminum handrails, and the bascule span creates an approximately 105-foot wide channel when open. The concrete bridge approaches are 1,460 x 28 feet and the bascule span is 142.75 x 28 feet. There is a three-story concrete control house that is 14.33 x 12.75 feet. The control house is capped by a metal and glass control room with a flat roof and walls that flare out from bottom to top. (NASA 1965d; Fears and Tzareff 2007:3).

Views of the Indian River Bridge
View of bridge from shore.
Center view of bridge from shore.
Center view of bridge from water.
Close-up view of bridge from water.

LC-34/Engineering Support Building

Landing Aids Control Building

Kennedy's Environmental Program - Cultural Resources

Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF): HAER | Spaceport News article | SLF video | SLF Runway FMSF

NOTE: The Mate-Demate Device (MDD) and Landing Aids Control Building (LACB) recordation data is within the SLF HAER | Landing Aids Control Building FMSF | LACB FMSF | MDD FMSF

Collection of the Landing Aids Control Building (LACB), Mate-Demate Device (MDD), and Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) photos

Mate-Demate Device (MDD)

Kennedy's Environmental Program - Cultural Resources

Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF): HAER | Spaceport News article | SLF video | SLF Runway FMSF

NOTE: The Mate-Demate Device (MDD) and Landing Aids Control Building (LACB) recordation data is within the SLF HAER | Landing Aids Control Building FMSF | LACB FMSF | MDD FMSF

Collection of the Landing Aids Control Building (LACB), Mate-Demate Device (MDD), and Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) photos

Press Site: Clock and Flag Pole

Kennedy's Environmental Program - Cultural Resources

Press Site: Clock and Flag Pole: HAER | FMSF

Updated Information (2014): In reference to the HAER documentation completed in 2012, on pages 4 and 6 it discusses the installation of the Clock at the Press Site. Newly available information has revealed that the Clock was built and installed in 1969, whereby the Press Site and Flag Pole made its official debut on November 9, 1997.

Collection of the Press Site: Clock and Flag Pole photos

Rotation Processing Surge Facility (RPSF)

Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF)

Kennedy's Environmental Program - Cultural Resources

Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF): HAER | Spaceport News article | SLF video | SLF Runway FMSF

NOTE: The Mate-Demate Device (MDD) and Landing Aids Control Building (LACB) recordation data is within the SLF HAER | Landing Aids Control Building FMSF | LACB FMSF | MDD FMSF

Collection of the Landing Aids Control Building (LACB), Mate-Demate Device (MDD), and Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) photos

Solid Rocket Booster Retrieval Ships

Kennedy's Environmental Program - Cultural Resources

The Historical Narrative captures anecdotes and specifications of the Solid Rocket Boosters Retrieval Ships.

Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), VAB Utility Annex and Barge Terminal Facility

Thermal Protection System Facility (TPSF)

Kennedy's Environmental Program - Cultural Resources

Thermal Protection System Facility (TPSF): HAER | FMSF

Collection of the Thermal Protection System Facility photos

Space Transportation System (STS) Recordation

Space Shuttle Virtual Tour
HAER
Discovery Document Photos
STS Recordation Website

Memorandum/Programmatic Agreements

Identification and Disposition of NASA Artifacts (NPR 4310.1)
Programmatic Agreement among NASA, SHPO, and ACHP for Management of Historic Properties (KCA-4185)
Programmatic Agreement among NASA, National Conference of State Historic Preservation Offices, and the ACHP

Latest News

National Historic Preservation Act Section 106 Consultations open for the 30-day public review can be found here.